October/Early November

Some things changed for me in October, and I might as well start writing about the most important change first: I switched my primary game from 1-2 or 1-3 no-limit to 2-5 no-limit Texas Hold Em. On paper it looks a little counter intuitive. After losing money in September, it might seem that the correct move would be to play smaller games or to get out of no-limit altogether. Several books have alluded to this solution (including "Your Worst Poker Enemy" by Alan N. Schoonaker, Ph. D.) for the problems of "running bad". I felt a month of losses (and as it turned out only about 55 hours on the tables) wasn't really a large enough sample size to go on in this regard. And part of the reason I was playing 1-2 and 1-3 no-limit was so I could make some mistakes and learn from them without it costing too much. And then I had a visitor.

My friend, Sol, was in town for a convention and he was going to play a lot of poker. We had a chance to catch up and chat over dinner and to go over some of my recent difficulties. He suggested I was ready for the 2-5 game and that it was actually easier than the smaller no-limit games. I cautiously agreed but still wasn't sure.

Later that night I had lost about $300 after six hours in the smaller game. I took a break and walked around and decided, what the hell -- I was going back in to play 2-5. I was seated immediately, bought in for $400 and within an hour I was up $650. It was like magic. I ended the session soon afterwards and went home to think about just why it was so much easier.

The Benefits of 2-5 NL Texas Hold Em over the smaller NL games

1. Larger or unlimited buy-ins. Now, when sitting in a 2-5 game, you can enter with an appropriate amount of chips for that game. In the smaller games around town, you're limited to a capped buy-in between $200 - $500 depending on where you play. In those games, if everyone already has more chips than you, it can be more difficult play effectively.
2. More poor and loose players. I had just always assumed that the higher up you go, the better the competition would be. This is not always the case. In the 2-5 game I am constantly finding great action from casual players who are willing to push and or call with weak hands against my better holdings. Often, the more chips they have, the worse they'll play. In the smaller NL games, the dearth of chips often fostered an environment of very tight play for hours on end. It was much more difficult to get anyone to risk anything.
3. More chips = better pot management. With more chips on the table it is easier for you to plan your hand and your actions. With less total chips, you just don't have as much wiggle room to trap, to bluff, to build a pot, etc. Your decisions, however, will most likely require more thought.

This is a partial list. I'm still formulating my other points. I've gone on to have several more winning sessions at the 2-5 game and I've stretched my winning streak into the first week of November. Thanks for the tip, Sol!