[QuadDamage]

I originally started at the $1+0.20 just because it was the lowest buy-in. I'd recommend getting away from these as soon as possible if you are in any way serious about playing. The 20% rake is a real killer and even if you're beating it, what are you making, $3 a session?

In addition, the game you must play to beat $1 is probably bad for your long-term development. It's often said that you should play aggressively. One key benefit of being aggressive is that you might get your opponent to fold a better hand--something that isn't going to happen too often with the calling stations at a $1 table. I've found that I've often done better playing weak-tight at $1, something you do not want to do at higher buy-ins.

There are many players at $5 that are very exploitable, but for the most part you will find a game resembling poker, not bingo. In other words, a player at $5 might call your raise with QJ, while you'll find people calling your raises with J4s at $1.

To reiterate, unless you are just playing for sheer entertainment or only have $20 left in your account, move to $5.