Move Up Your Stakes in Poker

Move up Your Poker Stake

Playing poker isn’t just about the cards; it’s also about the money. Every game of poker comes with the excitement of betting. You might start out small, with smaller stakes in the game, but eventually you want to move up. When you amp up your poker stake, you’ll not only experience an increase in your adrenaline, but also in the pot. However, making the decision to move up isn’t easy. You’ve to do so at the right time. After all, you’ve got to worry about the money you’ll be investing.

If you’re worried about moving up the stakes, then don’t be. We’ve got you covered. We’ve got some tips that’ll make this transition, from a smaller poker game to a high stakes one, smooth and easy.

So, read on and you’ll be all set to go.

Tips to Move up Your Poker Stake

Moving up your stake in poker is not easy. You need to consider several factors before making this move. Your transition will depend on your bankroll, your poker abilities and even your confidence. However, don’t get disheartened if it’s not as easy as you’d hoped. Even experienced players have a hard time with this step. But, there are certain tips that’ll make sure you take a step in the right direction, at the right time. They are as follows:

1) Bankroll:

The primary aspect to keep in mind while wanting to play high stakes poker is to consider your bankroll. Only when you have enough bankroll, can you sustainably transition to a higher gaming stake in poker. To understand your bankroll, you need to check the amount of your of buy-ins. A buy-in is nothing but a 100 blinds. When you have the ability to pay for a 100 blinds, then you can think about moving up your poker stake. Your buy-in ability combined with your win rate should indicate whether or not you have the bankroll to make the leap. Usually, a good number to start off at is about 40 buy-ins. It provides you with a good buffer to protect you from the variance that is part of a poker game.

2) Moving Down:

As we’ve mentioned before, moving up isn’t easy. You have to be prepared to move down, as well. If it sounds confusing, let us assure you that it is not. Quite simply, whenever players try to move up, they often fail. This failure is a very common aspect of moving up. This kind of failure occurs because of the variance that accompanies a poker game. This variance can lead to bad beats and you can end up losing a lot. Or, you might skyrocket and successfully move up. To beat this obstacle, an easy tip is to give yourself 10 buy-ins. If you lose 10 buy-ins at a higher stakes game, then you can go back to a lower stakes game to reload. You might fail even after doing all your research and work, because of factors that are not in your control. In such cases, be prepared to fail, and then get back up again.

3) Winning At Your Own Stake:

You should be a winner in the smaller stakes game. This is an obvious tip. As you move up the stakes, the game tends to get more difficult and competitive. So, if you’ve been struggling to win games in your own stake level, then moving up will be very difficult for you. Even experienced players with great win rates see a drop when they make the jump to a higher stakes game.

You’ll need to have a steady and proven win rate if you want to succeed after making the jump. For example, a good win rate would be around 2bb/100 over around 20,000 to 30,000 hands. While these numbers sound really high, even this range can’t guarantee success. Thus, it is important for you to be practical about your win rate but also be confident about it. If you’re steadily winning in your stake level, don’t worry about the hand samples, and make a calculated but confident estimation of your win rate.

4) Confident Mindset:

It is very easy to either over-estimate your own abilities at a poker table, and also to have low self-esteem about your skills. Poker is a game with so many ups and downs, that most people lose all their faith while playing. However, one of the most important qualities of some of the best players is that they have a confident mindset.

These players are realistic about their poker abilities and have the confidence it takes to be a good player. You should feel like you are one of the better players at the poker table. Only when you are armed with this feeling, will you be able to make the transition to a higher poker game. Moving up on a downswing, even if you have had a good win rate, would be a mistake. It is better to challenge yourself, when you are at your most confident.

5) Don’t Change Your Game:

It’s very tempting to change your game drastically when you play a high stakes poker game. However, this is of no use. The players playing at your high stakes game are only going to be marginally better than you. There’s no need to play aggressively in order to prove something to them.

You might face some aggression from the players at the table, and it might be tempting to retaliate, but don’t do that. The players might be bluffing, but they might also be holding winning cards. Instead, be observant and make adjustments to your game on the basis of what you see at the table. Meanwhile, it’s better to play the game you know. After all, that’s what got you here in the first place.

As we reach the end of the strategies for beating small stakes poker you’ll find yourself ready to start moving up. So, don’t waste time and get playing! Come join us at Spartan Poker to play poker online!