Limit Bankroll Rule of 300BB, always correct?

[The_Wreck]

I am posting here becuase I play at $0.5/1 limit now and looking to move up to 1/2 2/4 sometime soon, but was wondering how the 300BB bankroll rule changes at different stakes for full ring and 6-max (500BB) up to say 5/10? I apologise if this has been answered many times before, so if anyone can direct me to any old threads about this, that would be great, thanks.

[Harv72b]

First of all, any time you're looking to move up in limits, take a shot first. Meaning, set aside some surplus from your current bankroll & take that to the higher limit...for example, you're currently playing .50/1, and let's say you've built up $600. Take $100 of that & give 1/2 a shot; that's 50 BBs which gives you two standard buy-ins, or plenty enough to take a stab at the higher limit. If you do well & build up your stack, then you're probably ready skill wise as well as bankroll wise to make the permanent move up. If you drop the $100, no big deal...you go back to .50/1, work on your game, and try it again a little further down the road.

The reasons I suggest this is that, first of all, your competition will improve as you move up in the limits. From what I remember the jump from .50/1 wasn't too severe in that regard, but that may have changed. At any rate, even if you're mopping up in the .50/1 games, it could be that you're currently just a break-even or even losing player vs. the competition you'll see at 1/2. Second of all, there's always something of a chip shock when you move up to a new limit, and you suddenly look down at your stack after losing 1 big pot & realize that you've lost in that one hand what would've taken you hours or even days to win at your old limit. That can cause you to play tentatively, which is never good poker; by just setting aside a small portion of your surplus bankroll, you can comfortably play good, aggressive poker at the new limit without worrying about crippling your 'roll.

As far as your core question, at least up through the middle limits the 300/500 BB rule really doesn't change. More is always better, though, and of course the standard clause is that you have to be a good enough player to win at the new limit in order for any bankroll to be large enough.

[The_Wreck]

thanks for the excellent advice, I think I will follow your suggestions and have a dip into 1/2 sometime, thanks again.

[BenA]

[ QUOTE ]
Second of all, there's always something of a chip shock when you move up to a new limit, and you suddenly look down at your stack after losing 1 big pot & realize that you've lost in that one hand what would've taken you hours or even days to win at your old limit.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know how this feels! Imagine me, a 2/4, 3/6 player in Vegas last week suddenly playing 15/30. I will say though, that coming back to 2/4 makes me worry a lot less about the money, and I can focus a lot better on EV decisions rather than 'saving bets.' This is another reason I agree with Harv about 'taking a shot' at a higher limit. It really can improve your play at the lower one, especially getting experience against better and better players.