Taking Your Shots
A poker player often relishes the chance to play in a larger game then they are accustomed to. In other activities like sports, one must wait until they are competent at the next level of play before they can move up, but in poker, all it takes is a minimum buy-in to play in a game above one’s pay grade. You must be aware of the environment you are stepping into, and process all pertinent information of the situation in order to make your shot a profitable one.
The most important way to make your shot a successful one is that you play your game. By this, I mean that you must play the same style you are accustomed to playing in your regular game. You must block out of your head that you are playing in a larger game, or you will feel uncomfortable and play either too tight or too loose, and make poor decisions based not on the situation the play takes place in, but rather the money on the table. Allowing your opponents to put you to a decision based on the proportionally larger loss you stand to take gives them an easy time in taking your buy in. If you play your game, get your money in when you want to get it in, and put other players to decisions, you will have a profitable session, given variance swings your way as well.
A good way to make yourself comfortable is to take a shot after a large winning session in which you aren’t chasing losses, but rather taking a calculated, premeditated shot at a higher limit when you are play is at it’s sharpest, and your confidence in your game is high.
Another approach to take that may prove your shot lucrative is to diligently search for the best game available. Only sit if you know there is a weaker player that you can exploit while learning the ropes in a higher limit. You absolutely do not want to be the player that everyone is gunning for, and by joining a game built around another weaker player, the inevitable holes in your game at that level will not be as transparent to your opponents.
Shot taking is an inevitable part of the game. If your skills are progressing, you are going to want to move up to a more difficult game with higher stakes, and by making sure you are evaluating the situation properly, you can ensure your success in your endeavor.
