How different is .5/1NL from 1/2NL?

I've been thinking its about time to move up to 200NL, but I'm slightly worried, because I've heard that 1/2 is where the comeptition level starts to increase rapidly. One of the main things I'm worried about is whether my game, which is still largely based around camping, can still be sucessful at higher limits. Can anyone offer any general advice, tips, or pointers about 200NL?

(I'm at party poker at the moment)

If right now, you use no aggression, I wouldn't recommend moving up to $200 NL. You can get away with camping for cards preflop, and NL is basically a game of dancing around, waiting for monsters, but at $200 NL, you need to keep your feet moving. Bluffing becomes a bigger part of the game at $200 NL.

Yeah 200nl full ring is where everyone else is camping along side you, so y9u wont be as successful camping full ring. 200nl 6max you can still camp (in 6max terms) though.

You need to change your game up. Learn how to bluff. I'd say you should definitely give it a try, and if you do poorly move back down. I wouldnt say its too bad, but you cant get away with just camping anymore.

As most if camping, players tend to give me credit for more then I have. So knowing when to bluff and how to play abit laggy realy helped. (ty 6max)

In 6max, the game was more aggro and knowing how to play the players was more of an issue. Oh, there is still fish.

Basically what we have here is a player that has neglected to develop LAGG skills. This is an essential part of the game. You took the easy road at lower limits camping out, and probably made a better profit than I when I was first learning LAGG. What you gain in profit, you lose in furthering your game since I've been mixing it up LAGG for a long time now. As a result I have the ability to destroy the higher level (200NL).

It's a two steps back three steps forward scenerio. You have to lose some to gain some before you move up. I suggest you don't move up until you experiment with LAGG effectively. You'll get owned.

If I were you I would go to a tight 6 max 25/50NL table (low average pot amount), and play LAGG. It will give you valuable experience playing against bluffable opponents. Build a bad image and then switch gears to TAGG to let them pay you off.

I do have experience playing lagg. I experiemented with lagg at 6max 100NL for a period of a few weeks, had some crazy swings, and ended up about even after the whole affair. I discovered that when the table subdues itself to my lagg play, I clean up, but other times when the table doesnt really match up to my agression I leak chips badly. Since then I've gone back to a pure camping game at 100NL ring and done decently well. I do understand the concepts of lagg, but I know I need alot of refinment and development to make my lagg play to be consistantly profitable. Thanks for the input.

my advice would be to keep playing tight, but at the first hint of weakness on a guy, throw a raise at him that he can't call.

If you put a guy on aces and flop comes 89T with two diamonds, that is a golden opportunity to bluff scare cards.

oh ya, play lots of 100 NL 6 max

I couldn't disagree more. I camp $200NL on Stars and do well. I think you can definately camp 1/2 NL, but you just have to be a bit more creative. I play less straight forward than I did at $100 NL with a lot more trapping, weak leads to induce bluffs/overbets, check-raising, etc. 1/2 NL is definately more aggressive and I think there is a misconception that you have to play LAGG as well just to compete. You don't have to though.

If you think about it, the style I mentioned above is an effective counter stratgey against LAGGy play. I will often allow the other people to do the betting for me because they wrongly assume weakness and then I exploit their aggressiveness. Also because I play tight most opponents give me too much credit when I bluff and I think that makes my bluffs more effective. The variance that a lot of people are afraid of when moving up to a higher limit can also be minimized by playing a tight, solid game.

The wonderful thing about poker is that different playing styles and different strategies can both be effective. I see between 16-18% of flops at a 9-handed $200 NL table which is actually much tighter than the 20-22% I saw at $100 NL and I do better. My point is that there are alternatives to LAGGy play. It comes down to what you are comfortable with and finding your own style of play. Don't play LAGGy if you aren't comfortable with it because you probably won't do well forcing yourself to play outside of your comfort zone. Moving up to a higher limit is sometimes hard for psychological reasons (more money than you are use to, different style of play, etc.). When you combine the the psychological reasons with trying to play with a different style that you aren't use to then you are just going to make it even harder.

Some people might say I try to get too fancy, but the point is that it works for me and I enjoy playing that way. I think that most 1/2 NL players are too aggressive, but playing that way works for them. Yes, I give up many pots in marginal situations and I realize that the way I play opens me up to being pushed off pots and bluffed. That's ok with me. I win fewer pots than the average player, but the pots I win tend to be significantly larger. Again the point is to be honest with yourself and play in a manner that is both comfortable and maximizes your profits.

I'm not saying you need to play tight and camp or that LAGGy is the wrong way to go. Both styles can certainly be effective. I'm just trying to give you something else to think about.