I realize this may sound like a strange question, but I pose it just the same. I have been reading some books and shit like that. I played the $10 sng's and low limit multi's. My results have been mediocre. I have looked in the books and there isn't anything that will defend against all these lunatics calling everything with everything at these lower limits. Frustration level is high because these books do tell you to be able to consistently 'beat' these lower limits before moving on. I sit and play solid poker only to have my game come to a screeching halt by some douchebag who has 100 more chips than I do call my pocket 9 all in preflop raise w/10-4 suited out of position and catch a 10 on the river.

I have leaped up to the $50 sng's. I am more comfortable in these games, get better reads on people and I feel the level of play is more like what I am supposed to be playing. My results have been better, but I only have a very small sample. At any rate, I am more comfortable playing there, feel like I'm learning more and having better results...does anyone see anything wrong with moving up in limits without "beating" the lower limits first? Especially if you are getting favorable results? Thanks for the input!

Play the lowest limits possible, for as long as possible. And you aren't doing it for the money, you are doing it to get used to the worst calls and worst suck outs possible, and you won't mind as much later. And its good donkey dodgeing practice.

I have acutally found the opposite to be true believe it or not. Let me explain. For me personally I've found that I can bluff more consistantly at the lower limits ($5 SNG and such) than at higher level tourneys. If you put those players into situations post flop they usually only play back if they hit any of the flop. The other night I had no cards at all but was 3rd in chips because I won my first 8 pots without a showdown. I have found that as I go up in buyin levels players will play back at me a lot more and with more aggression whether they hit the flop or not as I am apt to do. I find I have to really watch the players a lot more as they will not play the same predictable way that lower level players do. The style of play that has worked for me is to observe the opponents the first couple of times the blinds go around and learn who I can pick on and do just that. Ever since I read an article on here from a ranked player who played down to 12th in a MTT and only had to showdown 2 hands I have completely changed my game. It was a difficult transition, but the saying is true: "Play the people, not the cards". To answer your questions I say that I don't see a problem moving up without beating the lower limits first if your bankroll can handle it and you are willing to gamble with that money and not get upset if you lose it. Playing with money you are afraid to lose is a formula for failure on the poker sites. Getting favorable results is always a good start, but until you've played a few hundred times at that level and can get a better measure of your expected earnings. But if you are truly more comfortable playing in the upper limits and posess good money management skills, then I say give it a try. The worst that will happen is your bankroll dries up. The only problem I see here is that if you do hit a rough patch, you can't just move down a level and play there because you aren't comfortable playing with lower limit players. Truly I'd recommend beating the lower limits first, but to be successful you have to be comfortable where you are playing. If that happens to be at the higher limits then so be it. Just be able to realize if you're ever in over your head and have the good sense to drop down a couple of levels if you find that you are a losing player at the higher limits. Good luck to you whatever you decide to do.

I hear this argument all the time 'I cant beat the bad players so I am going to move up and beat the good players'...... you are just getting lucky at the higher level and need to go down and make sure you cant beat each level before you move up. Otherwise the 'good players' at the $50 level will just exploit these holes in your game using the tricks they learned at the $5 tables. good luck

I have often thought that I have been playing below my skill level. However, I am not going to change that just yet, for 2 important reasons:
1. Bankroll management. My roll is held at a certain level (because I withdraw, or deposit to keep it there)
2. Donkey dodging is money. I can turn over a low level sng faster than I can a higher level. Which means that I can make more money over an 8 hour period playing low levels, as opposed to grinding rocks for 1.5/2 hours. A $5 or $10 sng is typically over in .75/1 hour.

Still more great comments and I am enjoying reading all of them. Thank you and I offer yet some more to think about...

There was a comment that said you can't play the cards and you can't play the player because they are bound to hold anything...wow...how are you supposed to play then?

Another comment says that you have to adjust your game. In my opinion, these $10 games are horrible and the play outright sucks. I have spent a lot of time and money learning how to play better, why would I now want to start playing like shit just to beat the shitty games?

Another says I am just getting lucky at the higher level. This may very well be a true statement. I may just be lucky? I may just have found a level more consistent with my style of play? I may finally see my education paying off for me and I may finally be in a place and a level that I should have been playing all along?

Lots of maybe's and only time will tell. Thanks again for the comments...I appreciate your insight!

hey brian21, first up - you missed my point . I don't mean stoop to their level .......... I mean play a different, solid form of poker. I'm a low-level player ( and I'm actually moving up levels at the end of the month ..... go me ) and I profit nicely month in and month out. Its not luck . I'm just a better player than the majority of players I run into and know how to take advantage of them .....
Here's what I meant by playing differently :
When you sit down , start off the session by playing solid, fundamental poker. Play good starting hands . As you continue in your session you'll get a feel for who can play and who's a donk. Now when involved in a hand , see who's in the pot with you. If its an ok player , you can open up your arsenal a little bit : chk-raise bluffs, semi-bluffin, continuation bets, etc.
If its the donk in the hand with ya, play it straight forward.
Don't get to involved if you don't develop anything after the flop --- cause you'll get called by top pair , seven kicker all night.

But when you get a good hand ( set, 2-pr) bet the shit out of it. They will call and they will lose.
It amazes me how much they will pay you off with marginal holdings........ wait for your edge against these bad players, while trapping or disguising your hand against the good players ........

*** BTW , I've RARELY played at any table where EVRYONE was a total donk . There are always a few good players . The key , IMO, at lower levels is recognizing who is who and then playing them accordingly.

*** BTWII --- lol There are bad/awful players at EVERY level, so if you think donks who love K4o don't exist at the $50 level .... well best of luck with that . They're everywhere!!!!!

If it pisses you off, then you shouldn't play higher levels. You won't get as mad losing a few bucks and it isn't as devestating. And you learn how to control your temper. There is no reason to get mad at what someone else does. They make a call for whatever reason. Getting mad usually makes you lose.
Its like when people show you their cards after the bluffed you off. You fell pissed, you go on tilt, and then you get owned. I now can just laugh it off, think nice bet and just wait, whereas before I would get mad, and end up losing.

I believe I play at a solid level (not to sure what it is). What frustrates me are the "what I refer too" arrogance plays I make that cost me lots of chips when I know I should fold.

hey man, glad to hear the move up is workin out . I'm lookin forward to my own move upwards very soon..........

Best of luck to ya and see ya at the tables ....

"when you push with pocket Aces and get called by 10-8 offsuit and they suck out in some amazing way...how can that be good for you?"

I'm sorry but........do you know what the odds on this hand are? That's amazing for you...not just good for you. Ask the "good" players, they will tell you how hard it is against other "good" players to get all in before the flop as an 85% favorite.

Bad players DON'T suck out more than good players (proportionally). What they do is call off their chips in unfavorable situations a lot more often. They gamble because they like gambling, not because it makes sense. They make huge mistakes. That's the key word here...

I'm not trying to berate you at all---but when I was a kid and wanted to hang out with a bunch of guys that were gonna get me into trouble, my parents discouraged it. In the end, they let me find out for myself what was gonna happen, but they tried to warn me away. It's the same deal here. Think about what you're saying, and think about what you really want, which is to be a long term winner. Going all in with aces and getting called by 10 8 offsuit is the type of play that will ensure you to win in the long run. You need to be able to deal with losing that hand occasionally LONG before you move up to the games where you might actually lose money that matters to you.

Adam, excellent post. That says it all. For people who don't understand this or don't agree with it then just let me know what site you are playing on so I can sit at your table.

I agree with the statement that if a high school football played against college teams, they themselves would become better players/team! How do you know how good you are if you only play 'donks'? I'm sure you'd be a real bad ass on the elementary school basketball court. You can win all the Halloween candy in another week or 2! But how do you get better? Play better players! How do you know your full capacity if you never move up? Quite simply, you don't! You must continue to test yourself and step out of your comfort zone. "Tis better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all"!

Sugar...thanks for the comments. To answer your question, I don't see the donks moving up! I don't see them consistently beating the $10 games. IMHO I believe they are just gamblers and are playing for the intentions of entertainment, not to make money. I see them as the folks that watch final tables and watch Gus Hansen go all in w/10-8 diamonds and hit full houses and they play the same way. I am not a losing player, but my cash jar isn't exactly overflowing either.

I have run into a few donks at the $50 level and they are usually gone pretty quickly. I felt it was time to test my game and thus far I am happy with the results. I'll continue to play my game and improve it and work to get better. I don't avoid anyone. I feel that in order to be the best, you must play the best. I have found that to be true when I was playing pool, backgammon and any other game I've played...thanks for the input...see ya round!

You can read my article on Mike Mizrachi in the interviews section under articles. You will see that when he first started online, he was playing 5-10 limit. He'd already had quite a bit of poker experience before that. There weren't online poker tournaments when he got started online....there were no $5 and $10 sngs to try out your skills. You played limit cash games or nothing at all at that time.