Changing Limits
One of the biggest mistakes beginning poker players make is playing "over their head" or too
high for their bankroll or ability. Avoiding this will save you from having to rebuild a bankroll
stomped to nothing by a bad run at a high limit.
My personal minimum for playing any limit is to have at least 200x the big bet for that limit.
If you want to play 2/4, then you will need at least $800 to weather any bad runs. If you play
$25/$50, then you would want at minimum $10,000. This rule of thumb, while common, is still not
the most conservative. I have seen bankroll suggestions of much higher numbers to allow playing
a certain limit. The more you have at a limit, the less chance a bad run will force you to move
to a lower limit or worse still, bust you completely.
A quick note about changing limits, touched on above. Knowing when to change limits is not
always speaking of knowing when to move up! You should also have the good sense to know when
to move back down. If your bankroll drops below the minimum required to play a limit, then
you need to move back down to rebuild. If you feel the competition is too high a level and you
are not consistently one of the best players at the table, then you should certainly move back
down until your poker skills and instincts have grown.
Do not be too quick to move up, and do not be too prideful to move back down! Build your
bankroll, build your skill, and move up when the conditions are favorable.