If you want to increase your edge at the tables even further, make sure to check the Pokercoaching training site.
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Bankroll management is vitally important if you want to succeed at poker, and although it is not the most “fun” part of the game, it is absolutely necessary.
There are three main components to winning in poker, namely:
- You need to find games you can beat consistently
- Play in those games as much as possible
- You need to maintain a proper bankroll
Going to the third point, you can’t treat your bankroll as an ATM, taking money out every time you win. Withdrawing cash from your running bankroll slows your progression and increases the risk of going bust.
Of course, no amount of bankroll management will help you if you’re playing in games where you don’t have an edge. If you’re a losing player, eventually, you will deplete your funds, so finding good games is essential.
In this article, I’ll discuss some bankroll guidelines and tips for the two most popular game formats – Texas Hold’em cash games and tournaments. If you play PLO or a game like Spin & Goes, you’ll need different guidelines.
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Managing Bankroll for Cash Games
When it comes to cash games, your bankroll management strategy is determined primarily by your win rate. If your win rate is really high, you can afford to maintain a smaller bankroll, and vice versa.
| Win Rate | Number of Big Blinds |
| 3 big blinds / 100 hands | 10,000 BBs |
| 5 big blinds / 100 hands | 8,000 BBs |
| 7 big blinds / 100 hands | 6,000 BBs |
| 10 big blinds / 100 hands | 4,000 BBs |
| 13 big blinds / 100 hands | 3,500 BBs |
| 16 big blinds / 100 hands | 3,000 BBs |
| 20 big blinds / 100 hands | 2,500 BBs |
| 25 big blinds / 100 hands | 2,000 BBs |
A majority of solid players fall into the middle bracket, where they win around 12 – 13 big blinds per 100 hands, at least at live low stakes like NL200. So, you need a bankroll of around $7,000.
This may seem like a lot of money, but it’s really not, as you need to have a solid safety net for inevitable bad stretches. If you play online, games are usually much tougher, which means your win rate will drop, resulting in higher bankroll requirements.
Often, $1/$2 is the lowest game you can find in a live setting. If you only have a few hundred to work with, instead of taking a shot at that game, I’d suggest using that money to play online poker at lower stakes and build it up to where you have a proper bankroll of a few thousand to tackle that live game.
Managing Poker Tournament Bankroll
In tournaments, there is much more variance involved. This is why we construct the bankroll management for tournament poker differently, primarily based on the field size.
| Number of Players | Required Buy-Ins |
| 45 | 69 BIs |
| 90 | 103 BIs |
| 245 | 154 BIs |
| 550 | 219 BIs |
| 1,200 | 289 BIs |
| 2,600 | 375 BIs |
These numbers presume you have a 30% ROI, which is what most decent players in softer tournaments will have. Your ROI can, of course, be higher in very soft fields, and it can be lower if you play higher buy-in events with tough competition.
The larger the field size, the more buy-ins you will need in your bankroll, as you will not get to win as often when playing big-field events.
Determining Your ROI
Knowing your results and profitability is essential to your poker plans, including your bankroll management. I’ve mentioned the Return on Investment (ROI) as an important number when talking about tournaments, as this is the number that tells you how profitable you are.
The ROI is calculated using a simple formula of Total Profit / Total Buy-Ins.
Let’s look at an example:
- You play 100 tournaments with an average buy-in of $115
- The total amount spent on buy-ins is $11,500
- You cash for $15,000 in total over those 100 events
- Your profit is $3,500 (15,000 – $11,500)
- Your ROI is 3,500/11,500 = 30%
Bankroll Management Tips
I’ll wrap this article up with a few more bankroll tips that may or may not apply to you. The first one has to do with the size of the bankroll and the fact that you can, in fact, have a smaller bankroll than the suggested guidelines if you meet one or more of these criteria:
- You can consistently add money to your bankroll – i.e., adding money you make from your job or other activities. So, if you have $2,000 to start with but know that you can add $500 every month, your actual bankroll is $8,000.
- You are willing to move down in stakes if things go south.
- You play only in very soft games where you can expect a high win rate.
Finding soft games can be a great way to build your bankroll quickly and it allows you to take some shots as you won’t have to deal with so much variance. The best way to do this is by:
- Looking for a party-like atmosphere at cash game tables (people drinking, cheering, and having fun).
- Play on Fridays and weekends, as this is when many recreational players come to the casino.
- Join games where prestige is on the line (big trophies, live streams, etc.).
- Play in events that have a lot of satellite qualifiers who are used to playing much lower.
Finally, discipline is the key. You don’t have to play a game just because it is there or because everybody else is playing it.
If a game is outside your bankroll or it is extremely tough, it’s perfectly fine (and even advisable) to skip it and take a day off or look for a different game where you’ll feel more comfortable and have better winning chances!
