Skills needed to move from small to high stakes LHE?

[mrjetguy]

I'm a 3/6 full ring limit player currently but was thinking today about my game and about what I need to work on. I got to wondering what the most important skills are that someone needs to develop before they can be a winning player at high stakes limit (30/60+ full ring online). Assume the small stakes player is already a winner at small stakes. I saw post a while back about what skills/concepts a person should have at each level of NL and I think it would be great to develop something like that for limit. It has to be on the minds of all aspiring low stakes players.

Anyone can respond of course, but if you aren't a high stakes limit player just try to let us know what you are playing right now.

Lets try to stay focused on full ring games if possible, even though I'm sure most things apply to shorthanded and full ring. Also, I know this has been sort of discussed before but I don't remember ever seeing a very detailed thread about this. Feel free to post links though.

[brandon]

hand reading and emotional control. that will take you up to about 100/200.

[Subfallen]

Thebeststrategyistorunhotashell.

[MicroBob]

You want to stay focused on full-ring, but I believe the aggresiveness required to beat short-handed is necessary to beat the higher limits.

I think general confidence that you are doing things correctly and a sufficient bankroll to take some shots at 5/10 and 10/20 without feeling the 'pressure' of higher limits as much is pretty important.


I think most important is the desire and willingness to study and work on one's game really hard (and productively).
This is something I lack and is why I was unable to cut it on my brief stretches at 10/20 and 15/30 (I'm playing mostly 3/6 and 5/10 now).

[phish]

Can't really talk about high stakes and stay completely focused on full-ring. Games often don't stay full. Also, oftentimes, even in a 10-handed game, post-flop will be just 2 players and you'll need to know how to deal with those situations.
I'd list in order: emotional control, hand-reading, value-betting, heart and balls. oh, and game selection.

[mrjetguy]

I'd disagree with you a little bit phish as long as you are willing to play at partypoker you can almost always play full ring at 30/60, 50/100, and 100/200 (at least afternoons and nights). Of course the really high stakes that party doesn't even have you are right about.

Thanks for the advice so far guys.

One question that I guess I would have is if a player can be almost too aggressive for a smaller limit but then have it work for them as they move up? I'm only a 2.5 AF player so this isn't specifically for me, just a general question.

[stigmata]

[ QUOTE ]
One question that I guess I would have is if a player can be almost too aggressive for a smaller limit but then have it work for them as they move up?

[/ QUOTE ]

In theory, yes.....

But a good player should be adapting their game depending on context, rather than finding a context which suits their game.

[Scary_Tiger]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
One question that I guess I would have is if a player can be almost too aggressive for a smaller limit but then have it work for them as they move up?

[/ QUOTE ]

In theory, yes.....

But a good player should be adapting their game depending on context, rather than finding a context which suits their game.

[/ QUOTE ]

Reread this. Everyone.

[BJK]

Without question, the most important skill to learn to be able to take on higher limits is the ability to recognize a table's dynamics as quickly as possible upon sitting down, and to be able to adapt to those dynamics quickly as they change over the course of a session.

Of course, learning how to play against all different styles of tables in any given game is a prerequisite that should be learned at lower levels.