In poker, we should always consider our skill levels before moving up in stakes. We should compare our skills to our opponents', and this way figure out whether to move up (risk our money) or keep "grinding" and learning at lower stakes. When you start thinking about a move to higher stakes games, you'll need to prepare extremely well for that. Your money will (most probably) be in 2x bigger danger, so this should be taken seriously. Personally, I used to play 4 tables at once. Once I started to prepare for a move to higher games, I only played 2 tables of my own and observed two of higher stakes' games.
Why? Because I wanted to know what kind of betting patterns, players and general atmosphere they have there before making a move. I wanted to get to know the "general" player of those stakes, and this is why I observed those games for probably a week, every day, however long I happened to play each day. I gathered together some notes, which, in most cases didn't really help much since the player base was huge. However, getting kind of a general idea of betting patterns and players really does help.
Once you put in tens of thousands of hands, you'll start noticing general, popular game styles and patterns sooner or later. When you move up in limits, you'll probably be excited(and you should, too!) notice several differences. As long as you can notice these differences, you'll be able to adjust to most of them, so there's nothing to worry about. It's kind of a moment when you'll realize how you've grown as a player and start seeing stuff you thought you could never notice.
Good, or Better than Worse?
One thing you probably won't, but what you should be able to recognize is if you're actually a good player, or just make less mistakes than some of the bad players. Or because your opponents make bigger mistakes than you. When you move up to certain limits, there'll be actually *good* players who against you won't be making money by just waiting for them to make mistakes, but by making the actual mistakes happen!
See, the difference is this:
Micro limit games: someone raises, you pick up KK and re-raise, he goes all-in with AJ, you call and win most of the time. Here, you did the obvious, he made the mistake. Basically you're not doing anything to get them to donate their money to you, as they're really doing all the work.
Low limit games: you raise, your opponent re-raises and because he's doing that quite often, you call with AJs. Flop brings J65 and you bet, he goes all-in and because he's a very aggressive and spewey player, you call. He's got TT. Again, he did most of the work, although this required a little bit of thinking already.
Mid limit games: you don't like your opponent's tightness as far as starting hands go, and this is why you want to show him some weaker hands that you raise with so he would start getting in with weaker hands, too. You'll be able to control weaker hands better than him, after all, and he's going to lose more money than he did before. You made this happen. You caused his mistake.
Those were very, very simple explanations but I think you got the idea. You might be winning, but are you really good or is your opponent just bad? You'll be surprised of how big of a difference there actually can be when you move from certain limits to next. Staying out of trouble won't be a winning way anymore, and you'll have to figure out ways to have your opponents in trouble.
That's good to take into consideration. Also, remember to do some research when you move up, it's always good to be prepared. Make notes and concentrate on general betting patterns, pick up similarities to what you're used to. Doing a lot of research will definitely help you out a lot, and I know doing that saved me a lot of dollars. So when you think you're ready to move up in limits, take about a week of sharp observing and be fully prepared for players who are waiting there just to get your money. Don't let them.
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