Is it possible to do better at 5/10 than 2/4? Wait, wait... I'm not talking about taking fewer bad beats or getting my raises respected. That's a fallacy, I know. Someone has to make mistakes, otherwise the rake breaks us all. But I'm thinking that one player's style and strategy might be more suited for a higher level. If you apply Ed Miller's "Small Stakes Hold'em" strategy to a 50/100 table, you'll be crushed. Conversely, I have a feeling that players like Barry Greenstein and Chip Reese would do terrible in a small game, as they'd overdo it and put fancy plays on people who will call down with middle pair anyway. The books and forums I read and take advice from are intended for advanced players ("Middle Limit Hold'em", "Hold'em For Advanced Players", "How Good Is Your Limit Hold'em?" and the Mid/High Stakes Forum on 2+2. I'm a very competetive person, and I take great pleasure in putting a player on a hand and making a good laydown or call. But with all these non-thinking calling stations and maniacs at 2/4, I'm restricted to playing ABC poker. I'm basically auto-piloting four tables, showing a little profit, but I'm getting really bored. I want to play against better players, and I have enough confidence in my abilities to skip a few levels. I'm thinking about taking a shot at 5/10 tonight, playing only one table and focusing on my reads.

Is this totally absurd? Am I setting myself up the spanking of the year?

A)

Chip Reese and Barry Greenstein would not do terrible in a small game. They didn't become two of the most successful cash game players ever by not being able to adjust. I'm pretty confident they could apply a different strategy than they use in their $4000/$8000 game.

B)

$5/$10 isn't exactly full of sharks. I quad table $10/$20 and am more or less on auto pilot. I've played $30/$60, and it's not exactly a mental strain.

That being said, if you have a big enough bankroll where a $250 loss won't kill you and you don't think you'll play with scared money, which you probably will, go ahead and plop yourself down at a juicy $5/$10 game.

Don't you just love an active and vibrant poker forum?

It's like a freaking desert here. I'll try to get a few replies at 2+2 instead.

I guess my response doesn't mean anything to you

::sigh::

Don't you just love an active and vibrant poker forum?

It's like a freaking desert here. I'll try to get a few replies at 2+2 instead.

Yeah... I hear ya man. I've been doing the same lately. Oftentimes after my sessions I'll provide a few posts with hands where I was unsure what to do, or simply interesting hands that could spur a discussion. And then one person responds two days later.

I prefer the personalities on this forum, but this is far from a majorly active forum.

It's certainly more aggressive than $2/$4 but I still run into multiple 60+ VP$IPers every day. Then again that's shorthanded and I'm at a comical 35% so take that for what its worth.