Update

Yes, I am getting really, really lazy about naming my updates.......

Bad news: I'm on a 80 BB downswing at $0.50/$1.00 6-max. It is the usual low limit beats (getting rivered) as well as a large amount of big hand vs. slightly better hands against maniacs who will bet and raise with anything, so I wouldn't believe them. Hard to watch someone win against them with A-high at the river when you can't even get your overpairs to hold up against them. I checked my stats just to make sure I wasn't calling down more often with losing hands, etc. but it appears I am going to showdown about 20% less than I have been and also losing the showdowns about 20% more frequently than before. So, just running bad. No biggie.

Good news 1: I was already running well enough at $0.50/$1 6-max that an 80 BB hit still leaves me at almost 2.5 BB/100 at that level since I started.

Good news 2: At the same time as my downswing, I am on a 80 BB upswing at $1/$2 6-max.

I am about 6,000 hands into my 6-max experience and really like it - as you can see from the bankroll update to the right, I've already outstripped what I made in my first 30K hands of full ring in only 6K hands of 6-max. To be fair, I'm also playing at a higher limit now, but in terms of big bets, I am up 317 BB at full ring and 200 BB at 6-max.

The $0.50/$1.00 6-max games are super soft, especially during peak times. It is not unheard of to have 3 of my 5 opponents with 45%+ VPIP. Many of them are more aggressive than their full-ring cousins so it takes a bit more to beat them. The $1/$2 tables are a bit tighter (only 1-2 fish per table) and a lot more aggressive. You really have to pick your spots carefully - I am very careful with table and seat selection

In theory, I have now completed the first stage of my bankroll pyramid from a previous post, being up 80 BB at $1/$2. That should mean that my next stop is to take $160 and take a shot at $2/$4. In actuality, what I think Iwill do is to play $1/$2 full ring until I earn the $160 to step up. Why??????? Well, for a totally trivial reason - $1/$2 full ring is the only level where I am an overall loser (down about 20 BB). That bugs me every time I start PokerTracker . :-) So, I'll play until I'm up 60 BB at that level, then take my shot. Don't try to figure me out......