Double Ups Are Brilliant

[capri]

Have been playing these from 8am this morning and only lost 1, won 39... 5 euro is the buy in, so so easy... Should I maybe move up a level. I totally sucked at speed poker and never profited in this game.

[Bart(UK)]

Hi capri,

Good to hear you're doing well on these. There will still be a considerable amount of variance on these as with any poker format. Obviously the longer the structure (slower the clock), the more your own skill will come to the fore whereas the quicker the clock, the bigger role luck/variance will play. So find a structure that works for you and stick with it is probably the best advice I can give.

I would suggest that a good solid Bankroll Management (BRM) should be used on whatever poker format is played. All types of sit & go's are notoriously very swingy and a well structured BRM will allow for moving up when running good, but also help protect your current gains from losses in a downswing.

Actual BRM is very subjective, 50x buyins is often thought the norm for sng's with no less than 30x buyins recommended, but it is entirely up to you. In the past I've often adjusted BRM according to the amount at stake, higher BRM once a decent balance was built up to provide more protection.

Some other aspects worth considering:

• Your win rate will usually decrease the higher you move up as the proportion of regular players to fish increases
• You really need a decent volume of results (1,000+ games) in order to get an accurate estimate of your win rate
• Tournament fee/rake can make a big difference to your overall profit. 10% fee is typical, sometimes reducing to 6% on higher buyins, but 20% is becoming more frequent on really small buyins. Overcoming 20% fees is difficult (but not impossible) for even skilled players over longer periods.
• ICM Push/Fold is pretty key in sng's, regular practice on a decent ICM trainer is incredibly useful in helping to maintain or improve your win rate.
• Player traits are often easier to identify in Double or Nothing sng's than in other sng formats. Make good use of your colour coding/player notes to indicate which players are tight and trying to hold on, which are maniacs etc.
• Grinding sng's for long periods can become pretty mundane, make sure you take regular breaks to keep your mind focused.

So after all my whaffle, the short answer is yes, if you are happy with how you're doing, have the funds available for a decent attempt at the higher level and are confident it won't adversely affect your game, go for it, but just 1 level at a time and keep reassessing as you go. It could just be you're running insanely good at the moment and it might not last, so steady as you go

Good luck & have fun!