If you are considering moving up from 25nl to 50nl then you are likely to be ready to move up to the next level. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be asking this question. I will give some insight into how much more difficult beating the players at 50nl really is. I also think what I have to say might surprise a lot of you.
25NL vs 50NL Poker: Quick Comparison
| Category | 25NL | 50NL |
|---|---|---|
| Small blind | $0.10 | $0.25 |
| Big blind | $0.25 | $0.50 |
| Standard 100BB buy-in | $25 | $50 |
| Typical competition | Often softer | Often tougher |
| Potential hourly profit | Lower at equal win rate | Higher at equal win rate |
| Financial swings | Smaller | Larger |
How Much Harder Is 50NL Than 25NL?
You will see slightly more experienced regulars at 50nl when it comes to dealing with more pre flop aggression and 3 betting move up from 25nl. I’ve noticed there is a lot more passive play at 25nl by design but moving up to 50nl you can expect at least 1 or 2 players you sit with to be more aggressive pre flop and have better decision making.
I would say table selection matters but in my opinion at 50nl it won’t make a huge difference. Even though you will see slightly better players, it’s not big enough to think that these games are not beatable. I honestly see a lot of the same mistakes happening at 50nl as I do at 25nl. Meaning players do get better at 50nl but they still aren’t that much better coming up from the previous level.
25NL vs 50NL Win Rates: What Should You Expect?
| Win rate | 25NL profit / 100 hands | 50NL profit / 100 hands |
|---|---|---|
| 2 bb/100 | $0.50 | $1.00 |
| 5 bb/100 | $1.25 | $2.50 |
| 8 bb/100 | $2.00 | $4.00 |
| 10 bb/100 | $2.50 | $5.00 |
How Much Money Can You Make at 25NL vs 50NL?
This is probably what most of you want to know and the profit difference per 100 hands makes a lot more sense at 50nl. Also, the key to a lot of this is being able to scale up to playing 2-4 tables at a time and putting in enough volume to make it worth it. I try and play at least 1000 hands per day as an average over the course of month. What that looks like is me playing 3-4 tables at a time for around 3ish hours per day. I also like to break my sessions up by playing twice a day.
You need to understand volume is going to affect hourly earnings and help you combat variance when things don’t go your way. If you can manage to crack 30k hands per month regularly that’s when you will see a shift and more of a progression in your win rate per 100 hands if you stop making a lot of the same mistakes. I would say there is a learning curve to moving up from 25nl to 50nl but it’s not so much of a difference that you need to change your entire approach to how you play poker. You really don’t.
Bankroll Requirements for 25NL vs 50NL
One of the biggest things to consider before moving from 25NL to 50NL is your bankroll. Even if you’re consistently beating 25NL, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready to double the stakes.
At 25NL, a standard buy-in is $25. If you’re following a 30-buy-in bankroll strategy, you’ll need at least $750. Personally, I think having 40 to 50 buy-ins is a safer approach, which puts you between $1,000 and $1,250.
At 50NL, those numbers double. A 30-buy-in bankroll requires $1,500, while a more conservative 40-to-50 buy-ins means having $2,000 to $2,500 available. The biggest mistake players make is assuming that because they’re winning at 25NL, they’ll automatically win at 50NL. The competition generally gets tougher, and losing five buy-ins at 50NL means dropping $250 instead of $125.
Another thing worth mentioning is variance. Even good players can experience losing stretches of 10 to 15 buy-ins or more, especially when playing thousands of hands. My recommendation is to avoid rushing the move. Build a comfortable bankroll, take a few shots at 50NL, and don’t be afraid to move back down if things aren’t going your way. There’s nothing wrong with sticking to 25NL until you’re consistently beating the games.
Where Should You Play 25NL and 50NL Online?
I would play on Ignition Poker because there is a lot of traffic on this site at lower stake games to make it worth it. I also am a regular on this site and have logged in over 500,000 hands in the last year alone playing mid stakes. The software is good for multi tabling and they have some good offers as a new player. If you are looking for a starting point to play 25nl or 50nl this is where I would play right now.
Final Thoughts
It might initially seem like a big jump going from 25nl to 50nl but in my experience playing both levels you won’t feel it very much. You will see slightly more pre-flop aggression and 3 betting, but most people playing in these games are still recreational players who make a lot of the same mistakes repeatedly. And if you think about this logically then you will realize that if people were good at poker, they would probably be playing much higher stake games at 50nl.
I don’t mean to say that in a bad way or anything because you can still make a decent amount grinding 50nl if you can get the volume up to 1000 hands per day. The question really becomes how bad you want this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 50NL much harder than 25NL?
Generally, yes. At 50NL, you’ll usually encounter more experienced regulars who understand position, 3-betting, and postflop strategy. That doesn’t mean the games are unbeatable, but you’ll need to make fewer mistakes to stay profitable.
What is a good win rate at 25NL?
A win rate of 5 to 10 big blinds per 100 hands is a strong result at 25NL. Even maintaining 3 to 5 bb/100 after rake can be respectable, especially when playing multiple tables. Just remember that short-term results don’t always reflect your actual skill level.
Can you make $100 a day playing 50NL?
It’s possible, but definitely not easy. At a win rate of 5 bb/100, you’d earn approximately $2.50 per 100 hands. That means you’d need to play around 4,000 hands to average $100 in profit, excluding rewards.
How many hands should you play before moving to 50NL?
I’d recommend having at least 50,000 to 100,000 hands of poker at 25NL before seriously considering moving up. A larger sample gives you a better idea of your win rate, although it doesn’t eliminate variance. You could technically get away with only 30,000 if you are really crushing the games but to be safer I would recommend somewhere between 50k to 100k hands played before moving up.
Is it better to play four tables of 25NL or two tables of 50NL?
It depends on your win rate and how comfortable you are playing multiple tables. Four tables of 25NL could easily generate more hourly profit than two tables of 50NL if you’re winning consistently at the lower stakes. Focus on your actual hourly earnings rather than simply playing bigger games. For either stake I do find that playing up to 4 tables can increase hourly hands and profit if you get a good grip on how to hone in and play solid poker. I would also look at it as a progression and don’t force it right away either.
Edward Pao is an online poker and casino affiliate marketer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. He has referred over 30,000 players to major poker platforms and specializes in reviewing the best online poker sites and casino bonuses.