If you play higher stakes than you can afford, even if you're the best player in a game, you're doomed to lose. One small run of bad luck or bad cards, which will happen, is enough to devastate your bankroll and put you out of commission. This is a mathematical fact.

The other problem is that the pressure of playing for stakes that put your bankroll in jeopardy will affect your game negativity, lessen your strength as a player, and make you vulnerable to being pushed around. If there is noe thing that people sense when playing poker, it is a player vulnerable to bets and raises. If players feel that you're weak, those aggressive moves will start coming at you. The end result is that they'll feed on your weakness, bully you our of pots, and you'll end up in a tailspin.

Adjustment: Play games you can afford to play, both financially and emotionally. Don't put yourself in a situation where one bad loss can hurt your confidence or cripple your bankroll. Too many things can go wrong in that situation - and will go wrong.