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Mistakes in reaching the limit

At the beginning of an online poker journey, every player usually starts at the lowest available limits. This is where they learn the fundamentals of the game and acquaint themselves with online poker. Eventually, the time comes for a limit ascent. It is only there that one can find new challenges at a certain stage and continue to progress as a profitable winning player.

However, when should one move up to the next limit? What bankroll is needed for that? A limit ascent must be carefully considered. It is often not enough to just have the necessary bankroll for it. Some mistakes are easily made when moving up to the next level. poker-6.com presents some of the most serious errors when ascending limits.

Bankroll Management and Comfort Zone

The skill level at the micro limits, ranging from NL2 to NL25, is not particularly high. The disparities between each limit are only of a minor nature. On lower levels, a sound bankroll is primarily sufficient. However, the question remains: how many buy-ins are necessary to move up to a new limit? This largely depends on what is known as the comfort zone, referring to the level at which one feels comfortable.

If you can comfortably play with a bankroll of 20-25 buy-ins without worrying too much about losing your roll, it is advisable to do so. However, if this is not the case, it would be unwise to rush into moving up in stakes, as you must bring your absolute A-game to the table when taking those first steps at a new limit. Being outside your comfort zone makes it impossible to play your best poker. Your decisions then become influenced not by the specific hand at hand, but by the monetary value, which is always detrimental in poker.

Over time, it is crucial to grasp the concept that the focus at the table should not be on money, but rather on big blinds. Whether the big blind is 2, 25 cents, or even 50 dollars, it should eventually become irrelevant when making decisions. Therefore, players should aim to climb up the limits with a bankroll that makes them comfortable at the higher stakes. Having a larger bankroll, say 40 stacks, comes with advantages. It means that even in the face of a downswing, one is not immediately forced to revert back to the previous limit. Instead, there is a better chance of establishing oneself in the long run.

Your bankroll and the recommended stake size (NL Full Ring)

Bankroll	Cash Game (Blinds)	Sit’n’Go (Buy In)	MTT (Buy In)
50 €	0,01/0,02 €	2 €	1 €
100 €	0,02/0,04 €	3 €	1 €
150 €	0,02/0,04 €	4-5 €	2 €
200 €	0,05/0,10 €	5-7 €	2 €
250 €	0,05/0,10 €	8-9 €	3 €
400 €	0,10/0,20 €	11-13 €	4 €
500 €	0,10/0,25 €	15-17 €	5 €
800 €	0,15/0,30 €	24-27 €	8 €
1.000 €	0,25/0,50 €	30-33 €	10 €
1.500 €	0,25/0,50 €	50 €	15 €
2.000 €	0,50/1 €	64-68 €	20 €
4.000 €	1/2 €	120-130 €	40 €
7.500 €	2/4 €	220-250 €	75 €

Modified game

A critical mistake when reaching a new limit, often overlooked, is that one must play a different game than before. Many believe that they suddenly need to bluff more because opponents are getting better, or that they should open-raise looser because opponents can read them like an open book otherwise. All of these assumptions are utter nonsense.

It is crucial to continue playing in the same manner as before. This approach has proven effective at the lower limit, providing the player with a respectable bankroll that enables progression. Of course, it is always important to analyze and reconsider one's own game, but not immediately upon moving up in limits. It is advisable to stick to one's usual style of play and only make adjustments to the strategy if necessary, taking small steps. It doesn't make sense to suddenly unleash 3-barrel bluffs, light 3-bets, and hero calls all at once if one is not familiar with these concepts. It is best to take it easy and approach the new tables with the mindset that the opponents are just as bad as they were at the lower limit. In most cases, this assumption holds true.

Take into account both upswings and downswings

Many aspiring poker pros have experienced this: they had a long upswing and the necessary bankroll, and then they moved up to a higher limit. But then the upswing ended, and reality caught up with them. When nothing was going well anymore, they went back down to a lower limit. But things didn't improve there either. And the same was true for the next lower limit and so on. Eventually, they ended up at the bottom again and had to start all over. They went from NL10 to NL5000 within a few weeks, and then back to NL10 within a few more weeks. However, some players are too proud to play at lower limits again after moving up once. This can often lead to them losing their entire bankroll during a longer downswing. Therefore, only play at limits that your bankroll allows.

These wannabe poker pros have disregarded the ups and downs in poker that impact their winnings and losses. When playing NL100, the swings naturally tend to be smaller compared to NL200. On average, one loses or wins more during a session in NL200 than on a lower limit. For instance, if someone plays with a 5 BB/100 on a lower limit and a 3 BB/100 on a limit twice as high, the higher limit may be more profitable, but it's essential to consider the higher risk of loss for a lower BB/100 rate. Observe your win rate over a long period, especially after switching limits. If your win rate plummets after the switch, it's better to continue playing at the smaller level until you have improved your game enough to play at the higher level with the same profit/100.

Überschätzen des Buy-ins

Another mistake is overestimating the amount of money that needs to be deposited on higher levels. This leads to a too tight and passive style of play. Preflop, one hesitates to play with marginal hands like small pairs or suited connectors, even when the conditions are optimal and the hand would have been played without hesitation on a lower level. Postflop, one prefers to switch to check/call instead of placing value bets or raising the opponent to protect the hand. Additionally, one folds promising hands too early because they may give the opponent too much credit, assuming they are playing tighter with marginal hands based on their own perception.

Overestimating the potential profits

When overestimating the potential winnings at higher limits, individuals tend to play aggressively at the wrong moments. Many players have developed a sense of whether they have enough pot odds with a particular hand in certain situations. However, this feeling can mislead them after transitioning to a new limit. They then tend to stay in the game with a drawing hand, even when they lack sufficient outs. As the pot grows larger, there is also the danger of becoming too invested in the hand. It is crucial, as mentioned earlier, to detach one's bets and the pot size from their monetary value and think in terms of big blinds (BB). Moreover, it's essential to bear in mind that one's bets and the pot size should be considered in relation to the monetary value and thought of in terms of big blinds (BB).

In situations where there are fewer participants or only two players remaining, known as short-handed or heads-up scenarios, certain strategies and tactics should be employed to maximize chances of success.

As the stakes rise in any limit, the frequency of finding oneself in short-handed and heads-up situations also increases. This is because one's own experience reveals that on lower limits, flops and showdowns occur more frequently. Therefore, it is crucial to strategically prepare for such situations, as failing to do so would result in leaving a significant amount of money on the table.

âEs luft dochâ

Many players manage to climb the limits despite inadequate gameplay. On the higher limits, the bets lost due to one's own inadequacies count much more than on the lower limit. Those who do not consistently critically question their own playing style will struggle on the higher limit. The higher the level, the more expensive one's own mistakes become, and the harder it is to win back that money. Here, the old saying fits the situation perfectly: "You don't get rich by the money you earn, but by the money you don't spend." Therefore, the argument "It's going quite well" is not sufficient for a limit ascent.

Summary

Here, we have summarized the key points on the topic of "Mistakes in Ascending Limits." In order to increase your profit in poker, it is necessary to move up in limits; however, this ascent should not be made too quickly. Make sure that you are profitable in the lower limit in the long run and that your poker skills are good enough to withstand the higher limit as well. Only make the switch when you feel comfortable with larger amounts of money and detach yourself from the monetary value at the table. Instead, think in terms of big blinds. If the higher limit proves to be too difficult, don't hesitate to return to the lower limit, and above all, do not play above your bankroll to avoid risking it entirely in a small downswing.