I win more when I'm on tilt

[iRockPoker03]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm a pretty consistent TAG player with a steady (but pretty slow) winrate. I'm a little too tight and too scared to play drawing hands.

Every once in a while, I just run into one of those days where it's just one bad beat after another. I play tight for a reason, I prefer less variance and a steady consistent winrate.

But like everyone, I get the urge to go on tilt when stuff like this happens... and unlike most players, I'm stupid enough to let myself give into it. I do at least set rules for my stupidity... I go to double my usual stakes, take one buy-in only, and whatever happens happens. Dumb thing to do, but it's worth it to me, it makes me feel better to give into the tilt urges a bit. And if I lose, I just call it a day and never go further.

Well, in the long run I have found that I win over twice as many BB/hour when I'm playing at a level I'm uncomfortable with.

Any ideas why this would happen? I haven't had a bunch of lucky hands when I move up. I'm not aware that I'm playing any differently.

Should I maybe try intentionally playing for more than I'm comfortable with? Seems like maybe that scared/nervous feeling turns me into a half decent player.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do almost this exactly

after losing about four of the 10+1 sitngos im like eff it and move to a 50+5 and win it

i have absolutely no clue why i always do better at higher stakes either

but about 90% (maybe 30 sitngos ish) of the sitngos ive played at that are way above my br i make the money

[Soncy]

Sometimes when I'm near tilt, I experience some increased success. There is a period right before I start spraying money all over the place that I think I'm at my most dangerous. I think it is simply because aggression is rewarded in poker and when I am near tilt, I am much more aggressive than normal. Its harder to push me off hands and I make opponents pay more to draw. The danger is getting coolered or having someone pay too much and get there while I'm in this state. It pushes me over the edge.

[PhlegmWad]

[ QUOTE ]
Sometimes when I'm near tilt, I experience some increased success. There is a period right before I start spraying money all over the place that I think I'm at my most dangerous. I think it is simply because aggression is rewarded in poker and when I am near tilt, I am much more aggressive than normal. Its harder to push me off hands and I make opponents pay more to draw. The danger is getting coolered or having someone pay too much and get there while I'm in this state. It pushes me over the edge.

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If we remember that the characteristics of our opponenents tend to change as we make certain jumps up in stakes, the new "style", whether inspired by purpose or by emotion, is more likely to be successful at the higher level versus the lower level. Not uncommon to see aggression more highly rewarded, relatively speaking, at higher levels then at lower levels for a whole host of reasons to numerous to get into here.

I think the temporary nature of the increased stake helps account for this. You might find that a longer-term committment to the higher stake level might raise the variance and stress level to the point where you would regress and become more defensive at that level - spelling doom. Alternatively, the new level could be, from a style standpoint, a "sweet spot" for you. If that's the case, but you don't have sufficient bankroll to play at that level long-run, then perhaps you need to set a goal to build the bankroll up to a point (via play or savings) where you can participate at the new level on a consistent basis.

I would be interested in hearing what phenomena people notice when moving DOWN in stakes for this same reason that the original poster moved up??

[questions]

Playing at lower stakes can be frustrating because there's so much variance from the donks sucking out on you, it can seem like playing roulette. Playing at higher stakes is more by-the-book, so good play is rewarded in a way that seems more fair. The flip side of that is that player at higher limits are usually better than you (if it isn't the level to which you are accustomed).