Poker Bankroll Management

What is poker bankroll management?

Your poker bankroll is the money you've set aside specifically for playing poker.

Bankroll management helps you decide how much you can afford to play with and which games and stakes are appropriate for your bankroll.

 

How should I manage my bankroll?

• Keep your poker bankroll separate from money you need for other expenses.
• Only use money you can afford to lose.
• Choose stakes that match the size of your bankroll.
• Adjust your stakes if your bankroll decreases.

The bankroll you need depends on whether you play poker occasionally, regularly, or professionally.

Occasional players

A smaller, flexible bankroll may be enough if you play mainly for fun.

 

Regular players

A larger bankroll provides more protection against normal fluctuations.

 

Professional players

Careful bankroll management is especially important because poker may be a source of income.

 

How should I set my stakes?

Even strong poker players can lose individual hands or experience extended periods of losses. For example, pocket aces can lose to pocket kings, even though aces are the stronger starting hand.

 

How do I reduce the risk of losing my entire bankroll?

• Avoid risking your entire bankroll in a single game or tournament.
• Keep enough buy-ins available to handle losing sessions.
• Move to lower stakes if your bankroll decreases.
• Move back up when your bankroll is large enough to support the higher stakes.
• Avoid playing above the limits your bankroll can support.

 

What stakes should I play?

The following table provides guidance for players who take poker seriously but don't rely on poker as their sole source of income.

Bankroll	Multi-Table Tournaments	Sit & Go	Cash	Spin & Go
$10	N/A	N/A	N/A	$0.25
$20	N/A	$0.50	N/A	$0.25 or $0.50
$50	$0.55 tournaments (e.g., Big $0.55, Hot $0.55, Bounty Builder $0.55)	$1	$0.01/$0.02	$1
$125	$1.10 tournaments (e.g., Big $1.10, Hot $1.10, Bounty Builder $1.10)	$1.50 – $2.50	$0.02/$0.05	$2
$250	$2.20 tournaments (e.g., Big $2.20, Hot $2.20, Bounty Builder $2.20)	$3.50 – $4.50	$0.05/$0.10	$5
$625	$5.50 tournaments (e.g., Mini Daily Marathon, Big $5.50, Hot $5.50, Bounty Builder $5.50)	$7 – $15	$0.10/$0.25	$10
$1,250	$11 tournaments (e.g., Sunday Storm, Hotter $11, Big $11, Bounty Builder $11)	$30	$0.25/$0.50	$25
$2,500	$22 tournaments (e.g., Double Deuce, Mini Sunday Million, Big $22)	$60	$0.50/$1	$50

 

Bankroll guidelines for tournaments

Tournament results can vary significantly, so tournament players generally need more buy-ins than cash game players.

• Aim for around 100 tournament buy-ins.
• Consider satellites when you want to play higher-stakes tournaments.
• Satellite wins can let you enter higher-stakes tournaments without paying the full buy-in.
• Larger-field Sit & Go tournaments, such as 45- or 90-player events, can have swings similar to multi-table tournaments and may require additional bankroll protection.

 

Bankroll guidelines for Spin & Go and Sit & Go tournaments

• Aim for at least 50 buy-ins.
• Consider a larger bankroll for Sit & Go tournaments with bigger fields.

 

Bankroll guidelines for cash games

A common guideline is to have at least 25 buy-ins for cash games.

For example, a $2 bankroll corresponds to one buy-in at $0.01/$0.02.

• Aim for at least 25 buy-ins.
• Around 40 buy-ins can provide more protection against normal fluctuations.
• A $25 bankroll is generally not enough to comfortably support even the smallest real-money cash games.

 

What should I do if I'm on a downswing?

Moving down in stakes is a normal part of bankroll management and can help protect your bankroll.

• Lower your stakes.
• Rebuild your bankroll.
• Move back up when your bankroll can support the higher stakes again.
• Avoid increasing your stakes to recover losses.

 

When should I think about moving down?

Consider moving down if:

• Your bankroll decreases, or:
• You're no longer comfortable at your current stakes.

 

Are these bankroll guidelines mandatory?

No. Bankroll management is personal, and different players may use different guidelines.

• These figures are general guidance, not guarantees.
• Adjust your bankroll requirements based on your circumstances and playing style.
• A larger bankroll does not guarantee that you won't lose money.

For example, a player with a $1,000 bankroll could still lose it by playing $1 Spin & Go tournaments without appropriate bankroll management.

 

How should new players start?

If you're new to poker, having a large bankroll doesn't mean you should immediately play higher stakes.

• Start at Play Money tables to learn the basics.
• When you're comfortable with the game, move to the smallest real-money stakes.
• Increase your stakes only when your bankroll can support them.