These days there are many players who are trying their very best to play higher stakes levels and be good players at those levels. But yet it is clear that this presents a very serious problem. Let us look at ten different levels of poker and instead of giving them dollar levels we will give them numbers instead. So instead of calling them $1-$2 and $20-$40 we will simply call them 1 to 10.
Let us look at playing Texas Hold’em at level 1 first and foremost which is sort of like the micro-levels. You may not get to be very rich at this level but that is also offset by the ease at which you can beat the level. All you have to do is become a level 2 player to get an edge on level 1 and possibly level 3 if you take into account the effect of the rake.
Now let us look at what happens when you move up to level 2. At Texas Hold em games and especially in a limit format where the rake is very high in games like six max, being a level 3 player may now not be enough and you may find yourself recycling money so you may need to be a level 4 player to make decent money. The problem is that your opponents will be better as well.
Let us look at the other extreme for a minute and look at level 10 players. These are the very best in the world at what they do, at games like limit hold’em they may have technically perfect games. There is no level 11 and so playing them is futile. Even trying to play level 9 may be pointless as you are basically hoping that someone at level 8 or below will drop in and those types of players will get exposed very rapidly.
At level 7 then you have something of a problem because to beat that level may mean being better than a level 8 player and becoming a level 9 player which essentially would put you into a very elite minority of online poker players. Do you have the time to dedicate yourself to becoming a level 9 player and stay there? Most people do not and so this makes playing level 7 which is probably the middle limits very tough indeed and each time you move up a level then your opponent’s abilities and skill increase also.
So it is clear that the ability to make more at higher levels is evident but this is offset by having the lack of opportunities to make that money. So it seems obvious to me that you need to start aiming lower down the poker ladder if you want to have a successful career based on realistic chances rather than pie in the sky hopes and aspirations. Beating level 4 by being a level 6 player is far better than trying to beat level 8 by being a level 9 or 10 player.
But imagine how much easier life gets if you are a level 8 player but choose to multi-table at level 4! You have the ability to totally crush this level and your earnings in hold’em can be as good as higher level players simply because you can multi-table easier.