How to manage a bankroll

How to manage a bankroll is something a good portion of players today don’t do well enough to make progressions through the limits. Most players will take a lot of empty shots at higher limits and have their bankroll crippled or be left with nothing. When you decide to move up in limits you should at the absolute minimum have 20 buy-ins for the game you want to play. If you have less than that you should stay at a lower limit that properly fits your bankroll. Even if you do feel comfortable at a limit and feel like you can beat it you want to have the proper bankroll.

For example, at a game such as .50/1 you want to have a bankroll of at least $2,000 so you can deal with a few bad beats. Especially if you are playing ten to twelve tables a sufficient bankroll and a good poker bonus amount can help you make a progression to $1/$2 in the future. The key to using your bankroll effectively is playing in games that you can beat. If you are playing in games that are either above your bankroll or above your skill level you will be throwing money away. You want to find a comfort zone where money doesn’t mean anything to you, and it doesn’t affect how you play. If you decide to play in a 2/4 game or a 3/6 game with a bankroll of only $2,000 it will definitely affect your play and even if you do make money you won’t be all that comfortable with having a lot of money at the table. If you do decide to take a shot and double up you should leave the table immediately after it because players at higher limits are more comfortable gambling and playing pots with you. The longer you sit the more likely you will get torn apart and back to your original buy-in.

Going on tilt in a small limit game can cost you a big bankroll swing if you decide to not manage your bankroll properly. Often times people will sit at 6 tables and lose then move to 8 tables to try and win it back and when tilt really sits in they leave the lower limits and move to higher limits. Something you never want to do is move up in limits when you are tilting. If you do move up when you are tilting you could make your life and bankroll a mess. When you feel comfortable at a limit playing is when you will really thrive and enable yourself to move up. If you are stuck and steaming you should not ever take shots because they will not pan out for the better. Being able to properly assess when to move up and play higher games is when you have made enough money at one limit to go to the next. Basically, if you start playing 100nl with $2,500 you will want to wait until you have over $5,000 to move up to 200nl. If you have proven enough to yourself that you can play the higher limit then it is time to move up and give it a shot. If you start losing right away and feel uncomfortable then move back down a limit.