I played sngs fairly regularly when I first started playing online poker a year and a half ago. After half a year of dabbling in almost all the games on paradise, I realized that limit poker and pineapple were the place I needed to build a roll. I had a year and a half and about 200 hrs of live limit experience before playing online.

Eventually, in January of this year I managed to build my roll back up to 300 (very bad br management my first 8 months). I was starting to dabble in the .50/1.00 when paradise started offering 5-max, and I reached and played the smallest stakes, 1/2. The play was so bad compared to the FR version, that I had to play it. I was fortunate and built my bankroll up to a level were I was 'allowed' to play 1/2. I've played shorthanded limit exclusively since then, until I noticed the short handed SNGs.

I gave it a try and loved it. I actually haven't played limit once since that first taste of shorthanded SNGs. Where I was stretching my roll a little to play 1/2, 2-tabling, 3BB/hr is only $12. I figured, if I can attain a 20% ROI at the 22s, and it looked like I could play 5-6/hr, 2-tabling, that's going to be over $20/hr, with less variance, and more potential to move up sooner (the next stakes at limit are 3/6 for short games, so I needed to triple my roll to move up).

After a few games, I realized I was hooked, and immediately set up a simple tracking spreadsheet. I kept track of stakes, finish, $won, total entry fees, total winnings, total profit, and ROI. After playing a few more 22s, and some 33s (a small stretch @12 buy ins) plus a 55, I knew I would have to make a plan to keep my br discipline.

So I added a few more columns to the sheet, bankroll,bankroll build, banrolled for(@20BI), jump lvl, jump br, double jump lvl, dbl jump br.

Bankroll Build is set to where my bankroll would be if I made a 5% ROI from the time I started. The formula adds 5% of the buying to the total for every SNG entered. To put in some extra bankroll building discipline, I am not allowed to play below the 20 buy-ins level if my br is not higher than my bankroll build level. No taking stabs or moving up early if I'm not earning at least 5% ROI.

bankrolled for is bankroll/20.

jump lvl is what my bankroll would be if earning 10% ROI. If my bankroll is over this, I am allowed to make jumps to the next level.

jump level bankroll is bankroll/15. It is a rough guide to the stakes I can make a jump to.

dbl jump level is what my bankroll would be at 20% ROI. If my bankroll is over this, I am allowed to jump a little higher.

dbl jump bankroll is bankroll/10. Except for extenuating circumstances, I am not allowed to play above the nearest stakes to this value.

Then I made a rule set to follow for jumping levels.

1. I will play at the level I am bankrolled for or lower unless other rules allow me to play higher.
2. Once I am halfway to being to the next level, I can play at that level at my own preference, as long as I do not drop below the half-way point, and my bankroll is above the jump level bankroll (10% ROI).
3. Whenever I win 2 tournaments in a row, or money in 3 with at least one first, and my bankroll is over the jump level, I am allowed to jump a level (or 2 if I want if my dbl jump br is high enough).
4. If my ROI for the last 10 SNGs is over 40%, I am allowed to jump as in 3
5. If I jump and win 2 tournaments or place in 3 with at least one first, I am allowed to jump a level regardless of my bankroll for it. Rule 5 applies after any jump due to rule 5.
6. After any jump, if I lose, I must drop a level except when allowed by rule 2 or rule 7 to stay at the same stakes.
7. When jumping, I am allowed to play at the same stakes as long as my winnings at that level will cover the entry fee and leave an entry fee of profit. However, I must drop down if I lose 2 in a row.
8. If my bankroll is below the bankroll build level, I am not allowed to play at any stakes for which I am not rolled at 20 buy-ins.

Long post, but I wanted to put the whole process down. I know a lot of people don't like this much moving up and down in stakes, but I don't think it is inherently bad, and makes the poker more exciting to me. I usually play 1 table when I jump, to get a better feel for the level and better reads. I like the idea of some exposure to higher levels, so I've got a little experience when I move up.

I think I've done fairly well so far. I've kept to my plan and rules except for 1 55 I played. My ROI is at 16% after 73 games.

Anyone have an idea of sustainable ROI levels at different stakes of shorthanded SNGs?