Differences between $ levels

[TomJQKA]

I'm curious what differences people have seen as you move up in the levels playing online cash games. I assume it's a given that the higher the stakes the better the players are overall. Is there a level at which you have seen the quality of play dramatically improve, or is it more of a gradual increase in play level with $ level?

[LeafsFan1122]

That's too vague of a question IMO.

You're right about the general play improving as you increase levels, but there's no particular level where it dramatically improves.

Remember, there are donks at every level. Always has been, and always will be.

[xDiamond_CutteRx]

The level of play increases in a roughly logarithmic fashion as the $ level increases IMO.

[lwestatbus]

At any venue with multiple stakes available for the same game there are three kinds of players at any table with higher stakes:

1. Players who can afford to play at those stakes where the money they lose (or win) is not important to them.

2. Players who have worked their way up to their current level by building both their bankroll and their knowledge.

3. Players who think they are Type 2 players but aren't.

The perfect game for you is one where you are a Type 2 and the game is populated by Type 1 & 3 players.

Many writers write about game selection. Online I like to use the table stats available in the lobby of PokerStars to help me pick a table. One of the biggest things that comes into play in live venues is when the lowest stakes available are higher (or much higher) than the player is used to playing (or should be playing). I LOVE going to Vegas because the absolute minimum stakes you'll find in fixed limit is $2/4 which is massively above the lowest stakes you can find for FL on PokerStars. A bad player must play $2/4, $3/6, or $4/8 because that is the lowest available at that venue.