I know a lot of the regulars here play $200NL, and my bankroll is approaching the point that I am at least starting to think about sitting in on a game once in a while - specifically, $200NL on Cake.

What are the biggest differences I should watch out for? What adjustments should I make? I'm currently 18/11/2.7 through 14k hands of $100NL this year with a 7.91 BB/100 (not PTBB) winrate.

100NL to 200NL isn't known for being a huge jump in skill level in general at any site in the history of online poker.

200NL to 400NL is usually where you see a bigger jump in skill and aggressiveness.

I guess I will contribute.

From 2+2

Hiya, folks.

I've moved up a few times to a few different levels, and I listened to dozens of people moving up (some experiencing mammoth difficulties and others having no problems at all). I think I've discovered the biggest mistake a player can make when moving up:

You play differently.

I'm not even talking about "playing scared" because the pricetag is higher; I'm talking about playing a different game from your usual game. Usually, people decide they have to "play more tightly," or they have to "play more aggressively," or they have to "bluff more often," or they have to "call down looser against all the floaters," or they have to "give the TAGs more credit," or they have to "give the LAGs more credit," or they have to "start making moves," or they have to "fire that third barrel," or they have to "shrink their value bets to get customers," or they have to "defend their blinds against the thieves," or they have to "disguise their hands," or they have to "three-bet light preflop," or they have to "make big river laydowns," or they have to "pick off bluffs," or they have to "establish a loose table image," or something along those lines. The key to this all is that the player feels that their usual strategy is too amateurish to do the job at the new, higher level (even though it won them enough money to move them up to this new, higher level).

DON'T PSYCHE YOURSELF OUT. This is a very standard mistake that people make -- they get themselves all worked up about "breaking into the big leagues," and they start playing a super-fancy, super-tricky, and super-different style in order to succeed with the Big Boys.

Here's a MUCH better strategy: when you move up, play your standard game. Change NOTHING. If you'd have called 4xBB in CO with that hand at $25NL, call 4xBB in CO with that hand at $50NL. If you'd have raised 1/2-pot on the turn at $10NL, raise 1/2-pot on the turn at $20NL. If you'd have value-bet against this 45/8 calling station on this river at $5NL, value-bet against this 45/8 calling station on this river at $10NL. Play your exact same winning game, only double all the dollar values (or whatever multiple is necessary to keep them constant in BB terms).

After somewhere between 2,500 and 10,000 hands, look back over your history. Do a Poker Tracker checkup (if you're not sure how, this thread can get you started with that process), study your game, and try to decide if any of your old-school strategies need modification at this new, higher level. Introduce changes gradually, slowly, and incrementally. Decide, based on your data and the advice of others on the board, if the change would be +EV for you. Then, make sure that the change actually improves your game before you keep it.

You're a winning player -- that's why you want to move up. So when you move up, don't throw away your winning game!

Post by Pokey from 2+2