Scared to make the leap! How should I handle this?

I've been slowly building up my bankroll for $25NL ring games, and I'm currently at ~400 dollars. I'm planning on making the jump when I hit 500 dollars, but I'm very nervous about this jump to the next highest stake. I assume everyone feels a little nervous, but I think this feeling is going to affect my confidence and in turn make my play worse when I make the leap. Should I just continue playing my current stakes till I go to 25NL with a higher roll? I just dont know when I'll ever feel comfortable moving up.

There is no magic amount you need to step up. The 20 buy-in thing is a guide, but it is not set in stone. You move up when you feel comfortable and ready. The worst thing you can do is step up and play scared.

It can be a little nerve-wracking when you first step up, but you have to look at it as an opportunity to win more money. Remember, ultimately you are playing relative to your BR.

when you get to $500 or whatever you consider you need for yourself to play 25NL, move up. if things go bad just move back down. I just moved up to 25NL from 10NL and so far so good. I also told myself that i would not go back to 10NL unless my bankroll went below $300. my current bankroll is $560. I suggest you watch a few tables of 25NL before sitting down, just to see the amounts people bet and fold to. you will probablly also notice that the players still play the same as 10NL.

good luck
flomo

dont think of it as a black and white move up line. Once you hit $500 then give 25NL a go when you find a good looking table. You dont have to suddenly stop playing 10NL just because you hit $500. You can move up as gradually as you like.

I made the leap to 25NL from 25PL with $200. Of course I had been playing for about 5 months so going from PL to NL was not that big. But when I got to $750, I jumped to 50NL. Got KILLED in my first 2 sessions and lost 4 buyins. Back to 25NL where I continued to get hammered for a couple of weeks. Then back to $700 and back to $50NL. Up and down for about 1.5 weeks now. Up 2 buyins ... down 2 buyins.

My advice ... play really really tight at first. If you are faced with a huge raise ... fold and let it go. Use what worked for you at 25NL ... raise what you like to raise, play position like you do now ... it will take care of itself. The players at 50NL (for me) are somewhat better but there are still the fish out there. Took me awhile to find my footing and not be intimidated by the other players. They are just like us for the most part.

Also, I tend to look at my losses and divide them by 2. If I am down $30 I think that's $15 at 25NL.

Note, today I was up 2 buyins ... and then bamm ... couple of suckouts, bad calls, and I'm back to zero for the day. But I am getting more comfortable at 50NL.

Bonus ... bonuses accrue much faster!! :D

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Originally Posted by KingLizard

I made the leap to 25NL from 25PL with $200. Of course I had been playing for about 5 months so going from PL to NL was not that big. But when I got to $750, I jumped to 50NL. Got KILLED in my first 2 sessions and lost 4 buyins. Back to 25NL where I continued to get hammered for a couple of weeks. Then back to $700 and back to $50NL. Up and down for about 1.5 weeks now. Up 2 buyins ... down 2 buyins.

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Playing with 8 buyins is very sketchy, and I really wouldnt recommend that, and I wouldnt suggest going up to $50nl without 20 buyins. But again, as long as you move down after a bad run, then it isnt horrible

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My advice ... play really really tight at first. If you are faced with a huge raise ... fold and let it go. Use what worked for you at 25NL ... raise what you like to raise, play position like you do now ... it will take care of itself. The players at 50NL (for me) are somewhat better but there are still the fish out there. Took me awhile to find my footing and not be intimidated by the other players. They are just like us for the most part.

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Again, I disagree with this. I know what you are trying to say but changing your style when you move up wont help you beat a level. When moving up dont tighten up, dont play scared. Play the same way you were playing at your lower levels, if you hit a bad run, move down and analyze your play to see if there are things you need to change, but dont just tighten up and fold more when you move up.

My thoughts didn't come out exactly as planned. What I meant to say was play your game but play tighter when decisions come your way. That is just my experience. Playing "scared" is not good but playing carefully helping me get a feel for the higher stakes. I did indeed start out playing "my game" but it had leaks so I went back to 25NL. When I returned, I waited a bit before playing SCs, small PPs, etc. Then I became more comfortable. For me ... I was uncomfortable at first ... nervous ... playing scared probably ... but I got over it by playing a bit more conservatively at first. That's what worked for me ... my $.02.

As for BR when I moved UP, I had $750 or 15 buyins ... had been playing 25NL and felt ready. I did not jump with $200.

$25NL has fewer idiots who don't know the first thing about poker, but it also hasvery few *good* players and if you play with discipline and an awareness of odds, you will not find it much more of a stretch. Slightly less dead money but hardly full of sharks.

I had a similar struggle...I sat down a few times at $25 NL and played too scared (in small pots fortunately) and ended up folding out the best (only slightly) hand a few times on bluffable boards.
But I started to get used to the denominations, and the playstyles.

The big difference-maker for me was moving that $500 BR to Party, Empire, etc. and having those quick-to-clear bonuses covering my ass for the move up.
Now I'm totally used to the bet amounts, etc. at $25 NL - so I'm basically switching back and forth between $25 NL and $10 NL - if I lose 1 1/2 to 2 buyins at $25 NL, I step back for a few days and rebuild, make sure I'm playing like I should.
I wouldn't recommend that for everyone of course, but it consoles the bankroll baby in me.

And it means you dilute the effect of the 10+ buyin downsinghs we all get :)

Another thing, following on from DaHorror's post - don't assume that just because you're at $25NL, everyone bluffs all the time. 90% of bets are made with proper hands; this isn't to say you can't get people off hands, you can, but by and large, try and do it with *better* hands than they've got.

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Originally Posted by Pelion

dont think of it as a black and white move up line. Once you hit $500 then give 25NL a go when you find a good looking table. You dont have to suddenly stop playing 10NL just because you hit $500. You can move up as gradually as you like.

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I agree with Pelion. Just take it slow. Give 25NL a try but dont think of it as a permanent move up. After a while you will realise that you just dont play 10NL anymore.

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Originally Posted by Pelion

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Originally Posted by Pelion

dont think of it as a black and white move up line.

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I agree with Pelion.

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Uhrm?

There is really little difference between players from 10nl - 50nl. bluff less (bluffing is overated anyway) fold when in doubt. get PT and HUD and don't make a move on anyone without a read and stats to back it up.

Assuming you play 2-4 tables ( playing just one table is a waste and boredom gets you in trouble), Open your normal 10nl tables but replace one with a 25nl and play all the same.

I think I'll try some of your suggestions, and dip my foot in the 25NL a little bit. Also, again, thanks for the replies guys; I love this site!

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Originally Posted by Pelion

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Originally Posted by Pelion

dont think of it as a black and white move up line. Once you hit $500 then give 25NL a go when you find a good looking table. You dont have to suddenly stop playing 10NL just because you hit $500. You can move up as gradually as you like.

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I agree with Pelion. Just take it slow. Give 25NL a try but dont think of it as a permanent move up. After a while you will realise that you just dont play 10NL anymore.

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I agree with Pelion. You can move up in many diiferent ways try the one that is right for you.

good luck
flomo

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Originally Posted by Anosmic

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Originally Posted by Pelion

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Originally Posted by Pelion

dont think of it as a black and white move up line.

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I agree with Pelion.

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Uhrm?

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Nothing like agreeing with yourself to add weight to your forum posts ;)

Holding steady at 2.35 BB / 100 after 1500 hands at 25NL. Would be 3 buyins higher if not for 3 bad calls. Much less room for error at these stakes.

Br is up a healthy amount due to bonuses. All thanks to the wonderful help from FTR, particularly AOK's 19 hand method (which I am now starting to modify).

Am currently grinding at UB, where I am unhappy with the tightness of the games and the slow bonus clearance. Time to try another room methinks.