When Is It Time To Move Up In Stakes?

How to Know You’re Ready — and How to Take the Leap Like a Pro

You’ve been winning consistently. You’re building confidence, stacking sessions, and feeling more in control of your decisions. But the question lingers in the back of your mind:

Is it time to move up?

It’s a tough call. The idea of playing bigger is exciting — but also terrifying. What if you lose? What if you're not ready? What if that one move shatters everything you've worked so hard to build?

I’ve been there. When I was grinding $1/$2 part-time, I had a solid win rate. I wasn’t just surviving — I was beating the game. But every time I thought about moving up, I hesitated. The fear wasn’t about the next stake itself — it was about what it represented: uncertainty, exposure, risk.

What I’ve learned is this: moving up in stakes isn’t just a bankroll decision. It’s a mindset shift. And if you want to be a professional — or even just a high-level part-timer — learning how to take that leap with confidence is a non-negotiable part of the journey.

Let’s break it down.

Step One: Prove You’re Beating Your Current Game

Before you even think about the next level, you need to confirm you have a winning edge in the one you're in. That means tracking everything — hours played, buy-ins, hourly win rate, session notes.

You’re not guessing here. You’re running a business, and your performance data is your P&L sheet.

✅ If you’ve logged 100+ hours and are consistently up, that’s your first signal.✅ If your decision-making feels sharper, your emotional swings are smaller, and you're thinking in ranges — you're evolving.✅ Not tracking yet? Fix that. Use an app like Poker Analytics or Hold’em Manager and start gathering real feedback.

You can't know you're ready to move up if you don’t know where you actually stand.

Step Two: Respect the Math — Bankroll Management is Your Lifeline

Even the best players in the world can run bad. If you’re under-rolled when variance hits, it doesn’t matter how good you are — you’re toast.

Here’s the gold standard:80–100 buy-ins for the stake you want to play if you’re playing full-time or semi-seriously.

Let’s say you’re eyeing $1/$3 and regularly buying in for $600. That means a $60,000 bankroll is ideal if this is your main source of income.

Now — if you’re a part-time player with external income, you can take shots with far less. But do it smartly:

🎯 Segment your bankroll.🎯 Predefine your shot-taking threshold.🎯 Have a re-entry plan for if things go sideways.

This isn’t being pessimistic — it’s being professional.

Step Three: Understand the Psychology of Shot-Taking

Here’s the truth: most players don’t stay stuck because they’re not good enough.

They stay stuck because they’re scared.

Scared to lose. Scared to fail. Scared to find out they’re not as sharp as they hoped.

I used to live in that fear. I’d keep crushing the same game, knowing I could move up — and making excuses not to. But eventually I realized: if you want to grow, you have to get comfortable playing outside your comfort zone.

That’s what shot-taking is: strategic exposure to higher-level play.

Here’s how to do it right:

1. Set a cap. Choose a small, predefined portion of your bankroll (e.g. 5–10%) for shot-taking.

2. Give yourself a shot window. Maybe it’s 3 buy-ins. Maybe it’s 10 sessions. Whatever you choose — commit to it.

3. No ego if it doesn’t work. If you lose the shots, drop back down. Rebuild. Try again later. Nothing lost but experience gained.

   
   

   Because here’s the thing: if it works, your bankroll gets a fast track. A few big sessions at higher stakes can do what dozens of small ones couldn’t. And if it doesn’t? You fall back to a game you already beat — and you come back stronger.

The Truth About Moving Up

Moving up isn’t about chasing clout or speeding through levels. It’s about stretching yourself — financially, strategically, and psychologically.

It’s about learning to play against better opponents. Facing tougher spots. Feeling the discomfort of bigger pots and not shrinking from it.

Every pro you admire? Every crusher you follow? They weren’t “ready” when they took their first shot either. They just knew staying small was no longer aligned with who they wanted to become.

You don’t wait until fear disappears. You move while it’s still there — and trust your preparation will carry you through.

Final Thought: Risk Is the Ticket to Growth

Poker is risk. Growth is risk. There’s no way around it.

But that doesn’t mean you leap blindly.

It means you prepare like a professional, play like a killer, and move like someone who belongs. Because if you’ve done the work — tracking your game, managing your roll, and sharpening your mind — then stepping up isn’t reckless.

It’s inevitable.

Take the shot.

You might just surprise yourself.