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Does 2nl really matter?

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  1. #1

    Default Does 2nl really matter?

    Hello everyone, I have a question about limits and moving up in limits. I started with a small bankroll of 100$, played 5nl for few k hand and have a 33bb/100 hands win rate. then i decided to just test out how weak of plays 2nl is compared to 5nl but after a few k hand I am at a lost of a few buy-in. Guess i havnt over come the fact i cant bluff the fish and call to much if they raise idk.
    The question is does the concept of 2nl play really matter to anyone who is a 5nl / 10nl player who is showing a profit over the short hand sample?
  2. #2
    Hi FireAce51. Welcome to the boards!

    I think it simply comes down to how accurate the sample (which you mentioned is short) actually is. In my opinion it's only a few thousand hands and not enough to draw anything more than an entertainment-value conclusion from either way.

    After doing some searching I found this 2009 thread on the topic: Typical Win Rate for Micros...

    You'll notice immediately that 33BB/100 hands winrate is not sustainable, even at the micro levels.

    My only recommendation would be to continue playing within your bankroll and do a results-based evaluation once you have more hands tracked.

    Some of the more experienced cash game players on this forum will be able to provide better insight on the differences between $2NL, $5NL, and $10NL.

    Best of luck to you!
    Last edited by dhubermex; 07-10-2014 at 10:12 PM.
  3. #3
    A few thousand hands really isn't enough to judge whether you are a winner or loser at either stake. I personally think you need to play at least 50k hands before you can have any degree of confidence in whether you are beating a level (and realistically a lot more) and be looking for a win rate of at least 3bb/100 before moving up over a decent sample (and preferably a lot higher at the nanos). As you move up the stakes, there are winning players that can have 100k hands of breakeven/loss quite easily as the skill edges become much thinner.

    Do you need to prove that you can beat 2nl before you can play 5nl? Of course not, as long as you have enough bankroll for it (20BI+), can easily afford to reload if you go broke and not care if you lose $100. If you do go broke though, I'd recommend starting again at 2nl as the chances are you are a losing player at 5nl.
  4. #4
    spoonitnow's Avatar
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    It matters a lot. If you can't get the fundamentals down to beat 2nl, then you'll never be able to realize your potential at any higher level.

    Man I've been hearing the "I can't beat them because they don't fold to my bluffs" line for years, and the answer is always the same. If they aren't folding enough, then stop bluffing them. It's so ridiculously easy.
    Last edited by spoonitnow; 07-11-2014 at 10:41 AM.
  5. #5
    oskar's Avatar
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    If they truly never fold, you can get away with ridiculous adjustments, such as opening a 10% range for 10x+ while you eat natchos and watch reruns of family guy. If you can't beat a player that doesn't fold, there is no player you can beat.
    The strengh of a hero is defined by the weakness of his villains.

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