Probably a common enough problem, wanted to get some input

[Genz]

This post is pretty long and that's because your OP touches a lot of points that I am momentarily struggling with myself. I hope it helps a little.

For your play: Get a coach. Someone who coaches on a regular basis and has a good reputation. It should be worth the money. I find that when I talk with players that play higher than me and they tell me something about preflop game etc. it's extremely insightfull. I can only recommend it.

For the money issues: Ironically, I got unattached to the money when I moved down from a shot at 100NL. So it's all relative. You might try short stacking 100NL FR for a few K hands and see all the bigger pots and then move down. But short stacking isn't much fun...
I definitely know where you are coming from and when I lose a few buy-ins I'm all on tilt about what I could have done with those 200 bucks etc. I have now cashed out a good amount from my roll to buy a few things. I hope that this helps with the fear to go on a big downswing or figuring out that I'm a losing player too late and end up going busto and having gotten nothing out of the game. So maybe you want to cash out a little bit so that you end up with a good amount that you grind it up from 25NL to 50NL pretty soon.

And if nothing helps you just have to realize: maybe you have a relation to money that is far more sound than that of most people in the industry. When you play for fun: stay on the lower limits. Who cares? You still make a nice buck that you can cash out from time to time. Nothing good comes from playing where you are uncomfortable. Of course there is A LOT of social pressure to move up, esp. from the micro limits, in these forums and that brings me to my final point:

For the forums: Ditch the community stuff. Seriously. I know where you are coming from. Stuff like the brew threads, BBV, BBV4L, OOT are serious killers if you are prone to procrastrinate, as I am. You can waste countless hours. And esp. in the brew threads, there is a lot talk going on about good and bad runs, moving up, bankroll nits etc. that can bring some pressure on of the kind that you are a bad player if you enjoy playing 25NL and don't want to move up. WTF, srsly! If poker is a fun business for you, keep it there. I see no shame in playing 10NL for your whole life if you enjoy it. All those semi-pro-baller-kids in those threads can easily mess with your whole perception of the game.

So my general advice is: take it easy. And when you still want to move up, consider getting a coach.

[Shizzle12345]

Im playing 100NL now and kinda hit the ceiling. Im just afraid to move up to 200NL, lost 4 bi there. And it got me tilting pretty hard when i moved down. But im gonna move up soon again. You just gotta do it and try it and force it, and you will get used to it. I had kinda the same at 50NL to 100NL. At first it was kinda sick and i was like WOW DUDE I JUST LOST A 100$!!

just set a stop loss, but it can be a little bit devastating if it goes wrong all the time, but just keep in mind, if your beating 50NL or 100NL, a limit up is beatable too, and losing when taking shots is just variance (and maybe little scared play but you will get used to it i guess).

[Lurker.]

yeah i disagree with all this wait until you're comfortable stuff....force the issue. Acclimatize yourself.

If you want/need a coach i can get you someone for fairly cheap too drizzle.

[Praxising]

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yeah i disagree with all this wait until you're comfortable stuff....force the issue. Acclimatize yourself.


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But does it have to be all at once all the time? I'm just a micro player who dabbles in the next limit a couple times a week so when I earn the bankroll and move up I'll be used to the variance and bet size. At one site I play the higher limit fairly often, now.

Doesn't it make sense, too, at very high stakes to sit in on a limited basis for a while? At least, for some players?

[Lurker.]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
yeah i disagree with all this wait until you're comfortable stuff....force the issue. Acclimatize yourself.


[/ QUOTE ]

But does it have to be all at once all the time? I'm just a micro player who dabbles in the next limit a couple times a week so when I earn the bankroll and move up I'll be used to the variance and bet size. At one site I play the higher limit fairly often, now.

Doesn't it make sense, too, at very high stakes to sit in on a limited basis for a while? At least, for some players?

[/ QUOTE ]
from what i understood, hes just having trouble adjusting to losing $50 in a hand vs $25. This has nothing to do with his poker skill (but could affect it obv) and nothing to do with his bankroll (but again, could affect it negatively). All that being said, he'll never get comfortable if he doesn't stick it out.