You must have won many times in tournaments, in many hands but thrown away your profit and walked away empty handed. May me you have stakes too high and devastated your bankroll. If it did not happened to you, you always kept your profit, then you are a rare breed of wager with discipline to maintain your bankroll.
Gambling instinct
Many poker players focus on their gambling instinct. Many professional players put huge stake on sport betting or casino games. Poker is certainly a casino game but to be successful you need a certain level of skill. But persistence and discipline are another two pedestals to be a successful player. If you practice these qualities you will emerge as victorious more often. Another crucial aspect to be a flourishing poker player is to understand and implement a judicious bankroll plan. Playing within the limit of your bankroll is outmost importance to be in pink of health financially and emotionally.
Let assume you have a bankroll of $500, and you are a $5 tournament player. You have 100 buy ins, and maintaining a good bankroll management to endure the wild swings of the game. Suppose you have a very good winning streak, winning $500. The bankrolls augment to $1000. Being responsible, and careful you start betting $10 tournament. But instead of taking calculated risk, you take shot at big money tournament. You may argue that the money with which you are betting is free. Even if you lose you keep the original bankroll of $500 intact. But decide carefully before taking high stakes.
The risks
If you consider all the pro and cons of playing above normal stakes, then you avoid the pitfalls with ease. As you stake higher money you confront players with high skill. This may not be true always, but high stake players also have inched up in the ladder gradually. They are players with lot of experience and expertise behind them.
Whenever you stake beyond your limit fear of loss grips you. If you are comfortable in staking $50 in a single pot, going for a $500 will make you play more conservatively and defensively losing your natural flair. If a big hand does not come up even after a substantial wait you tend get fizzy and take action. Best possible approach to Poker stakes is slowly moving up your stake according to situation and circumstances.