The biggest fear to a poker player, professional or beginner is going broke. Time and again, the last nail in the coffin to a poker player is when their last chip is gone and their bank account is dry. Proper poker bankroll management is the key to avoiding the dreaded walk of shame and the single largest non-strategic/playing lesson you can learn in the world of poker.

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What Is A Bankroll And Why Is It Important?

 

Your poker bankroll is really a simple topic. It represents all the money you have available to put towards playing poker. To put it even more precisely, it is how much money you have available to lose at playing poker. There are a couple of different ways you can look at the concept of bankroll and it is important to understand what kind you have or are capable of having.

If you have a job, or a continuous source of income then your bankroll is dynamic and you have more flexibility in how it is managed. At any given time, you can replenish your bankroll with cash from your job. If you do not however have another source of cash then your poker bankroll is static and needs to be managed more carefully. With a static bankroll you may have a job or another source of income, but you cannot afford to continually put money into your poker bankroll.

By playing poker at limits that are within your bankroll you maximize your chances of becoming a profitable player and minimize your chances of going broke. The chances you have of going broke are often referred to as your risk of ruin. Remember, playing poker with money that you cannot afford to lose is the absolute best way to assure you will always be broke!

 

So What Is A Proper Bankroll?

 

There are some steadfast basics to proper poker bankroll management. In limit Texas Holdem the bare minimum is 300 times the large bet of the game. For example, if you wanted to play $3/$6 Hold’em you would want at least $1,800 available specifically for poker. On a quick side note, if you are wondering how much you should bring to the table for any given session, a general rule is 25 times the big bet. In our above example, you would want at least $150 for a single session of $3/$6 Hold’em.

Remember though, the important part is your bankroll. You need to be able to dip into your bankroll to be able to overcome the inevitable swings that come with the game of poker. Downswings happen to even the best players in the world. If you are not a big fan of ring games please read our article on tournament bankroll management or sitngo bankroll mangement.

 

Poker Bankroll Management Tips

 

It is important to remember that what we have listed above is to be used as a general guideline; nothing is set in stone in the world of poker. If you regularly play in crazy, loose games, you will need more money. As you move up in limits it is never a bad idea to increase your bankroll. High limit games can get very volatile. Here are a few more tips to help you manage your bankroll:

Nothing drains a bankroll like a frustrated player. If you find yourself on tilt or in a bad state of mind, take a break and get away from the game, your bankroll will thank you - When not to play poker.

• Start out small and beat the micro limit games, with time your bankroll will grow and you can move up in limits

• Absolutely do not play at limits above your bankroll. You will lose, guaranteed.

• Use your poker bankroll for one thing and one thing only: Poker

If you can follow these simple rules and learn the discipline necessary to properly manage your bankroll, you will be well on your way to becoming a successful limit Hold’em player.

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