Bankroll management
The bankroll management ideas here should help players both maintain and build a poker bankroll in a consistent way. With an often quoted adage in mind ‘you should not play poker with scared money,’ the following bankroll management table, if used as a tool, will allow you to play more profitably with safeguarded freedom.
|
Tournaments |
Cash Tables | ||||||
| SnG | MTT | Pot/No Limit | Fixed Limit | Risk | |||
| Bankroll | Buy-in | Buy-in | Take on | Big blind | Take on | Big blind | Attitude |
| $50 | $3 | $1 | $1.60 | $0.02 | $2.00 | $0.05 | Brave |
| $100 | $5 | $2 | $4.00 | $0.05 | $4.00 | $0.10 | Brave |
| $2 | $1 | $1.60 | $0.02 | $0.80 | $0.02 | Reasonable | |
| $200 | $10 | $4 | $8.00 | $0.10 | $10 | $0.25 | Brave |
| $5 | $2 | $4.00 | $0.05 | $2 | $0.10 | Reasonable | |
| $3 | $1 | $1.60 | $0.02 | $2 | $0.05 | Cautious | |
| $500 | $25 | $10 | $20.00 | $0.25 | $20 | $0.50 | Brave |
| $10 | $4 | $4.00 | $0.05 | $4 | $0.10 | Reasonable | |
| $3 | $1 | $1.60 | $0.02 | $2 | $0.05 | Cautious | |
| $1000 | $50 | $20 | $40 | $0.50 | $40 | $1.00 | Brave |
| $15 | $8 | $8 | $0.10 | $10 | $0.25 | Reasonable | |
| $5 | $3 | $4 | $0.05 | $4 | $0.10 | Cautious | |
| $2,500 | $125 | $50 | $160 | $2.00 | $120 | $3.00 | Brave |
| $40 | $20 | $20 | $0.25 | $20 | $0.50 | Reasonable | |
| $15 | $5 | $8 | $0.10 | $10 | $0.25 | Cautious | |
| $5,000 | $250 | $100 | $300 | $4.00 | $200 | $5.00 | Brave |
| $75 | $40 | $40 | $0.50 | $40 | $1.00 | Reasonable | |
| $25 | $10 | $20 | $0.25 | $20 | $0.50 | Cautious | |
| $10,000 | $500 | $200 | $500 | $6.00 | $400 | $10 | Brave |
| $150 | $75 | $80 | $1.00 | $80 | $2 | Reasonable | |
| $50 | $25 | $40 | $0.50 | $40 | $1 | Cautious | |
| $25,000 | $1,250 | $500 | $1,600 | $20 | $1,200 | $30 | Brave |
| $375 | $200 | $300 | $4 | $200 | $5 | Reasonable | |
| $125 | $60 | $80 | $1 | $80 | $2 | Cautious | |
| $50,000 | $2,500 | $1,000 | $2,400 | $30 | $2,000 | $50 | Brave |
| $750 | $400 | $500 | $6 | $400 | $10 | Reasonable | |
| $250 | $125 | $160 | $2 | $200 | $5 | Cautious | |
| $100,000 | $5,000 | $2,000 | $4,000 | $50 | $4,000 | $100 | Brave |
| $1,500 | $750 | $800 | $10 | $1,200 | $30 | Reasonable | |
| $500 | $250 | $320 | $4 | $400 | $10 | Cautious | |
| $200,000 | $10,000 | $4,000 | $8,000 | $100 | $8,000 | $200 | Brave |
| $3,000 | $1,500 | $1,600 | $20 | $2,000 | $50 | Reasonable | |
| $1,000 | $500 | $800 | $10 | $800 | $20 | Cautious | |
Bankroll management
It is your poker skills that have built your current bankroll. To maintain and increase your poker bankroll in a consistent way, you should know the level you can comfortably play at. The above table is not definitive and will be open to your personal interpretation, your attitude to risk and funding.
The amount you buy-in to tournaments for and take on to a cash table, should be considered in proportion to your poker bankroll and attitude to risk.
If you have a $50 poker bankroll and want to play a $3.30 multi table tourney, the table suggests it is beyond your bankroll. However, you may take the view that you set aside say $50 per month from your income as your poker money and being a renewable source, you are confident to play above what is considered a brave level.
If your poker bankroll is not readily replenished, playing near to the reasonable level should suit most.
If your attitude to risk means you play poker at the cautious level, that is okay. It is better to play with freedom at a lower risk level, than nervously at a higher level. However if you frequently play below your cautious level, it may be more beneficial to cash out your excess funds and invest in a fine bottle of wine.
You will have to decide what counts as a Sit and Go or Multi Table Tournament. I suggest a field of more than 45 players counts as a MTT.
I have been asked; “how does this all change when multi tabling?”
Being slightly evasive… I don’t recommend multi table play.
If pressed, I’d say if you do multi table, then tend toward the lower end of your comfort zone for each buy-in amount. If you enjoy playing several poker tables at once, it really comes down to how much of your poker bankroll you are willing to put at risk at any one time.