Bankroll management? Ewww! That sounds like you’re a hedge fund manager or accountant. Many of us might cringe when we hear the word, but let me tell you, bankroll management is probably one of the most (if not THE most) important concept in all of poker.
…And you thought that math was over once you left the poker table…. pshh!
Don’t worry though! Bankroll management does require math, but it is super simple, easy to follow, and takes very little of your time to figure out.
Why is Bankroll Management Important?
It doesn’t matter how good you are or think you are, if you don’t follow bankroll management you will be in the poor house sooner than later. If you are ever in the gambling, finance, or any other industry that involves capital growth you will understand what variance is. Variance is the two sided coin that either brings us quick fortune or quickly lights our money on fire. It hides the truth of whether a player is a winning or losing player in the long run by showing extreme swings one way or the other in the short run. So why do we have to pay attention to variance if we have no control over it?
We need to have enough money reserved in case the ugly side of variance comes around (and let me tell you, it DOES come around and it has no mercy). Even if you are Phil Ivey playing with all of his money on the table, he is bound to lose it all no matter how good his hand is because we play poker and luck happens. Check out EV++ and their variance calculator to see how badly your life could suck or how awesome your life could be due to variance. Bankroll management essentially eliminates the worry of going broke so if we go on a big downswing, we still have enough money to grind it out and win in the long run.
What Should My Bankroll Size Be to Play My Limit?
The answer is the typical poker answer: it depends. It depends on a few factors such your skill level, how aggressively you are trying to rise in limits, how much money you can add to your bankroll if you manage to lose it, how badly you need poker money to pay for life expenses, etc. If you are playing for extra money for the month and you make $5,000 a month in your day job, then you don’t have to be so conservative. If you are a professional poker player where your life depends on your winnings, then you need to be ultra-conservative with your bankroll management.
Ask yourself a few questions first:
- What is my goal for poker?
If your goal is to move up in stakes fast, then you should be less conservative. If your goal is to play a limit regularly and grind out a consistent profit, you should be conservative with your bankroll. - How badly do I need the money I play for?
If you take your monthly profits and spend it all on your girlfriend’s sushi bill, then don’t worry about being too conservative with your bankroll management. If you use the money to pay for life expenses, then be pretty damn conservative with your bankroll! - How easily could my poker bankroll be replaced with other income I get?
You might rely on your bankroll for paying expenses, but if you make quite a bit with your job and can easily replace a couple lost buyins, then being conservative with your bankroll really isn’t as big of an issue. If you have no job and need poker money to pay for tuition, then be a giant nit with your bankroll management… you will thank me later
Now, let’s get into some numbers (nothing too hard I promise). Below is a chart for what I recommend you playing for Full Ring No Limit Hold-em cash games given the amount of money you have in your bankroll. BI stands for a buyin which is typically 100 big blinds.
| Aggressive BRM | Standard BRM | Conservative BRM | Professional BRM | |
| $2NL | 10bi | 20bi | 25bi | 30bi |
| $5NL | 10bi | 20bi | 25bi | 30bi |
| $10NL | 20bi | 25bi | 30bi | 40bi |
| $25NL | 20bi | 25bi | 30bi | 50bi |
| $50NL | 20bi | 25bi | 30bi | 50bi |
| $100NL | 20bi | 25bi | 30bi | 50bi |
| $200NL | 25bi | 30bi | 35bi | 50bi |
For those of you who are math illiterate….
| Aggressive BRM | Standard BRM | Conservative BRM | Professional BRM | |
| $2NL | $20.00 | $40.00 | $50.00 | $60.00 |
| $5NL | $50.00 | $100.00 | $125.00 | $150.00 |
| $10NL | $200.00 | $250.00 | $300.00 | $400.00 |
| $25NL | $500.00 | $625.00 | $750.00 | $1,250.00 |
| $50NL | $1,000.00 | $1,250.00 | $1,500.00 | $2,500.00 |
| $100NL | $2,000.00 | $2,500.00 | $3,000.00 | $5,000.00 |
| $200NL | $5,000.00 | $6,000.00 | $7,000.00 | $10,000.00 |
As you can see with different bankroll sizes, you can play different limits depending on what your life situation is.
Other Bankroll Management Factors
Remember that the above chart is for lower variance Full Ring internet games (though it could apply towards online, just plug in the numbers). You generally want around 25 buyins are so, but if you are going to play short handed, have things you need to pay for at the end of the month, or want to experience less stress, just increase the number of buyins you need to play with by 5 buyins or so. Also, remember that if you are the ultra-micro stakes such as $2NL, you don’t have to pay as close attention to bankroll management since players there are so atrocious and if you happen to lose it all, then it is just another $20 or so and you are good to go again.
Another thing you should consider is taking a shot at the next highest limit. What I do is wait until I have 20 buyins for that limit and if I lose over 2 buyins for that limit, I instantly move down in limits to rebuild up my bankroll. It is a reasonable strategy for moving up fairly fast without being too risk averse.
If you guys have any questions feel free to ask. How many buyins do you guys currently play with? Answer below in the comments section!
Hi, and thank you for coming to my site! My name is Patrick but many know me online as Nitreg. I am an instructor over at 
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Nitreg,
I am a Grinderschool member and I heard one of the coaches (probably you) cover this topic there and it was the same great advice. I am following just what you have here. So far, so good. Thanks for the great videos and posts!
Hey Pokerninja! Thanks so much for following my blog! I’m really glad you like it so far! If you haven’t already, go ahead and sign up for email updates up at the top right of the page. In the future I’m going to put really awesome email list only content in there, but for now, it is a good way to get strategy posts sent directly to your email as they come out. Anyway… catch ya around here or GS!