Bankroll Management Plan

Flyer35

Flyer35

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
May 11, 2024
Total posts
690
Awards
1
CA
Chips
277
My bankroll management plan is pretty fluid but at the core also very basic. Don't lose a lot of money. If I start losing money I don't deposit anymore till I figure out why I'm losing money in the first place. I have a separate bank account set up which I only use for gambling activities. Yes, I consider poker to be gambling, mostly because my wife tells me it is. If I ever empty that account, I'll quit playing poker for real money, period. I haven't emptied it yet.
 
Mortis

Mortis

Nutty Evil Squirrel
Loyaler
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Total posts
12,473
Awards
7
US
Chips
1,027
1-2% of your bankroll for tourneys is the general rule. I try to stick with that, but I don't always follow it lol. My problem lately is that I've been using poker as a time killer and sometimes when I win a good sized cash, I'll jump into a bigger game that's more than I should be playing.

If I relied on poker as an income, I would be more strict with that rule.

1-2% for MTTs ($100 in your bankroll, playing $1-$2 MTTs)
5% for cash games ($100 in your online bankroll, playing .02/.05 games with a max buy-in of $5)

But if you're relying on poker as an income, I sure hope you have more than $100 in your bankroll!

For live poker 2-5% of your bankroll, so you'll need a much bigger bankroll to affectively keep it running and factor in variance.

But if you are a rec player, treat your bankroll as entertainment money, and only buy-in for as much as you can afford to lose.
 
Lena M

Lena M

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
May 27, 2018
Total posts
2,625
Awards
2
UA
Chips
304
As we continue our long journey of learning the ins and outs of poker strategies, we really need to think about the money we invest.

What is your strategy for managing your bankroll? or do you have a strategy?

Go ahead and share your plan!
Hi :)
Yes, of course I have a strategy. And although my strategy is quite simple, even primitive, it works well and I don't see the need to change it. My strategy is that I never spend more than 3-5% of my bankroll on one game session.
 
hamon08

hamon08

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Nov 21, 2022
Total posts
664
Awards
1
UA
Chips
229
As we continue our long journey of learning the ins and outs of poker strategies, we really need to think about the money we invest.

What is your strategy for managing your bankroll? or do you have a strategy?

Go ahead and share your plan!
It's simple for me, if I have a bankroll of $100, I will play a tournament for $100😂😂😂
Of course, this is a joke. I mostly play NL 10-25 cash poker and to play I have to have at least 40-50 buy-ins, so if I play NL10, my bankroll should be about $500 or more.
 
Gritz18

Gritz18

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Jan 18, 2022
Total posts
5,139
Awards
3
BR
Chips
922
What is your strategy for managing your bankroll? or do you have a strategy?
Everyone knows that I've been a freeroller since I was a child, so it's unlikely that I'll play another tournament that isn't a freeroll.

So my strategy is what I earn from freerolls, I make a withdrawal, and I invest that money in some banking application, when I accumulate a significant amount I buy a nice gift for my beautiful, dear and wonderful wife.🥰😁
 
Sulfuros001

Sulfuros001

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Apr 1, 2021
Total posts
298
Chips
22
Effective bankroll management involves allocating a small percentage of my total bankroll per session or tournament, with strict rules for moving up or down in stakes. I stay disciplined to avoid tilt and ensure longevity in the game.
 
ChubbySin

ChubbySin

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Oct 30, 2021
Total posts
514
Awards
1
Chips
107
As we continue our long journey of learning the ins and outs of poker strategies, we really need to think about the money we invest.

What is your strategy for managing your bankroll? or do you have a strategy?

Go ahead and share your plan!
I don't have a proper strategy, however, I monthly invest an amount alongside freeroll income, so I always keep positive values in my bankroll.
 
Colbefc

Colbefc

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Nov 22, 2009
Total posts
2,759
Awards
2
Chips
713
I play a lot of sit'n'go tourneys and when I have 40 buy ins I move up buy ins and when I
go below 40 for that level I move down. It's simple but it is very rarely that I have to deposit.
 
IRINA70

IRINA70

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Jul 24, 2022
Total posts
706
Awards
2
BY
Chips
252
I try to stick to the rule of using 1-2% of my bankroll in a gaming session. But sometimes I loose a lot of money because I prefer to enter tournaments through satellites and there are a lot of them over the weekend.
 
userX

userX

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Aug 2, 2023
Total posts
472
Awards
1
UA
Chips
295
I try not to spend more than 1-2% of my bankroll, but I almost never manage to stick to this limit. I usually spend 5-10%, which is honestly too much. But I'm working on it and I hope that over time I will play within my limits.
 
bablovod

bablovod

stupid parody of the game
Platinum Level
Joined
May 31, 2017
Total posts
3,765
Awards
14
RU
Chips
630
I don't know how to manage my bankroll (correctly). With the blocking of sites, understanding disappeared. :(
 
Debi

Debi

Forum Admin
Administrator
Joined
Oct 13, 2006
Total posts
75,135
Awards
20
Chips
1,524
I have always kept my poker fund separate from any other money. I have to replenish it once in a while - but not in a while. I still have a pretty healthy live poker fund. :)
 
Pabloro10321

Pabloro10321

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Jan 28, 2022
Total posts
321
Awards
2
AR
Chips
191
I don't have a fixed bankroll, but I try to make it representative of profits, if I have to put in much more than I can earn, I must leave it.
 
Falai_san

Falai_san

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Dec 25, 2021
Total posts
446
Awards
2
MA
Chips
118
It is essential for poker players to have a capital management strategy.
I prefer to play daily with 15 percent of the capital.
 
Marshmalo1994

Marshmalo1994

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Sep 17, 2022
Total posts
1,802
Awards
1
AR
Chips
788
What is your strategy for managing your bankroll? or do you have a strategy?
I play online, and I use the 1% rule.
I increase a Buy in level when I have at least 120 BIs of the new one. And I decrease if I'm below 100 BIs of the current one.
If I have winnings, I apart 80% for future withdrawals, and 20% to increase the bankroll.

I've never played live yet, so I'm not sure what strategy I'd follow. Obviously I wouldn't take a big risk.
 
R

rufininha14

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Jan 4, 2024
Total posts
228
BR
Chips
162
I like doing a management where I will play a tournament of 1 dollar for a bankroll of 100, 2 dollars for a bankroll of 200 and so on, it is a good way to not go bankrupt in a period of negative variance
 
Berandir

Berandir

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Dec 2, 2016
Total posts
649
Awards
4
BR
Chips
496
Good evening! A very important topic about bankroll management. My strategy is to play tournaments of around 100 times less than my bankroll, that is: With a bankroll of $100, I play buy-in games up to $1. When I reach $200, I can start playing tournaments of $2.
 
s0ftdumps

s0ftdumps

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Apr 13, 2020
Total posts
277
CA
Chips
165
1-2% of your bankroll for tourneys is the general rule. I try to stick with that, but I don't always follow it lol. My problem lately is that I've been using poker as a time killer and sometimes when I win a good sized cash, I'll jump into a bigger game that's more than I should be playing.

If I relied on poker as an income, I would be more strict with that rule.

1-2% for MTTs ($100 in your bankroll, playing $1-$2 MTTs)
5% for cash games ($100 in your online bankroll, playing .02/.05 games with a max buy-in of $5)

But if you're relying on poker as an income, I sure hope you have more than $100 in your bankroll!

For live poker 2-5% of your bankroll, so you'll need a much bigger bankroll to affectively keep it running and factor in variance.

But if you are a rec player, treat your bankroll as entertainment money, and only buy-in for as much as you can afford to lose.
It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and take risks, but sticking to those percentages can definitely help manage variance and keep you in the game longer.

I completely agree with your point about treating your bankroll as entertainment money if you're a recreational player. It's all about playing within your means and enjoying the game without the stress of potential financial loss.
 
F

fundiver199

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Total posts
14,271
Awards
2
Chips
541
I limit myself to buying in for no more than 1% of my bankroll in MTTs and 2% in SnGs. Occationally I might bend these rules a little or play a satellite, but thats the main idea. I also play a span of buyins, so if my highest buyin in MTTs is $11, then I will also play cheaper MTTs, so that my average buyin is lower than $11. Even in SnGs I play a span of buyins, because games dont run that often these days and especially not the higher buyins. So even if I have $1.500 sitting on pokerstars, I might still play $5 SnGs to avoid waiting for more expensive games to fill.

In reality I am more conservative, than these numbers suggest, because I am currently playing on two sites, and I kind of manage the balance on both of them as a separate bankroll. This is because, its not easy to get money out from one of the sites, and therefore I also dont want to have to put more into that site, if I hit a big downswing. If its easy and fast to move money around, then I recommend to only have one bankroll, even its sitting on multible sites. Like if you have $600, $300 and $400 on 3 different sites, then its fine to consider this a $1.300 bankroll and then move money around if needed.
 
M

Margo17

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 21, 2023
Total posts
105
BR
Chips
182
100 times the buy-in of the tournaments I play, on Sundays if I'm comfortable and the bank has more than 100 buy-in I play some tournaments with a higher value and that's avoid
 
Sschafell

Sschafell

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Jun 9, 2016
Total posts
520
Awards
4
BR
Chips
167
I confess that I don't have a plan for bankroll management, but I need one urgently!
 
M

mssmotilda

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Oct 1, 2020
Total posts
569
Awards
1
Chips
232
I think that bankroll management depends heavily on the player's skill, so it is individual for everyone.

I think that bankroll management depends heavily on the player's skill, so it is individual for everyone.
 
istbno

istbno

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Jan 14, 2015
Total posts
274
Awards
2
UA
Chips
315
A solid bankroll management plan is essential for any online poker player. Firstly, allocate only disposable income for your poker bankroll, ensuring it's separate from essential funds. Generally, a safe rule is to have at least 20-30 buy-ins for cash games and 50-100 buy-ins for tournaments, adjusting for personal risk tolerance. Set clear limits on daily, weekly, and monthly losses to prevent chasing losses. Regularly assess and adjust your bankroll strategy based on performance and experience. Stay disciplined, avoiding impulsive decisions, and always keep track of your results to refine your approach.
 
Bankroll Building - Bankroll Management
Top