I'm still a dedicated .5/1 player. I'm making a decent 10BB/100 over the course of 5k+ hands. Every time I consider moving up to 1/2 while playing .5/1 I make so many stupid mistakes.

Right after I make the bet I say "why'd I do that?" or through a flurry of good hands at 4-tables I misread a board and re-raise what I thought was top-pair (was 2nd pair), or I call on the flop with intention of raising the turn.. and then the only possible scare card comes, bet to me, I raise it and get re-raised. I call down and lose 2 more BB I didn't need to lose. I could have just re-raised the flop, bet the turn called the re-raise (3-to-flush out there and I had A of suit) and fold the river UI.

All these little mistakes are only a few bets each at most, and I don't do them consistently. But still, I feel like I need to plug these small leaks before moving up. Thankfully the people at PP .5/1 are so terrible I can make up these lost bets by winning one big pot. I know when I move up in limits these lost bets will hurt a lot more since I won't have two or more people calling or raising me to the river when I have monster hands.

I certainly have the bankroll for 1/2... I even have the bankroll for 2/4 ($1100)... but I get angry enough about variance at .5/1 and I lose confidence everytime I make a mistake. I know what I did wrong... I know what I should have done... but I just don't always do it.

Am I setting too high a goal? It's not like I make these little mistakes THAT often. Maybe like 5% of the hands I'm involved in I'll make a stupid mistake like this. At least I make HUGE mistakes like folding the winning hand in a large pot far less often.

People keep telling me to move up since... I am a huge winner and I have the bankroll for higher limits. Right now I'm thinking of sticking with .5/1 until I feel confident in my skills again. Too many stupid mistakes last session...

Coming off a bad session is never a good time to move up. Wait until you play a few really good sessions in a row. And by "really good" I mean that they won't be all winners, but that even after the losign sessions you feel that you played well and understand where you could've played better. Then you can move up.

At the same time, don't be a perfectionist. Missing a bet or making a bad call isn't really that tragic, as long as you can objectively analyze your play and realize how you could've saved/made a bet or two.

I may not always know what I'm talking about as far as strategy, but trust me...I do know all about moving up too soon. When you say that "people keep telling you to move up" do you mean real poker players, or friends that don't really understand the nature of being a winning poker player? Just something to keep in mind anyway.

-TW

You're right, I'm definitely not in the proper mindset for moving up. Variance in general bothers me and my last session was a mixture of crap variance and a handful of small mistakes. The combination of all that really got to me.

I'm taking a break for the rest of the night. Just going to chill, drink some beers, watch a movie, whatever. I know I play well the majority of the time.

Yeah, I feel like I'm being too much of a perfectionist. Sometimes I start thinking... I'd be up another 10BB if I made half as many mistakes. From all those sessions combined, I'd probably be up another 500BB. You can see where this is going... I just have to let it go. I know I can't be perfect here, but I'll keep improving. As you said, as long as I realize where I made my mistakes, it's okay.

A few people on this forum and a few more people on the 2+2 forum tell me I'm good enough to move up in limits. And I believe them. I know as long as I keep my 'A' game up I'll be a long-term winner at 1/2 and 2/4.

But I'll wait until a few more good sessions. Then I'll move up.

EP
What jumped out at me is when you said---"varience bothers me"...Well, I can relate VERY well, which is the reason I have almost a 3K BR, and still playing 1/2 LIMIT and 50NL, and even so, it took awhile to get comfortable...I guess my point is, you may well have the skills to move up, but if you are uncomortable with the status of your BR, you will fail to make the correct decisions under pressure. Some folks are OK with a 200BB, and some are OK with 350...Only you know for sure what suits you, but for me it sure is easier sitting through a losing streak knowing I have 1000BBs...Obviously these comments are NOT for someone at the micro limits, as they should move up ASAP...
Anyway, just my thoughts...

Glad to hear I'm not the only one here playing at limits far below what their BR can tolerate.