OK have just cleared my bonus at the Party $25's (full ring)

I now have $2200 in my roll and with solid BigBets/100 of about 10 over the past 2 months and of15 over the past couple of weeks I feel as ready as I'll ever be to move up to the 50c/$1 NL tables. Currently I'm playing Vp$iP 24%, PFR 8% and aggressive post-flop.

First of all does anyone have any generic advice for making the move up? How much tougher is it (I generally play the tighter Party $25 tables with table average about $11)

Secondly I have three optons as to where to play

a) Party $50 (advantage - easy PT use, weakest players, I'm used to the short stack play -disadvantage - no bonus release)

b) UB $100 (advantages can still use PT to observe - less players so better data on them - I have $106 bonus left to release there)

c) Poker Stars (can use PT via emailed hh, $150 to release which is a real pain at 25c/50c but should move much faster at 50c/$1).

I'm leaning toward staying at Party but those bonuses look tempting now I'll finally be playing at the levels where it's not too hard to release them..

...i've been playing exclusively the .50/1.00 at PS, Excession, and i'd say 6 out of 9 players at a table there are a quite loose, w/ maybe 2 fairly good players there, and rarely what i'd say is a good solid player...it still amazes me the limpers and the hands these guys play! And you see some astounding bad plays and moves. Anyway, i've been making more than i ought to there per hour after 14 hours of play, but it continues, and i've made a few bad all in calls in there getting used to these guys......UB players, where i used to play, were 2 levels ahead of PS as i've seen it...i.e. the $20 SNG's at UB are about like the $50 SNG's at PS...probably true at ring NL too.
GL though, soon you can forget the bonuses and stuff and just concentrate on the play and your game, eh?

I dont think you'll find the play at .50/$1 NL that much different. There may be 2-3 good players instead of 1-2 good players but there will still be 2-3 awful players and 5 very average ones.

Most people, including me, get intimidated at first when they move up. They make bad calls because they assume that the players at the higher level are tricky and are always making plays on you. Thats rarely the case. If you play the same game youve been playing you shouldne see much, if any, change in your win rate.

No fancy play syndrome...the players arent sophiticated enough for those to work
No big bluffs.....too many calling stations
Dont try to pick off big bluffs

Just play your game

I think my feelings toward party poker are a matter of publc record so I wont continue my rant/whine. I have been playing at Ub and have not really liked their NL games, they are very very tight. I have been playin O8 to clear my bonus and then I will take a shot at stars ir gaming club. my 2 cents

RHound, I highly recommend Gaming Club to you. The play is passive and bad. The variance is very low which I know is quite the opposite of Party.

http://www.gamingclubpoker.com/index.asp?s=aff93212

I dont really think its right for Excession though. He is the pokertracker guru and they dont have real time hand histories available yet.

I think I speak for myself, Kenny, Monk, Rhound, and many others when I say the NL games on Party are simply horrible. The low stack:BB ratio encourages fishy play and doesn't allow any play beyond the flop. You'll find the variance to be high and suckouts to be extremely common. But I'm sure you've already experienced all of that at NL25. Obviously you will still be making money but you should give Stars, UB, GC, and other sites a try. A combination of more passive/predictable play and deeper stacks should make it much easier to play.

thanx guys

btw I very good recent 2+2 thread on playing the Party 25's is here

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showt ... &sb=5&o=14

I'm not sure what the policy is on cross-posting but 2+2 moves so fast that It'll be gone in a day or two and it is very sound advice I think

I'm not so sure i can claim to be smarter Cactus but his opening sentence translated into.. he had made enough to buy his girlfriend something at a game he really didnt care to play and he was simply posting his rules for sussessful play. Great stuff as I just started playing at Party again after a 8 month hiatus.

sonicboom