I know why there are so few long-term winners at poker

[nhsir]

Moving up is fine if you are beating a certain level over a sufficient sample size. It also gives you a goal to shoot for, which is helpful. However, I think the problem with a lot of players is that they try to do it too quickly with too small a sample size and/or bankroll. A lot of newer players underestimate the power of short-term luck. They assume that their good results will always last, but if their sample size is small, it's quite possible they have simply been running hot and may not be as big of a winner they think they are at their current level, or at all.