Do you ever look for a game at your regular buy in, see nothing and then play at a lower level just for fun? I just did, and although I face more fish and the competition is easier, I face more fish and it becomes harder to navigate the waters of unpredictably.
What is your experience with dropping dowon to lower limits for a session or two?
:evil:Zer0:evil:
This is an interesting question.
"Do you ever look for a game at your regular buy in, see nothing and then play at a lower level just for fun?" I generally "have fun" anytime I play poker at ANY level. That being said there is always a game available at my "regular buy in" At this time I'm playing 100NL and $15 tournaments. I play with 30 buy ins for Cash and 200 buy ins for tournaments. I am also doing a freeroll challenge right now as well, so that as you say would be a drop down from my normal limits. I'm not doing the challenge "for fun" or because I'm bored. I'm doing it because the lessons that come from this is going to be like nothing else I have ever tried. I will learn patience, the value of a dollar, how to better play against lower level thinkers. I will take away much more than the thousand that I'm working towards, but more lessons about my game, and myself as a whole. I face different types of opponents in freerolls and have to adjust my game from the way I play at my normal limits. I like the fact that the fields are softer, and it's easier on me mentally than the normal games I play.
"I just did, and although I face more fish and the competition is easier, I face more fish and it becomes harder to navigate the waters of unpredictably." See I don't agree with this. If it is becoming harder to "navigate the waters of unpredictability" for you then there might be a leak in your game that you are unaware of. If you are breaking down your opponents tendencies and applying a proper range on your opponents then playing against these soft fields should be even more profitable. You're mostly playing against calling stations and Hyper aggressive players, which is a dream situation and unlimited dead money. If you are feeling like the waters are unpredictable then you simply have to have a hand. A few showdowns against even the worst players will give you the information needed to form a solid strategy to beat them.
Also, I have moved down multiple times from my normal stakes, always based upon better value for my dollar. Example: I was playing 100NL but noticed while skimming through the other tables in my lobby that there was a particularly weak table at 25NL I opened up another screen and played it on the side and ended up making more than I did in my 100NL session. Point being, if you are making a drop in stakes, have a good reason for it.
Some good reasons to drop would be.
1. A drop in
bankroll that requires you to move down
2. Softer games at lower limits
3. Better value (especially in tournaments)
Bad reasons to drop in stakes
1. For fun
2. You're bored
3. You're tilting and feel like spewing for cheaper