5nl easier to beat than 2nl

hi guys, ive been playing 2nl for the last 2 days and im down $6 already....my measly bankroll stands at $8.......however i was playing 5nl for 2 weeks previous and was breaking even mostly and having swings up and down.......in 2nl im always losing.....the difference between 2nl and 5nl is quite different....i can see it..........everytime i get 2 kings or rockets i do my x3 bet and everybody folds......and when i join the table i always pick one above 25 vpip etc and after about ten minutes playing at the table the percentages drop right down.....it happens everytime.......is it me thats changing the dynamics of the game?.....in 5nl i was getting far more action........confused.com

Why are you playing 2nl with a 4BI bankroll?
Why were you playing 5nl with a 1.5BI bankroll?

I'm going to guess you're just starting out, as in, learning the game; which means you should really be playing like 50BI deep at 2nl, trust me, a 3BI downswing over 2 days is absolutely nothing. There are people that I know irl who go on 12BI downswings within an hour.

lol 2nl is the lowest i can go...what else am i supposed to do?.......you're right i have 4 buy ins left and will have to pull my socks up to get out of this dire situation..........i played 5nl thinking it was 2nl.....dont ask me how that happened, hey im new ....

so you're saying i need to deposit $100 to fund 2nl?.....man that sucks but if thats what i have to do then so be it.....yeah im just learning the game, so making money isnt a priority atm but it would still be nice....i think its in everybodys natural instinct to want to win the most possible while learning, and your ego tells you, you can do it....and when you dont, you lose confidence, but then you tell yourself you are only learning and to get a grip....

alyoung said:

lol 2nl is the lowest i can go...what else am i supposed to do?.......you're right i have 4 buy ins left and will have to pull my socks up to get out of this dire situation..........i played 5nl thinking it was 2nl.....dont ask me how that happened, hey im new ....

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Don't play cash. You aren't rolled for it. Ivey could bring his A game and still go busto playing with your roll.

Just saw your latest post. Yeah you do need to deposit 100. There are people who will tell you otherwise but those people tend to be individuals who are already winning players that have dropped down for whatever reason. A 50BI bankroll is enough for 2nl.

ok thanks, looks like i will be depositing again.....although ive only deposited once at $15 and ive managed to play cash with that for 3 weeks.....and that was me in 5nl....but i will take your advice ...thanks

2nl is easier than 5nl for sure.

3 buy-in downswing is nothing lol, wait till you have a 10+ buy-in swong.

I don't think you need 50 buy-ins for 2nl as doomasiggy suggests. I would deposit about $50 so your roll can handle these swings. As you are still new to poker it is possible you may have to deposit again, but no point depositing $100 right now imo.

I say join with 1$, try and get it in preflop with high cards like AQ+ and TT plus.

That is how I build a bankroll from 5$, and never went broke. If it worked for me, it will work for you.

also, I would dedicate 50% time to playing, 50% to reading strategy, I am sure you will find some good information around here, go to cash game hand analysis and see how we play hands.

Defiantly a sample size problem going on here.

You really need a bigger bankroll even for the micros because you will swing no matter how good/bad you are and 4 buy-ins/1.5 buy-ins at 2nl and 5nl just isn't enough.

However, I disagree- I think 5nl is a nitfest (at pokerstars) where as 2nl is the complete opposite.

You might make it easier on yourself if you figure out what your entire bankroll is. By entire BR, I mean all the money you have for poker no matter where it is, not just the amount on the site where you play. Since you seem willing to deposit more, using this definition, only part of your BR is on the site.

When I started, my BR was $150. I was not going to use any more than that, ever, so if I had lost it, I'd have been forced to play freerolls. I made it simple and clear for myself by putting the entire amount into an e-wallet. When I deposited parts of the money on a couple of sites, my BR was still $150; it was just split up.

You can play at the lowest stake level with any BR. It's the exception wou don't need a minimum number of buyins.

cheers guys

well im no expert on online bankroll management but i think with a smaller bankroll, taking shots with short stack strategy is heaps more fun than grinding at the micros.

Not having the right size bankroll is a bitch to over come. Not to long ago I made the min deposit it could (i dont have alot of extra money right now) because I just wanted to play for real cash. I did well at first playing the lowest stakes available and went up about 20% to 30% in my first sitting. I felt good about it. Then I started getting hit by variance and went on a downswing. I looked at my HH and there was really nothing I think I was doing wrong got my money in when I was in the lead. Just getting hit over and over. I would get a set they would have they would river a better one. I would have the flush they would river a better one ect ect. This went on and on for a few sessions. Hell at one point some guy at the table I was at even said DAMN MAN IT IS NOT YOU DAY. I said you dont know the half of it. By the last day I was almost busted out and on tilt that I just pretty much gave my last couple of bucks away.

I guess my point is if I had the backroll to back me up a bit I would like to think that I could have rode out the downswing. But suck is life and poker, at least I had a week of poker entertainment and that is worth $25.

it's not you that changes the dynamics of the game. if you are waiting for the table you might be taking the seat of the fish. they usually leave after they get felted and sometimes thats the seat you are waiting for. so by the time you get there its a bunch of multitabling sharks that were preying on the fish that were there but now are gone. i would say this is most likely the problem, not that you alone are changing the way the table plays