Check out our brand new Local Poker Communities! Get updates and interact with poker players in your area.
Visit the United States Poker Community | Visit the California Poker Community | Read more about the Launch of P5s Local

Jumping to higher stakes -- BR management or Player Observations?

Reply to Thread
  1. nesor77 nesor77 is offline

    NY
    United States

    Posts: 15
    Joined: Mar 06

    Jul 2nd, 2006 (7/2/2006 3:16pm)

    I constantly see younger players who have built a healthy bankroll both online and in live play (typically online), moving up in stakes very rapidly. Though this is not the best move in terms of bankroll management, for those players who are ot worried about the possiblity of busting, it can be very profitable. This being said it is important to select a stakes level where you feel comfertable, not to small whereas you will be playing loose and overly aggressive, and not to large, where you are playing as so called ' scared money'. This idea has become very intriguing to me of late as I have moved up from 5/10 NL live games to 10/20 NL, 25/50 NL and large SNGs and Satillites.
    Last week on a random wendsday night at my locaol poker room i walked in to put my name on the board for 5/10 NL, having wired a majority of my money to LV for the WSOP already i expected to play for no more than 4-5 hrs. at a 500 max buyin game where i am considiered a signifcant threat as a player. Much to my supirse i saw a 2060 dollars SNG listed (winner take all) with 8 names already on the board, and a 25/50 NL interest list. For this paticular room, these stakes games are rare to see at best, usually only appearing in accordance with 5k+ buyin tounremenets held bi-annually. As the SNG readied I realized even though I have played with these 8 gentleman on several occasions in the weekly 10 20 NL game, the idea that they wanted to play winner take all gave me the idea that this would not play like your typical SNG. Given 3500 in chips with 15 minute rounds, the avergae LIVE SNG of this size would take a couple hours. Suprisingly though, it was over in 50+ minutes. Though i will not get intot he details of the event, I came to the realization that, as you go higher in stakes, you do not find better players, you find players who do not care as much about the money on the line. As I am the only player in this weekly 10/20 NL game who plays for a living (most are business owners, etc....) it has become extremly -EV for me to value bet pots, check raise in the attempt to take down a hand without a showdown, and silimiar techniques aiumed at increasing (minimally) the value of a pot where i have the best hand. Thus my style has changed drastcially in bigger games aimed at overbetting big hands, leading out flopped sets, flushes, and straights, and check-calling even my biggest draws since I now know that i cannot move 6 of these 8 players off AQ on a Q45 flop even if i am open end straight flush and theoretically want the call. Recently i have taken a huge hit to my BR from extracurricualr activites (baccarrat - it is my biggest vice), and this has affected how i will play in LV for the WSOP. Though i still plan on playing in 7 or 8 events plus the Main Event, I have made a killing in the past few days playing ME sats. Putting up 1k to play a winner take all SNG at my casino is a bad idea because of the players, however in LV the guys putting up 1k in these SNGs are C+ players AT BEST. Thus, though i came to LV for the WSOP and to leave with some hardware on my wrist, I have come to the realization that scared money is not as much an issue of how much of your BR you put on the line, but the value of your bankroll to your opponents.

    Therefore i will conclude this quickly written opinion with a question, Are you nervous that you will lose your BR at a high stakes game because you arent confident in your abilities, or becuse your opponents cannot value the money on the line???
  2. OldGrowth OldGrowth is offline

    Woodinville, WA
    United States

    Posts: 2,001
    Joined: Mar 06

    Jul 2nd, 2006 (7/2/2006 3:23pm) in reply to nesor77

    I think your observations are dead on. I often have thought that in the higher stakes games the players were much more likely to gamble because it's not about the money for these players.
Reply to Thread

Similar Threads