just take shots and run good. it works every time!

Do you keep records of your 1/2 sessions? If you have a smartphone buy some sort of poker tracking app. It will really give you insight into what kind of swings and hourly wage you are making. At least then you would know if you really are crushing 1/2 over a longer sample size. Crushing would probs be like >30/hr

If you are considering that you may be "losing" money by not playing 2/5, you should really wonder if you are losing money by grinding 1/2 vs getting a job.

You are underrolled for even 1/2. With the RoR already high for 1/2 on a 2k roll, it is a terrible idea to play 2/5. It might even affect your play knowing that you can't really afford to lose. I follow a 50BI rule for moving up stakes in live cash, because I'm a huge bankroll nit, just to give you an idea of what some other people do. I think my biggest single session loss has been ~7BI despite being an overall winning player with a pretty good hourly.

To answer your question, 2/5 often plays pretty differently from 1/2. In my experience 2/5 has more "competent" players who are aware of odds and basic strategies, but these players tend to play "face up." While most 1/2 games are about making strong hands and showing them down, some 2/5 games can be beaten for a higher winrate with a more aggressive, deceptive style. There's likely going to be an adjustment period when you try to switch. Obviously, this is all highly dependent on the specific games you're playing in, and every game is different.

But none of that matters much if your bankroll management is going to make you go broke. That's why people in this thread haven't been focusing on your initial question: it sounds like the differences between 1/2 and 2/5 are the least of your concerns.

How's your life roll? If you're on a 5k upswing, why is there only 2.5k in your poker roll? If you can't build up a roll when you're running this well, what's going to happen when you run bad? I know this isn't what you want to hear, but if you can't go a month or two without skimming a couple grand off your poker roll, you probably shouldn't be playing at all.

"So this being said, obviously i'm running good, but nobody wins 17 out of 20 sessions for almost 5,000$ without PLAYING GOOD ALSO."

This absolutely is not true. I'm not saying you're not a good, winning player, but we all tend to underestimate variance. I've been beating live 5/10 for about $100/hour for about two years. I've had ten consecutive losing sessions more than once in that stretch. The variance in live poker is HUGE.

"I know if i sit down at 2/5 and can go on a 3 or 4 session win streak, I can pocket 3-4 maybe 5 thousand, and then my bankroll is safe, no matter what, and playing poker full time will become reality."

If you think $5000 is going to make your bankroll "safe, no matter what" you really need to step back and do a reality check. That would still leave you under-rolled for 2/5 and it sounds like you have no problem spending that amount of money.

My advice would be to separate your poker roll from your life roll. Live off your real job while you grind up your poker roll. When you get it up to 5k, take a two BI shot at 2/5. If you're not financially in a position to do this, again, I don't think you should be playing poker at all. If $1000/month is making a big difference in your life, any adverse event -- whether it's a poker downswing, your car breaking down, or whatever -- is going to be a crisis. It sounds like you might be setting yourself up for some hard times.

Good advice, I've done this and the difference between 1-2 , and 2-5 is night and day.
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I wonder what OP's BR looks like right now.

You are way under rolled for 2/5 but if you have never played 2/5 than it might not be a bad idea to get in a game and just test the water. Play super tight and get a feel for those stakes. If you find yourself super nervous or overwhelmed than its no shame to pick up your chips and move back to 1/2. One of the worst mistakes a poker player can make is sitting down with scared money. I play 2/5 and my bankroll is about 11K+ and some pros will tell you that I am under rolled. The move from 1/2 to 2/5 might not seem like a huge leap but it is...I play 2/5 primarily at Foxwoods where there is a huge pool of players and very often 5/10 players will play at 2/5 while waiting for a table or if they smell blood so the skill level at 2/5 can be tough. Like I said take a super conservative shot and see how it feels.

One more thing, you probably already know this, your poker bankroll and your life money MUST be two seperate accounts. I know countless younger players who mix the two and are almost always in trouble. Also get a poker management app for your phone. I have an andriod and I use Poker Income Bankroll Tracker...I can't say enough about it. It tracks everything. Its a reality slap. Ok that was more than one thing, sorry.

Of coarse (many) players are better at 2/5, and (many) players better at 5/10. you can never score if you don't take the shot. save $ 200 to go back to 1/2, then grip it and ship it.......

I would take a sample of 3-6 months, and mix in playing 1-2 sessions of $2/$5 while still playing $1/$2 and see how things go. The swings are bigger, and the players are usually better. It will take some time to adapt at the change, so rather than doing it all at once, keep making a profit playing at the stakes you are comfortable. I feel like the mistakes are made by thinking you are good enough to move up way to fast. Take your time and be smart about it, and it should work out for you in the long term. Track your results SEPARATELY! Good luck.

I had a similar problem for a long time and I kept thinking taking shots was the way forward. Sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't but either way I kept ending up in the same place and that's where I had started, the bottom. In the end I was fed up and decided my best plan of action was to get a job, save money for a bankroll and change the way I was spending my money making sure my expenses were as little as possible. After half a year or so I had earned enough money to play 1/2 and 1/3 with no financial pressure and I decided to quit my job and have one last shot playing professionally. Now 2 years on and I haven't looked back. I continued grinding these stakes until my roll was satisfactorily built and now I play 2/5 full time with the same mindset as before and no financial pressure. I would also advise having separate money for life expenses to your poker bankroll, maybe as a guideline keep 6 months expenses separate. This will help you maintain discipline and help you play your A game with no pressure when the cards are running bad. In my experience there are no shortcuts in this game, treat it like a job and consider grinding the lower stakes as an apprenticeship. Learn your trade, set your goals, be disciplined and you'll be where you want to be in no time. GL

follow brm.

Very well said. Have at least 20-30 buyins for the stake you will be playing. Shortcuts and trying to take 'shots' will only hurt you in the long run. If you run good, you will be playing over your head shortly after. If you run bad, you go broke and have to start all over again.

This thread is awesome. I've gathered that bankroll management and having a bankroll will help with success in poker. This thread has hit "home" for me, thanks.