Your poker bankroll is your life. Well, your gambling life, that is. It’s easy to understand. no money, no play. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got the fattest wad of cash this side of the Pecos or are nursing a limited amount along, but play unwisely, and you’ll reach the point of diminishing returns. Start with a mountain, end up with less than a molehill. Just think of the money you’ll have lost then! And for what? You don’t have anything to show for it!
The Poker Bankroll
Managing your poker bankroll is a necessary part of being a good poker player. Roughly speaking, it doesn’t matter how much you win in your dealings, but rather how much you’re able to retain. At the end of the day, it’s the cash in the kitty you’ll need to fund further forays into the world of poker.
There are so many variables to consider that it’s tough to give specific examples on how to conserve your bankroll. Your bankroll management technique will vary according to the type of poker you favor, the site you’re playing in, the limit you usually put up, the style of play you employ (which may vary quite a bit from the style of play one thinks they use), and let’s not forget the graces of Lady Luck, who has her hands in every poker pot from Kalamazoo to Timbuktu.
Factors to Consider
However, it is possible to apply several rules of thumb to one’s bankroll management. One of these is that it is useful for you to have a bankroll 300 times the largest bet. So if you play with a limit of $1-$2, then your bankroll should be around $600.
The type of poker also influences the size of the bankroll. Poker varieties with more betting rounds mean that the player needs more money for it than a poker variety with fewer betting rounds.
No Limit Hold Em poker is a good example of this. The type of poker it is means that the ‘bankroll equals 300x largest limit size’ rule of thumb doesn’t apply. It’s easy for even the most conservative player to lose upwards of $1,500 a session.
The reason a poker player plays should also be taken into consideration. If that person plays poker recreationally and has another source of income, then they have more wiggle room than the person who intends to live off their winnings. For the latter, their bankroll represents their net value, so they should be more careful working with it.
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