Moving up in limits

[BlibbityBlabbity]

Right, so if you move up when you hit the exact $ amount that you need for the next level and then lose your first hand (or have a bad first session), do you move down?

I would say take a shot at it for maybe 1/4 of the roll (assuming the previous limit was about 1/2 the requirement) and then if you are down 75% move back down and rebuild and then try again. That way you aren't knocking yourself down too far at the higher limit and having to start over at the previous level.

[Talking Poker]

If you do this, you're really making the limit 15 buy ins, which I think is a bad idea.

Think of it as "At what level should I move down in stakes?" and the answer as "When you have less than 20 buy ins" and maybe this will make more sense to you guys.

That's a more conservative way to look at it, of course, but I think it's better. Instead of sitting out of your lower level games and hurrying to move up the minute you hit 20 buys ins, maybe take your time and let yourself get up to 21 or 22...

[BlibbityBlabbity]

I agree with the waiting till you have more than 20 BIs to move up. I would say 25 -30 is more like it if you are going to be moving down at 20BI. There has to be enough play to evaluate the new level or why bother (you are just hoping to get lucky and putting too much pressure to win on your first session or two at the new limit).

Wasn't it the standard advise in the past to play 5000+ hands at the new limit? No way to do that with only 1-2 buyins buffer before moving down.

If it was me, I would probably stick to 30BIs to move up and drop back down at 20 to rebuild if necessary.

Looking at it assuming you are set on moving up at 20BIs, I think the moving back down to rebuild at 15 is reasonable (although not ideal). You don't risk going broke, but you do risk having to spend more time rebuilding, where the more conservative approach gives you some protection against having to move down at all.

[Invigilator]

Thanks guys. The whole buffer/threshold thing was what was on my mind and you clarified a lot of the ideas I was mulling over.