[pzhon]

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I know the accepted wisdom is that you should have 20 buy ins for NL cash games. Would it be considered a mistake to start taking shots when you have 11 buy ins if you accept that you will step back down again if you go below 10 buy ins?

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The 20 buy-ins guess is repeated too often. It is wrong for most players. For many winning microstakes players, 20 buy-ins is overly conservative. For many marginal winners, and those playing in tougher games, 20 buy-ins is overly aggressive.

If you are playing for microstakes (below NL $100), and are beating the lower level for a decent win rate, then it is quite reasonable to take shots when you have over half of the value you think you might want to have at the higher level if you could not move back down. Make sure to drop back down if you hit a bad streak.

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Running super hot over a small sample just now and I wouldn't mind taking a shot at the next level while I'm running good.

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The cards have no memory, but if you are playing well and have some confidence, take a shot.