Building and managing your poker bankroll is one of the most important skills for long-term success in poker. Regardless of your skill level, proper bankroll management allows you to weather losing streaks and stay in the game when others go bust. In this blog, we’ll discuss strategies for building a strong bankroll, managing it wisely, and avoiding common mistakes that lead to ruin.
Start Small and Build Slowly:
The first step in bankroll management is determining the appropriate bankroll size for the games you’re playing. The stakes and format of your game, whether cash games, tournaments, or sit-and-gos, will dictate how large your bankroll should be. One of the most common mistakes new players make is jumping into high-stakes games without an adequate bankroll. To avoid going broke, it’s important to start with small stakes and gradually build your bankroll over time. This strategy minimizes your risk and allows you to gain experience without losing significant amounts of money.
As a general rule, you should never risk more than 1-2% of your total bankroll in a single game. This ensures that you can handle losing sessions and still have enough money to keep playing.
For cash games, a common recommendation is to have 20-30 buy-ins for the stakes you’re playing. For example, if you’re playing $1/$2 NLHE, having a bankroll of at least $4,000 to $6,000 provides a comfortable cushion for handling variance.
For multi-table tournaments (MTTs), it’s recommended to have 100 buy-ins, due to the high variance associated with tournaments. This ensures you can withstand losing streaks without busting.
Separate Your Poker Bankroll from Personal Finances:
A key to long-term success in poker is treating your bankroll as a separate entity from your personal finances. Many players make the mistake of dipping into their personal funds to supplement their bankroll, which can quickly lead to financial problems.
Create a separate account for your poker funds, and avoid mixing it with your everyday money. This not only helps you keep track of your winnings and losses, but also ensures that you don’t gamble with money you can’t afford to lose.
Track Your Wins and Losses:
Tracking your results is essential for bankroll management. By keeping detailed records of your wins, losses, and the types of games you’re playing, you can identify trends in your performance and make better decisions moving forward.
Many poker players use apps or spreadsheets to track their results. This data allows you to see which games are most profitable, where you’re losing money, and whether you’re meeting your goals.
Don’t Chase Losses:
One of the biggest mistakes players make is chasing losses. When you’re down, it can be tempting to increase your stakes in an effort to recover quickly, but this strategy almost always leads to disaster.
Stick to your bankroll management strategy, even during losing streaks. If you’re on tilt, take a break and come back with a clear mind. Chasing losses is a surefire way to destroy your bankroll and put yourself out of the game.
One of the biggest bankroll management mistakes players make is playing at stakes that are too high for their bankroll. While moving up in stakes can be exciting, doing so without sufficient bankroll can lead to financial ruin after a few bad beats. Stick to the bankroll guidelines mentioned earlier, and only move up in stakes when you have enough buy-ins to handle the increased variance.
Additionally, if you experience a significant downswing, don’t hesitate to move down in stakes to protect your bankroll. There’s no shame in playing at lower limits until you rebuild your bankroll.
Adjust Your Stakes as Your Bankroll Grows:
As your bankroll grows, you’ll want to move up in stakes to maximize your earnings. However, it’s important to be cautious and not jump to higher stakes too soon. Gradually increasing your stakes ensures that you’re prepared for the challenges of higher-level play and reduces the risk of losing large amounts.
A common strategy is to only move up to the next stake level once you have at least 20-30 buy-ins for that level. This provides a cushion in case you face a downswing and ensures that you’re not risking your entire bankroll in a single game.
Poker is a game of skill, but variance plays a big role in the short term. You can make the right decisions and still lose multiple sessions in a row due to bad luck. The best way to protect your bankroll from variance is to stick to conservative bankroll management guidelines and avoid taking unnecessary risks.
Another way to minimize the effects of variance is to focus on game selection. Look for softer tables with weaker opponents, as this will increase your expected value (EV) and decrease the impact of variance over time.
Building and managing a poker bankroll takes discipline, patience, and a strategic approach. By starting small, tracking your results, and avoiding common mistakes like chasing losses, you can ensure long-term success in poker. With proper bankroll management, you’ll be able to navigate the highs and lows of the game and emerge as a more successful, profitable player.
