![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.partypoker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/mental-game-of-poker.jpg\" "\\"Mental")
Moving up to a higher stake is understandably difficult for a poker player. You are putting more money on the line and taking on more risk at the same time.<\/p>\nMoving up to a higher stake is understandably difficult for a poker player. You are putting more money on the line and taking on more risk at the same time.<\/p>\n
The two most important factors in moving up to a new stake is having enough technical poker skill and a large enough bankroll.<\/p>\n
However, players often underestimate the importance of the mental game, and the mental hurdles required to break through to a higher limit.<\/p>\n
Every player has their limitations. Here are some of the common issues players face and some ideas about how to successfully break through:<\/p>\n
Assuming Opponents are the Same<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the biggest hurdles players encounter happens when they assume that the games will be just as beatable as the ones they currently play.<\/p>\n Chances are if you\u2019ve decided to move up, it\u2019s because you\u2019re crushing the games you\u2019re currently playing, so it\u2019s understandable how you can trick yourself into thinking you\u2019ll automatically do the same at the next limit.<\/p>\n The problem isn\u2019t that you have confidence \u2013 confidence is a great thing \u2013 the problem is that you have too much confidence.<\/p>\n Being overconfident is one of the most unknown problems in poker. When moving up, the only thing you can prove is what you\u2019ve already done at your current limit. At best, the confidence you have that you\u2019ll crush opponents at the next limit is a guess.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the kind of guess that causes problems for players who were not expecting to go from being the shark at one level and a minnow at the next. Yes, it\u2019s true that the fish are likely to be the same across most of the stakes, but how you play against the regs is usually how you define whether or not you can beat that level.<\/p>\n Rather than assume you\u2019re going to dominate, do the work necessary to figure out how and prove that you can.<\/p>\n Assuming Your Skill Level is the Same<\/strong><\/p>\n Play in the biggest poker event! Win your WSOP Main Event $14,000 package for free!<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Sometimes players just aren\u2019t able to play as well at their new stake, as they were able to at their previous stakes. For some reason they just freeze up in bigger games.<\/p>\n If it were at their usual games they have no problem firing out that loose three-bet, but now, they hesitate and play too tight. The truly difficult thing for players to understand, is why they know the correct way to play, but just can\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n The pressure of playing at higher stakes is going to be there until you gain enough experience, but this problem can be eased by knowing more about how human beings learn and develop skill. Skills have levels of gradation to them, which get put under more scrutiny when they are under pressure.<\/p>\n You might have no problem rehearsing a speech in front of the mirror, but may stutter a bit in front of friends, struggle in front of a small work audience, and completely crumble in front of a conference.<\/p>\n If you crack under the pressure of a higher limit, this doesn\u2019t mean you have suddenly lost your skill, you just haven\u2019t mastered it to the level you thought.<\/p>\n Only the skills that show up under pressure is what you\u2019ve mastered. Everything else is still in the process of being learned. So earmark your mistakes as areas of your game that needs more work, and do the work.<\/p>\n Jared Tendler<\/a> is poker\u2019s leading expert in the mental game. He coaches some of the top players in poker and over a 150 other pros from around the world. Jared’s new book “The Mental Game of Poker,” is now taking pre-orders at www.mentalgameofpoker.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Moving up to a higher stake is understandably difficult for a poker player. You are putting more money on the line and taking on more risk at the same time. The two most important factors in moving up to a new stake is having enough technical poker skill and a large enough bankroll. However, players<\/p>\n