I am a recreational player (playing no more than 1-2 hours a day, maybe 4-5 days a week) and currently have about $180 in my bankroll and playing NL2 and the occasional tournament. I do want to move up to NL5 (I think NL10 is too rich for my blood right now) and just try it out. I feel like the wins and losses will feel a bit more consequential and I think the game will be more fun.

I default to TAG (19/14 right now, but working on trimming pre-flop passive play) but will adopt a wider starting range if situation is right. I’m a pretty conservative player by nature and on any given night, I’ll stop if I lose 2-3 buy-ins in a session but will keep going if I’m up. I’m not a gambler - just want to play the game well.

My plan is to move up once I hit $200 (so that I have 40 buy-ins under my belt to start) and then set a stop loss of about 5 or 6 buy-ins and switch back to NL2 if I hit that.

Would that be advised or should I wait to move up? Due to limited hours I have to play, I’m really hoping to move up sooner than later just to experience playing at an ever so slightly higher level.

Thoughts?

if you said yourself that you're a conservative type player, keep in NLH2, no need to hurry, keep a good playing win rate and after you can go to NLH5 or maybe a mtt $5 or $11

And how much tables you play same time?
For experiment you can add 1 table NL5. It may be for example 3 tables NL2 and 1 table NL5, or more conservative - 7 tables NL2 and 1 table NL5.

Since you consider yourself as a tight player i would recommend 9max tables and if required tighten your ranges even further.
Good Luck!

If you have grinded it up already, I think, it is completely fine to give 5NL a shot now with your 180$. I personally did not even wait that long. I had, I dont know, maybe 120, and it worked out fine for me.

My advice is to make moving up a gradual process. Start with a few sessions at the new higher limit, when you are feeling your best, and the games are good, and maybe reduce the number of tables, so you can fully focus on the action. If you normally play 4 tables at 2NL, then start with 2 tables at 5NL.

Then if it goes well, gradually play more and more at the new higher limit. And always be ready to move down, if you hit a big downswing. There is never any shame in going back to a lower limit to preserve your bankroll and regain your confidence, when things are going badly at the tables. Best of luck.

Thanks for your responses so far. Right now, I don’t multitable — my laptop setup makes it hard for me to get more than one table up at once... each table already takes up more than 1/4 of my screen. My intention is to not multitable either. I prefer to give each table I play my full attention, as I am still working on fine tuning my game. Outside chance I’ll start multitabling once my play becomes robot like though (and consistently winning), especially since I throw away my hole cards around 80% of the time. If I multitable, I’m sure my opening range will tighten further.

My bankroll has solely been built through MTT and SNG victories in the past - I have no personal money in there any more as I’ve already withdrawn my initial deposit a long time ago. I only started playing cash games a couple of weeks ago and just eager to move up because I think it’ll be more fun if winning or losing has a bit more financial consequence. As it stands, I am trying to focus on the fundamentals of the game but when I’m done with a table and step away, being up 80BBs is only $1.60 and I’m going “that’s it?” At least in NL5, winning $4 feels a bit more impactful even though it’s minimal at best.

I’ll probably end up waiting a couple of weeks and gain a bit more experience in cash games and iron out some kinks in my game before moving up.

Thanks for your feedback!

If you build your current roll though tournaments, it will be appropriate to play at least 10.000 hands at 2NL before moving up. You are likely going to be making some mistakes for stacks, because you are not used to 100BB poker, and it is cheaper to make those for 2$ at a time rather than 5

Originally Posted by fundiver199

If you build your current roll though tournaments, it will be appropriate to play at least 10.000 hands at 2NL before moving up. You are likely going to be making some mistakes for stacks, because you are not used to 100BB poker, and it is cheaper to make those for 2$ at a time rather than 5

Indeed. Last night, i overplayed KK on the turn and got burned when someone drew the straight and I called an all-in 3bet on the turn. In hindsight it was really stupid play on my part. Need to learn how to handle donk bets better. I’m learning with each game... so I guess I’ll keep grinding and start multitabling soon.

10K hands sounds like a lot. At 150 hands a night, it’ll take just over 2 months. If I multitable, maybe I can do it in just around 1 month. I guess that’s doable.

Thanks for the tips.

You are an amateur player, and the approach is like a professional! look at the inputs or streams

it is important that every day is a plus and no need to manage. the main thing is to stop in time and the result will be !!!

Originally Posted by Igor Popadyk

You are an amateur player, and the approach is like a professional! look at the inputs or streams

Lol. I know. In some ways, I overthink the NL2 tables and trying to read into things too much. In other ways, I'm making very fishy mistakes. My bottom line goal is just to become a better poker player -- the financial results are inconsequential to me. I guess I'm pretty competitive in that way.

Try sometimes higher limits. If you win - play more. If you lose - turn back to lower limits. Many lose their bankroll because they don't want to turn back.

I think we are talking about 2 diferent subjets. The main question about bankroll managment is about number of buy-ins you need to be playing in a certain level. The BB100 is about winrate, not BRM.

A few thoughts:


According to your stats you are a TAG player, so you don't expect the swings LAG players (like myself) will experience. My BR-rule is that I need 100 full buy-ins to completely move up, but will start taking shots when I have at least 80 buy-ins (BI). I will move back down if I lose 10 BI. I admit this is ultra-cautious, but when I started playing I went busto numerous times and then swore to myself never to deposit a cent again, and using the above rules I didn't.


With a TAG style of play you can safely adjust those numbers downward, my recommendation is: move up once you have 80 BI of your target level, back down if you fall below 70 BI.


A case can be made for further adjustment because you don't multitable, as multitabling increases the potential damage an hour or two of tilting can do.


Oh and some thoughts on your feelings about winning meaningless amounts: The whole point of having a lot of buy-ins in your bankroll is to ensure that single session results are close to meaningless. A dilemma of improving as a poker player is that it takes the one thing out of the game that attracts most players: the thrill of risking money and the chance of winning meaningful money quickly, in just one hand.


But if you are serious about turning a long term profit, this is exactly what you don't want to happen: to risk a significant part of you capital in just one hand/session.


In a different forum someone I deeply respect once put it like this: If you go from 5$ to 1000$ in three days, you are doing it wrong.

Originally Posted by nameless1537

10K hands sounds like a lot. At 150 hands a night, it’ll take just over 2 months. If I multitable, maybe I can do it in just around 1 month. I guess that’s doable.

To be honest 10k hands is not even enough to really estimate your winrate, so I put the number rather low, because you have previous experience playing tournaments. Most decent cash game players multi table. I typically play 4 tables, and some people can handle even more. But there is certainly also something to be said for not doing it in the beginning. You enevitably lose at least some focus, and its easier to do, when more decisions are automatic. Like you know, what to do in this spot, because you have seen it 100`s of times before.

If you want to try out 5NL, thats fine. The average level of play is higher than at 2NL, so you learn more, and maybe its easier to not make bad calls, because "LOL its only 2 bucks, I call". If you play only 1 table, the worst, that can happen is, that you get felted a few times, stop, and now you still have 170$. Back to 2NL next session, life goes on.

Originally Posted by Numerius

My BR-rule is that I need 100 full buy-ins to completely move up, but will start taking shots when I have at least 80 buy-ins (BI). I will move back down if I lose 10 BI. I admit this is ultra-cautious, but when I started playing I went busto numerous times and then swore to myself never to deposit a cent again, and using the above rules I didn't.

I certainly think, a conservative approach to BM has advantages, and currently I am playing a lot of 10NL and no higher than 20NL, even I have 1.100$ deposited at two different sites, so I am also pretty conservative.

However I think, there is something to be said for getting to 10NL relatively quickly, so you start to face some just slightly better opponents and develop more as a player. And if you need 400$ to take shots at 5NL and 800$ to take shots at 10NL, it is going to be a very long journey, especially if you only put in a limited amount of volume.

You sound a lot like me in the fact that you play this game for fun and not necessarily to cash out. I'd stay where you're at now till you build up a very comfortable bankroll than move up once your current tier feels a bit too easy. That's the way I do it.

You can also take shots at the next level as soon as you have earned only ONE buy-in at your normal stakes especially since you only play one table. As long as you MOVE DOWN AGAIN if you lose that buy-in.

Say you wait until you have won 5 dollars at your 2-dollar stakes (that is you base level where you have a "proper" and "normal" bankroll). You then move up till 5NL. If you lose back to 2NL. If you win continue playing 5NL until you either have a proper bankroll for 5NL - and can start looking at 10 NL or have to yet again move down and rebuild at 2 NL.

This type of aggressive bankroll management have the advantage that you can test a higher level sooner and or/more often. But you must have the discipline to never risk more money than you have earned in addition to your basic bankroll.

My best advice, is to spin up a small amount of money. Lets say you start with 5$ on 2c 5c, once you double up to 10$ immediately buy in at a 5c 10c game. keep doing this and see how high you can go. I find this good practice to experience the higher stake games, with minimal risk, because even if you do lose it all, technically you only lost 5$. When I start doing really well, sometimes, once I double up, I cash half, and start that same blind level again. That way if you lose it all you will have actually made some money out of it. It's a really great strategy for experience, and it is very very fun. Feel free to share story's with me on your progress. I did this 'challenge' starting with 2$ on the 1c 2c and managed to spin it up to 5$/10$ in a roughly 11 hour session. Was great fun

Originally Posted by Complx_Poker

My best advice, is to spin up a small amount of money. Lets say you start with 5$ on 2c 5c, once you double up to 10$ immediately buy in at a 5c 10c game. keep doing this and see how high you can go. I find this good practice to experience the higher stake games, with minimal risk, because even if you do lose it all, technically you only lost 5$. When I start doing really well, sometimes, once I double up, I cash half, and start that same blind level again. That way if you lose it all you will have actually made some money out of it. It's a really great strategy for experience, and it is very very fun. Feel free to share story's with me on your progress. I did this 'challenge' starting with 2$ on the 1c 2c and managed to spin it up to 5$/10$ in a roughly 11 hour session. Was great fun

Thanks for the suggestion. I know this sounds really weird, but I'm actually not a gambler by nature. I've only played a spin & go just once, and that's when pokerstars gave me a free ticket. My attitude is that I only want to move up a level when I feel I've "earned" the right by finding consistent success at a lower level. Truth is, I already have over $180 in my bankroll that I've won via freeroll tourneys and a SnGs from back in the day. I'm only now working on my cash game (which is a lot of fun)...

Which brings me to this post...

Originally Posted by pentazepam

You can also take shots at the next level as soon as you have earned only ONE buy-in at your normal stakes especially since you only play one table. As long as you MOVE DOWN AGAIN if you lose that buy-in.

Say you wait until you have won 5 dollars at your 2-dollar stakes (that is you base level where you have a "proper" and "normal" bankroll). You then move up till 5NL. If you lose back to 2NL. If you win continue playing 5NL until you either have a proper bankroll for 5NL - and can start looking at 10 NL or have to yet again move down and rebuild at 2 NL.

This type of aggressive bankroll management have the advantage that you can test a higher level sooner and or/more often. But you must have the discipline to never risk more money than you have earned in addition to your basic bankroll.

I do like this suggestion. I am a pretty conservative and disciplined player by nature... so if I set $200 as my baseline mark, so each time I hit $205, I would try playing the next limit up until I am back below $200 and then I just pop back down to the lowest cash level. I still need to work my way up to $200, but I hope that I get there in a decent amount of time.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. This community is pretty awesome!

When a read your post i think... you are ready to move up. If you loose a lot.... return to NL2.

Good luck

Originally Posted by fundiver199

If you have grinded it up already, I think, it is completely fine to give 5NL a shot now with your 180$. I personally did not even wait that long. I had, I dont know, maybe 120, and it worked out fine for me.

My advice is to make moving up a gradual process. Start with a few sessions at the new higher limit, when you are feeling your best, and the games are good, and maybe reduce the number of tables, so you can fully focus on the action. If you normally play 4 tables at 2NL, then start with 2 tables at 5NL.

Then if it goes well, gradually play more and more at the new higher limit. And always be ready to move down, if you hit a big downswing. There is never any shame in going back to a lower limit to preserve your bankroll and regain your confidence, when things are going badly at the tables. Best of luck.

Moving down when I have downswings always gets the best of me.