When do you move up a level?

[waisichy]

I’m trying my best to keep a steady bankroll. I’ve come at the top during a freeroll and won some money with free spins to get to $20 and then played $1 sit and go’s to bring this up to $27. I’m happy with the $1 for now to keep my bankroll steady but when would you all move up a level? I’m keen to stick with sit and go’s as I sometimes get a bit hot headed for cash games.

 

[sumdumguy]

Your practice is fine, the SNGs are good for keeping your concentration, I recommend tournaments for you to play against various types of players, but the tournaments play the freerolls for the time being, if you feel safe and lucky play micro tournaments so you don't get unbanked, to level up and play chash tables you'll have to have a bankroll of at least $50 for tables where the stakes are 0.2/0.4 the blind ones so you keep your bank and get experience and security, you can play the 0.02/0.04 where the entry is 0.80. when you have a good Bankroll ($100 or more) you play higher tables progressively, if you see that you lose a lot, rest, lower another bet and gain confidence again.

 

[Poker Orifice]

I’m trying my best to keep a steady bankroll. I’ve come at the top during a freeroll and won some money with free spins to get to $20 and then played $1 sit and go’s to bring this up to $27. I’m happy with the $1 for now to keep my bankroll steady but when would you all move up a level? I’m keen to stick with sit and go’s as I sometimes get a bit hot headed for cash games.

If you're going to continue with SnG's you should stick to $1's until you have around $40 in your bankroll. But honestly, I'd recommend just playing whatever buyin you feel like playing in.

 

[Poker Orifice]

and play chash tables you'll have to have a bankroll of at least $50 for tables where the stakes are 0.2/0.4 the blind ones so you keep your bank and get experience and security, you can play the 0.02/0.04 where the entry is 0.80.

Yah.... ah.. No.
OP mentioned that they weren't interested in playing cash. 'IF' they were, I'd suggest that this ^ is poor advice. Buying in for 20bb's isn't what I recommend. Also, 60 buyins is way too many.

 

[fundiver199]

First of all you need to find out, if those $27 is actually a "bankroll", or if its just an amount of money sitting in your poker account. The term "bankroll" means money set aside for poker, and it also imply, that you are not willing or able to find additional money for poker, at least not in the short to medium term like the next several month. If that is the situation, you need to use, what is called "bankroll management", and basically this means managing the money in such a way, that the risk of ruin due to a bad run is neglegible. Often a number like 1% risk of ruin is assumed as reasonable.

If that is the situation, then you are actually not even bankrolled for $1 SnGs. At the very minimum you should have something like 50BIs for single table SnGs, and more for multitable games. So with $27 the only reasonable games to play on pokerstars are $0,5 9-mans and $0,25 On Demand games. Then when you have $50, you can move up to $1 9-mans and $0,5 On Demand games, and at $100 you can move up $2 9-mans (or other similar formats) and $1 On Demand games.

However it should be noted, that bankroll management is only possible for winning players. Losing players will eventually lose all their money, if they continue playing. Its just a question of, how long it takes. With 147 games played (sharkscope) you still dont have a track record to prove, you are a winning player. So for you it might make more sense to talk about a poker budget rather than a bankroll. Under "tools", "responsible gaming" you can set a monthly deposit limit, which fits your financial situation. Lets say you go for a budget of $50 per month. Then every time you get a paycheck, you deposit that amount, but only if the balance is below $50. And then you just play, whatever gives you the most fun and the best practice.

If you have reason to think, you are a winning player, for instance because you have played a lot of other sites than PokerStars, then the third option is to make a deposit right now and create a larger starting bankroll. For instance you can deposit $100, so that you have $127, and then use bankroll management from there. That will allow you to play $2 9-man SnGs, and then you move back to $1 games, if you drop below $100.

 

[JeffSBrito]

I believe that it's best to level up in poker when I feel that my game is consistent and confident at a certain limit. In general, I notice that I am consistently making good decisions, obtaining positive results, and feeling comfortable with the level of competition. In addition, I take into account factors such as my bankroll, ability to handle losses, and willingness to study and improve my game. Leveling up must be a careful decision, taking into account not only the financial aspects, but also my preparation and ambition to face more qualified players.

 

[Luvepoker]

Not much more to add after fundivers post but there is one thing to also consider. Even if your bankroll is enough to more up does not mean your ready to move up, If your not sure your ready to move up dont do it. I have known peope who have done well and won a big tournement and snce they had the bankroll moved up. They very quickly lost there money.

 

[Alexey Shley]

Keep playing freerolls until you have a bankroll of at least $100. Then you can go to $1 sit and go tournaments. Otherwise, your bankroll will quickly drop to 0. Winning is fleeting, so you should not play so generously when you are sure that you are in a stable plus, then you can move to a higher level. I've seen a player with over $30,000 in bankroll and plays $1 tournaments.

 

[fundiver199]

Not much more to add after fundivers post but there is one thing to also consider. Even if your bankroll is enough to more up does not mean your ready to move up, If your not sure your ready to move up dont do it. I have known peope who have done well and won a big tournement and snce they had the bankroll moved up. They very quickly lost there money.

That is 100% true. But then we are talking about stakes much higher than $1 or $2 SnGs. Really it does not take much to "be ready" for $2 SnGs, since this is still an extremely small amount of money for anyone living in a western country, and as a result games at this level are still very soft on any site. Here the situation is the exact opposite. OP seem to be more than ready to move up (at least for excitement) and wants to know, how much money he need for that. Which I have already answered so no need to repeat it

Keep playing freerolls until you have a bankroll of at least $100. Then you can go to $1 sit and go tournaments. Otherwise, your bankroll will quickly drop to 0. Winning is fleeting, so you should not play so generously when you are sure that you are in a stable plus, then you can move to a higher level. I've seen a player with over $30,000 in bankroll and plays $1 tournaments.

I disagree strongly with this. You learn very little from playing freerolls, or at least you dont learn anything, which you could not also learn from playing at play money tables. And for someone living in a western country there are faster ways to earn $100 for a starting bankroll for poker. So limiting yourself to freerolls, until you have won $100 in them, is just wasting time. If you are serious about online poker, this is NOT the way to proceed.

 

[Gh0stL]

Hi, this maybe this would help you, manage your bankroll.

 

[waisichy]

Thanks all for your help. That $27 is now $25 after loads of games so I’m going in the wrong direction for now. I may just play the lower stakes as some have suggested and build it up a bit more before jumping up again.

 

[Pokerpoet2]

I’m trying my best to keep a steady bankroll. I’ve come at the top during a freeroll and won some money with free spins to get to $20 and then played $1 sit and go’s to bring this up to $27. I’m happy with the $1 for now to keep my bankroll steady but when would you all move up a level? I’m keen to stick with sit and go’s as I sometimes get a bit hot headed for cash games.

If you are a steady winner at $1. Sit n Goes, then stick with them, but a Warning! There will be times where nothing seems to go your way and you will lose game after game, if you follow the table above You are already playing beyond your limits and should cut your buy-ins by half.
But you are the only person who can determine how much you can afford to lose, Some players feel comfortable sticking to a 1% rule so you would not start playing $1. games until you win $100. others may start to play $1. buy-ins when they have $50. and stick with a 2% rule.
You are the one who is in control of your bankroll, and it is down to you when you feel comfortable raising the Buy-ins.
But don't be in too much of a hurry, Speeders get caught every Day!

 

[fundiver199]

If you are a steady winner at $1. Sit n Goes, then stick with them, but a Warning! There will be times where nothing seems to go your way and you will lose game after game, if you follow the table above You are already playing beyond your limits and should cut your buy-ins by half.

It is the nature of variance, that sometimes we will lose 25 or more buyins even in a relatively low variance format like 9-man SnGs. Apparently OP has not experienced that yet, but if he continue to play, its sure to happen, and more than just once. So its true, that if OP continue playing $1 SnGs, there is a somewhat significant risk, he will lose his $25. But the question is, if that is actually a problem? $25 is not a significant amount of money, unless you live in a low income country and are completely broke.

So in my personal opinion it does not make a whole lot of sense to take about managing such a small amount as a bankroll. If OP lose his $25, can he not just deposit another $25? Or win some more money in freerolls? Most likely the answer to both of that is "yes", and then there is no reason for him to be so focused on bankroll management at this point. As a more general comment when new players ask these "bankroll" questions, what they often need more than bankroll management is practice and a track record.

 

[waisichy]

It is the nature of variance, that sometimes we will lose 25 or more buyins even in a relatively low variance format like 9-man SnGs. Apparently OP has not experienced that yet, but if he continue to play, its sure to happen, and more than just once. So its true, that if OP continue playing $1 SnGs, there is a somewhat significant risk, he will lose his $25. But the question is, if that is actually a problem? $25 is not a significant amount of money, unless you live in a low income country and are completely broke.

So in my personal opinion it does not make a whole lot of sense to take about managing such a small amount as a bankroll. If OP lose his $25, can he not just deposit another $25? Or win some more money in freerolls? Most likely the answer to both of that is "yes", and then there is no reason for him to be so focused on bankroll management at this point. As a more general comment when new players ask these "bankroll" questions, what they often need more than bankroll management is practice and a track record.

That’s a good philosophy. I don’t play enough to lose 25 games quickly (I have a 1 month d son!) and like you said $25 isn’t a lot to lose over time.

 

[Kurchina]

Hi, this maybe this would help you, manage your bankroll.
View attachment 336156

Pretty conservative, but probably smart to stick with this tbh