Moving Up In Stakes

[The Lipo Fund]

I know most people suggest having 100 buyins for SNG play due to the variance involved. But at the lower stakes, people seem bad enough that even with small leaks in my own game it is +EV to play higher stakes than my bankroll can allow. Based on your experience would you say that the $15 sngs can be beat on a bankroll of 30 buyins? 40 buyins? For a regular at those limits what is your biggest downswing buyin wise?

I was a regular in the $3 sngs for awhile and found the rake and 10 people to lower my ROI. I have moved up to $6s with great success over 300+ games. I am thinking about moving up to the 15s by the end of the year and don't want to have a high risk of ruin.

[Solanthos]

You need a much bigger sample size IMO... 300+ games isn't nearly big enough to accurately gauge it.

That being said... what's your BR like right now? I'd say if it's above 50 BI at $6, you can maybe move up, then if you drop below 50 BI @ $6, you can/should move back down to grind some more.

Honestly though, I would put in a lot more time at the $6 first to get a good idea of your ROI/ROR and go from there. If anything, it will also help build your BR for the move up to $15's.

[Takeover_inc]

I am in the same shoes as you. I am mega over rolled for the 6.50s and the 3.40s but i still play them because
1. I know i make money at them
2. You can learn while making money, as opposed to learning and breaking even, or losing at the 16s.

Just take a few months at the 6.50s, post lots of hands, maybe learn to play a couple more tables, then move up.

EDIT: oops, read op wrong. I thing moving up depends on how easily you are able to move back down. If you are decent at it then take a 10 or 20 buyins at the 16s out of your normal roll, leaving 50 or so buyins for the 6.50s and run with it. Just be willing to step back if things go iffy.

[Apathy]

any level of SNG can be beat forever on a BR of 1 buyin if you get lucky enough... its all about your risk of ruin, what % chance are you willing to allow that you will go broke?

If you are playing low stakes SNGs and dont need the money to survive and think you could maybe beat higher games you can gamble it up in spots where your ROR is high, as long as you think your ROI is positive

[Guthrie]

[ QUOTE ]
For a regular at those limits what is your biggest downswing buyin wise?

[/ QUOTE ]

Around 90.

It doesn't matter how bad, or good, your opponents are once the chips go in the middle. You can easily lose 15 straight with the best hand. A few of those can ruin your day.

[Kevin8423]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
For a regular at those limits what is your biggest downswing buyin wise?

[/ QUOTE ]

Around 90.

It doesn't matter how bad, or good, your opponents are once the chips go in the middle. You can easily lose 15 straight with the best hand. A few of those can ruin your day.

[/ QUOTE ]

A 90 buyin downswing is not at all standard. Thats gotta be close to impossible if you are playing well the entire time.

[eurythmech]

I think my biggest downswing in the $16s is around 25 buyins over a significant sample

[Master999]

I think he meant 90$ downswing, as for 15 buy-ins

[Slim Pickens]

If you want to keep your risk of ruin low, don't be too vain to move down if you run bad. Play the higher level and leave 30 buy-ins at the next lower level behind. Drop down when you hit this 30 buy-in mark. Playing a lower level until you have 100 buy-ins at the next highest level is very wasteful of your time if you indend to move up eventually.

[sence25]

I once dropped 700 bucks at the 24s.