When to move up in stakes?

[want2push]

Coming across a relatively older forum post, I thought it was worth summarising what PTBB/100 results you can achieve on what stakes and when it is reasonable to move up stakes. In theory, if we score in the red field in 20k hands, we should not change stakes but play yet another 20k on the given level. Scoring better indicates it is time to move up. Only the very best players are, however, able to maintain PTBB scores in the blue zone in the long run, while most strong players are expected to hit the orange range.


NL25: 5PTBB/100 or less; 6-9PTBB/100; 10PTBB/100 or more (max. 20)
NL50: 4PTBB/100 or less; 5-8PTBB/100; 9PTBB/100 or more (max. 16)
NL100: 3PTBB/100 or less; 4-7PTBB/100; 8PTBB/100 or more (max. 14)
NL200: 2PTBB/100 or less; 3-5PTBB/100; 5PTBB/100 or more (max. 10)
NL400: 1PTBB/100 or less; 1-2PTBB/100; 3PTBB/100 or more (max. 6)
NL1000: around 1PTBB/100 is extremely good. 2 to 3PTBB/100 is the maximum that can be achieved in the long term, although many would boast with much more than that…

It is important to note that a sufficient bankroll is absolutely vital for all the stakes.

[Mr. Pi]

I think we could add that you need to be able to cope with the possible swings on the next level too.
If you are not prepared psycologically for the next level and will freak out if you hit some bad session then moving up is not really a good thing to do. Even if you crush your current limit.

Pi :)

[castor11]

Intresting table. Maybe these are too high bb/100s nowadays... but I would like to make higher BB/100, than I have this month....:D

[Lev729]

Maybe these are too high bb/100s nowadays...

+1

For example, in 2011 almost impossible make 9+PTBB/100 on NL50 if we plays a lot of hands (200-300k).
20k hand is not a sample nowadays. (Maybe 200k...)

[tesla79]

Hello Master! :-)

I think, this summary is not correct today.

1. I heard about two pros, who tried to cursh micros as a challange in 2010.
Verneer made 3,67 ptbb/100 at NL25, Alonso(HUN) made 3,95 ptbb/100 at NL30. Maybe they are fishes, but they were winners at NL200+ before!

2. As for the economic aspect, you have to play for maximum profit.
For example:
I make 4 ptbb/100 at NL10, so It is 4 euros/hour (by 500 hands/hour) + approx. 2 euros/hour bonus. It is 6 euros/hour.
If I make 2,5 ptbb/100 at NL20, this is 5 euros/hour + approx. 3 euros/bonus. It is 8 euros/hour, that is to say plus 2 euros/h.
It's only a theory, but I think you can understand what I mean.

Actually, I would be pretty glad to see a "micro today "challenge by a NL200+ "rakerace.com" regular.

Thx. Tesla79

[NitroHUN]

To be honest I think this "I'm a superduper awesome player at NLmillion, I will crush micros" is overrated. Jumping so many stakes down is exactly as silly as skipping levels moving up... durrrr wouldn't crush NL10 SH by 10+ PTBB/100, and not because he's bad, but he cannot use his 6th level thinking against calling stations. Maybe he did beat it by that much when he started but know his brain is clicking in such a different way.

Beating NL10 SH needs nothing but ABC poker, with very rare hard decisions, which swing your PTBB/100 by +/- 0.1 IMHO. The NL200+ pros are not better than you in ABC poker. A few years back, maybe it was possible but that's not because people played better ABC poker, but because 5 LAGfish at every table with a fold to 3bet of 0.

As for the topic, I think $/hour >>> BB/100. I would move up the stakes when I have a bankroll and know that I can still beat the next level so i get a higher hourly rate. If someone's BE on NL25 and decides to move to NL50, where he's still BE, I think it's a good move.

[MisterPoker]

Chris Ferguson have a nice advise about bankrolls. See his video.

[MisterPoker]

He Turn $0 to $10,000

[MisterPoker]

He starts with freerolls and make a nice cash

[boorek13]

Btw anyone know what happen with Boku87? He dissapeard from PS ? Made his challange and finished with poker? Im really curious....

[babyonboard]

Btw anyone know what happen with Boku87? He dissapeard from PS ? Made his challange and finished with poker? Im really curious....

as i see he plays nowadays:

http://www.pokerprolabs.com/Boku87%2B/pokerstars.aspx

[tob1n]

as i see he plays nowadays:

http://www.pokerprolabs.com/Boku87%2B/pokerstars.aspx

with oh so cool results as i see:D

[The teoszan]

I think we could add that you need to be able to cope with the possible swings on the next level too.
If you are not prepared psycologically for the next level and will freak out if you hit some bad session then moving up is not really a good thing to do. Even if you crush your current limit.

Pi :)
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