Since you began playing poker, you have very likely been very careful about what amounts and limits that you play for.  Watching the limits that you play for is a very good way to make sure that you do not overextend yourself and burn up your bankroll too quickly.  By squeezing out a very small amount for the limits and playing at around 1% to 2% of your bankroll, you can ensure that you do not annihilate your savings and you consistently earn and put more into your bankroll rather than lose and take away from your bankroll.  But eventually, you will get to the point where you wish to raise your limits and begin to earn more as well as risk more.  Once you have reached this point, it is very important to pay close attention to how much you can reasonably afford to wager and not overstep your limits.  Remember that you should never wager more than you are willing to lose and can afford to do without.

Without raising your limits, you will never go anywhere, so despite the dangers, you will eventually have to do this very thing.  It is important to study your playing style and be certain that you are winning and winning consistently before considering moving on to the next level of competition.  Raise your limits is not a simply a matter of having more money to bet with, it is also a matter of being able to win at these higher limit tables.  Higher limits mean higher experience levels and higher skilled opponents to compete with.  This higher level of competition can be a difficult matter to overcome for many players, as simply moving your limits up does not mean that you are skilled enough to compete in the higher limit tables and poker tournaments.

Once you have decided to move up in your set limits, it is an important matter to keep track of wins and losses and remember that should your bankroll drop down to lower amounts due to extreme losses, you should rapidly change your limits back to their original or possibly even lower amounts.  Escalating your poker game by raising your limits is a necessary step, but you should never be scared to take a step backwards and lower your limits if you begin to consistently lose.  This tendency to backslide is nothing to be ashamed of and is generally considered normal in most players.  Remember that raising your limits means raising the level of competition as well.