Marcus Bateman / Marcus Bateman / 12 February 2009 / Leave a comment

For every winning poker player, there are two key things that describe their ability and win rate. The first is the highest stakes that they are able to consistently beat. The second is the games that they can make the most money from.

By keeping good records of your results at different stakes you will quickly establish which game is truly the most profitable for you

These two things are often radically different, and understanding why this is true and what implications it has on your game is extremely important when picking what games to play.

As an example of this, imagine a player that can consistently beat $1/$2 but not higher. Their win rate at $1/$2 is around two big blinds per hundred hands. However, when they play $.50/$1 they can destroy the games, usually winning around eight big blinds per hundred hands. In the $1/$2 game they will make $4 every hundred hands, yet at $.50/$1 they will be making $8 per hundred hands. So at half they stakes they will actually be making twice as much money.

In these sort of situations the player is clearly better off playing at lower stakes - despite the fact that they can beat bigger games. Always remember that higher stakes games typically bring a much higher caliber of player (there are rare exceptions - particularly at the very highest stakes which can often attract rich businessman and other weak, yet rich players), and often you will be better off playing in lower games with much weaker players.

It is often very difficult to drop down stakes or not play as high as you can due to your ego and pride, but it is an essential thing to do if you want to truly maximize your win rate. By keeping good records of your results at different stakes you will quickly establish which game is truly the most profitable for you, and that should typically be your bread and butter game for the most part. Although taking shots at higher stakes and trying to become a much better player is important, keeping well grounded and astute about where the most money to be made is a much more important skill. Find your best win rate and sit down in the games that give you the best returns possible.

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