The higher you go in limits, the better the overall skill level, thus the lower your expectation in bb/time. Sklansky estimates that in the very big games like the $4,000/$8,000 mixed game the best players average less than .25 sb/hr.
This is one reason why many of the better pros (the many you don't hear about) never move up beyond the 60/120 level. At some point, the small increases in expectation don't offset the bigger risk of ruin.
For example, let's take a hypothetical player who has the chops to hold his own at the $1,000/$2,000 level for 0.5 sb/hr, but can crush the 80/160 for 1.25 bb/hr. Now. let's further stipulate that he has a $600,000 bankroll (300 bb at $2,000). What makes more sense, making $500/hr with a very real statistical risk of going broke, or making $200/hr with virtually zero risk of ruin?
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