The simple answer is NO. Don't ever go high on your first purchase. Even if the card is valid with high balance it can be blocked if the owner has never done such high purchase before.
First rule, always start with a small purchase below $100 and base on common sense. unless you know the balance on the card.
Second rule, make sure your set-up are solid. little things like IP, location, socks, fingerprint and cookies can make a difference. Your transaction can be decline even if your card is valid just because your set-up is shit.
I've done some high purchases of $900-$1,800 many times in the past but its way more difficult to do that now. its sophisticated, unless you know what you are doing. Sometimes website with low security can also make a difference.