Nick is a cash game player, content creator and part of 888poker’s Stream Team. Each week he shares his thoughts and experiences as a player dedicated to the daily grind. This week: how much is ‘enough’? Like most things in poker, it depends…
One question you’ll hear a lot in the poker community is: ‘how many buy-ins should I have to play x stake?’ The answer you’ll get to this question tends to be quite different depending on who you ask, ranging anywhere from shot-takes at 20 buy-ins, all the way up to the more conservative end of the spectrum at around 100 buy-ins. But how many buy-ins you have at a certain stake is not the only determining factor for where you should play, and overlooking other elements can and will cost you money.
The first of these elements would be your level of ability. Being honest with yourself is key here; do you really think you’re beating the stake you’re looking to play? Whether you’re somewhat new to the game, or have been grinding for years, this is still hugely relevant. You could have great results at, say, 10NL cash games over a small sample and technically be able to ‘afford’ to move up to the next limit. But variance over small samples can work both ways. It’s very possible that someone losing over that same small sample is a better player, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling like the best player in the world after some run good.
My advice in this instance would be to give yourself a bit longer at your current stake and build a sample that’s more likely to reliably show that you’re playing winning poker. It’s not a race, and the games will still be there in a week or two should you decide you’re ready. Moving up before you have the required skill set to do so can be very damaging both financially and mentally, and it's worth taking that little extra time to make sure you’re cut out for it.
There’s no shame in moving down… or not moving up
But what if you’ve already moved up and are having a tough time, when should you move down? Many will use the same logic as before and suggest that you move down upon reaching a certain buy-in threshold. The reality is, though, if your confidence has taken a hit and you’re not feeling comfortable, your bankroll is bound to take a similar hit sooner rather than later. There’s no point piling through the last 10 buy-ins you’ve earmarked for 100NL if you’re playing within yourself or are unable to think clearly because you’re on a downswing.
You’re much better off moving down as soon as you start to feel like this, because poker is competitive and difficult enough without playing under the burden of external stresses. Moving down early might just save you those 10 buy-ins, allowing you to build back that confidence at a lower, less financially damaging stake before tackling the next step once more. Being confident in your play and comfortable with the money in play is key to playing your best poker, and rigidly following a pre-determined bankroll management strategy fails horribly in taking this into account.
Maybe your bankroll isn’t an issue, you are seeing results you are happy with and you don’t feel a need to move up. There’s no rulebook here, and if you are winning consistently at a stake you are comfortable with, in a pool of players you have built up a lot of information on, it could well just be in your best interests to stay where you are. Maybe you moved up for a little bit because you could afford it, but didn’t enjoy the additional monetary pressure, and your win rate was suffering from your lack of assurance. There’s absolutely no shame at all in moving back down to where you’ve had success. After all, if you move from 25NL to 50NL and your winrate shrinks to less than half of what you were managing before, you’ll be winning less money anyway!
Decide what’s important to you
All this is to say that we all play poker for different reasons, whether it's purely financial or just as a hobby. Not everyone needs to move up to the next level as soon as they ‘can’. Decide what’s important to you and don’t let anyone tell you that what you’re doing is wrong. I’ve recently stepped back from 100NL after a series of tough losses, and I have no problem admitting that despite the repeated questioning. I’ve started to find my feet again and managed to win a few pots along the way, leaving me with a much better feeling coming in and out of sessions.
I’m sure I will return, but it won’t be before I’m ready, and I won’t stay there unless it feels right. If I’m able to show the best version of myself at 100NL, I’ll look forward to being back there battling before you know it. But for now, I’ll see you in the 50NL streets!
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