No-Limit Texas Holdem Cash Games, When To Move Up Levels?

Will You Be Grinding The Micro-Stakes For Ever?

Not With Our Guide For No-Limit Texas Holdem Players On When To Move Up Levels!

All poker players eventually ask the following questions:

What Is The Difference Between The Standard Of Play At Different Buy-In Levels?  And: When Should I Move Up Levels?

The key factors actually vary from person-to-person and site to site. Here we will look at the important concepts and suggest what are the important questions to ask yourself before you begin the journey to the next level.

Difference Between Levels In Poker Cash Games

The first thing to understand is that there are both good and bad players at every buy-in level. If the buy-in for your game is $10, then moving up to the $20 level will not mean the games are twice as hard – at the lowest levels the standard will in fact be very similar.

Looking at the difference between the levels involves some significant overlap. A ‘tight’ or ‘tough’ NL25 table may be less profitable than a ‘passive’ NL100 table – though you may find the NL100 players better able to adapt their styles to the situation.

In our experience the NL200 ($1 / $2 blinds) at the looser poker sites feature less skilled players than the NL50 (25c / 50c blinds) at the tougher sites – especially those sites which attract the low stakes multi-tabling ‘grinders’. A quick scan of the pot size / % to flop statistics will quickly back this up (for example try comparing the NL100 in Poker Stars and Carbon Poker Texas Holdem Games).

When Should I Move Up Levels?

Good Texas Holdem Bankroll Management is a key factor in this decision – if you put too large a percentage of your bankroll on the line then eventually you will go broke. The standard measure here is 20 buy-ins for the level you wish to play.

You should be crushing the game at the level you are currently playing before you consider moving up. A common reason to play the higher cash games is that there are ‘too many donks’ or ‘nobody folds’ in the lower limits. Actually, poker is all about beating your opponents – not just playing cards – if you are unable to adapt your game to beat the weakest opponents of all then your move up levels is likely to be very short lived indeed!

Training, tools and temperament all go into making the decision to move up levels. Poker is a game where study and continual improvement pay great rewards, your m’ABC Poker’ game will beat the lowest levels – but as you move up your opponents will be more ‘situation aware’ – you will need to train yourself to think beyond just the cards.

Temperament is a key factor – at some point in their career most poker players have had to move back down to rebuild their bankroll. Are you prepared for such circumstances? Many players move up levels after some bad beats to ‘get even’ – make sure you are not one of them!

Finally, ‘Tools’ are a key factor. There are many Texas Holdem Software tools available which are legitimate and accepted by the poker sites. These can help you improve your game offline, or even display statistics on your opponents during play. If you move up without investing in some tools then you are at an inherent disadvantage to those who do – even a few dollars that you would have won each session will mean the investment would have paid for itself very quickly. Check out our Best Texas Holdem Tools and Software section for more information on what is available.

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