Bankroll Management
Bankroll management means keeping money set aside only for poker and choosing stakes small enough that normal swings cannot wipe you out.
Bankroll management is the practice of keeping a dedicated pool of money, your bankroll, that is used only for poker, and choosing stakes that are small relative to it. Its purpose is to survive the natural ups and downs of the game. Even a skilled player can lose many sessions in a row because of variance, and good bankroll management makes sure a bad run does not end your poker entirely.
The most important rule comes first: a bankroll should only ever be money you can genuinely afford to lose, separate from rent, bills and savings. Poker should be played within your means.
Common rules of thumb
There is no single correct number, but players often measure their bankroll in buy-ins for the game they play. Frequently quoted guidelines include:
| Game type | Often-quoted guideline |
|---|---|
| Cash games | Roughly 20 to 50 buy-ins for your stake |
| Multi-table tournaments | Often 100 or more buy-ins, because results swing much more |
| Single-table tournaments | Somewhere between the two |
These are conventions, not laws. More conservative numbers suit players who cannot easily top up their bankroll; looser numbers are sometimes used by players who can. Your own win rate, game type and tolerance for swings all matter.
Worked example
Say your poker bankroll is 1,000. You want to follow a 25 buy-in rule for cash games. 1,000 ÷ 25 = 40, so the largest buy-in you would use is 40. In a game where a full buy-in is 100 big blinds, that means blinds of 0.20/0.40 or smaller.
Now suppose you lose 6 buy-ins in a bad week. Your bankroll is 1,000 − 240 = 760, which is only 19 buy-ins of 40. A disciplined player would move down to a smaller stake until the bankroll recovers, instead of moving up to "win it back".
Moving up and down
- Set clear thresholds. Decide in advance the bankroll level at which you move up or down.
- Take shots carefully. Some players try a higher stake with a small, pre-set portion of their bankroll and move back down if it is lost.
- Track your results. Win rate measures such as big blinds per 100 hands help you judge whether a stake suits you.
Common mistakes
- Playing with money meant for everyday life.
- Moving up in stakes after a short winning streak.
- Chasing losses by moving up, a classic sign of tilt.
- Mixing poker money with other spending, so you never know your real results.
Frequently asked questions
How big should my poker bankroll be?
Common rules of thumb suggest around 20 to 50 buy-ins for cash games and 100 or more for tournaments. Most importantly, it should only be money you can afford to lose.
When should I move down in stakes?
Many players set a threshold in advance, such as dropping a level when their bankroll falls below a certain number of buy-ins for their current stake.
Why do good players need bankroll management?
Because variance means even strong players have long losing stretches. Enough buy-ins let you keep playing your best through those swings.
Related poker terms
- Variance — Variance is the short-term swing between your actual poker results and your expected results, caused by the luck of the cards.
- Tilt — Tilt is a state of frustration or emotion that makes a poker player abandon good decisions, usually after bad beats or a losing run.
- BB/100 (Big Blinds per 100 Hands) — BB/100 is a poker win rate: the number of big blinds a player wins or loses on average per 100 hands, letting results compare across stake levels.
- Rebuy — A rebuy lets a tournament player buy more chips during a set early period, usually after busting or dropping low. In cash games it means adding chips.
- Rake — Rake is the fee a cardroom takes for running a poker game, usually a small percentage of each cash-game pot or a fee added to a tournament buy-in.