br management question.

[Zorkion]

So I've got a quick question about br management.

I'm ususally a cash game player, but I've been doing some tourneys lately that have pushed my br up enough to roll me for higher stakes. i just moved from 4nl to 10nl, and i set a benchmark for moving up to 20nl, but thanks to a tourney win, i reached that without playing many cash game hands. So I know the obvious answer to this is that i should move up whenever im comfortable, and i realize that, but I'm curious what sort of numbers other people would recommend.

Right now what im thinking is 5k hands at my current stake at a rate of 5ptbb/100 before i move up, and then move back down at a -5bi drop, but im curious as to what thoughts on this are.

ideas?

[ColdDecked]

5k hands is like nothing so your winrate is likely off. Just really depends how you're comfortable with moving down back down rather than grinding at a stake you're getting owned at trying to rostucko. I usually do around a 5-8bi stoploss too when I take a shot.

If it were me, I'd take a shot at a higher stake if I have the roll for it. The jump between stakes isn't that big at micros. If I feel like I'm doing poorly at the limit or hit my stop loss, I'd just drop down.

[rpm]

what do you expect to learn from 5k hands? personally i'd just play each level until i beat it for 2000ish bb then move up. depends on your goals etc though. you cant negate the fact that skill level is always going to be the determining factor - you're not going to beat 10nl for any more bb/100 with $300000 than $300, if you catch my drift

[Zorkion]

yeah, i get what youre saying rpm. basically my goals are to make the largest $$/hr i can at poker. i was thinking that from 5k hands, i could generally get a slight feel for if i was doing decently or not, and assuming 20nl isnt a huge difference in skill level of my opps, i would be properly rolled for taking a shot anyways.

[MadMojoMonkey]

basically my goals are to make the largest $$/hr i can at poker.

I think I've found the problem.

Never make your goals monetary in poker. Always make your goals something over which you have direct control. Good play yields poor results sometimes; that's the game we play. (In fact, it's why we play. It keeps the fish confused by making bad plays and never learning the plays were bad.)

If you value your mental health and that of those closest to you, then make your goals tangible, measurable things. After all, good habits yield good play and good play will eventually yield loads of monies.

Good goals to use over a week long period:
* Play shorter sessions, being supremely tilt-conscious and write down everything that tilted you in the short session. Organize those things by amount of tilt they caused.
* Read a poker strategy article every day after you play and then the same article before you play the next day.
* Play longer sessions by gradually increasing the duration by a few minutes each day.
* Color code any Villain that shows down a hand.

I could go on and on, but the point is that all of these things are things that you do with 100% certainty. Base your progress on what you can control, and the monies will come in due course.