Recommended Bankroll Sizes...

[chicubs1616]

These are not official numbers by any means, but these are generally regarded as the proper bankroll proportions...

You can definately play above or below these bankroll sizes, but you will find that your bankroll will be much more stable if you follow these general guidelines...

Recommended bankroll size:

Limit games 200-300 big bets (.25/.50 level you want $100-$150)

NL games 20 maximum buy ins (.05/.10 table max buy-in= $10, you would want $200)

Sit-n-gos you want 30 buy-ins ($5+$.50 you want ~$165)

Multi-table tournaments: you don't want to spend more than 5% of your bankroll on one tournament (Don't enter a $10 tournament if you have $18 and expect to keep a bankroll)
Using this strategy will help to ensure that your bankroll lasts a long time and you are able to build on top of it.

 

[Sea Wasp]

Great post.


The actual number of buy in's or big bets also depepnds on how often you excpect to tilt. We all do it and it is a matter of time before we all have a bad session. Especially if you are a NL player, having a horrible run of luck, compunded by tilting could cost you 5-10 buy in's in a session eaisly.

I find myself needing 30 buy in's for my NL cash games before moving up a limit and i feel more comfortable having the extra cushion. Just my opinion on the matter, but naturally it all depepnds on the person and what kind of control you have over your emotions.

 

[HoldemChamp]

I tend to be a bit more conservative than most people. At one time I considered 100x the Big Bet a reasonable by in for a session at a Limit Table. Now that I am a little more comfotable with my game I am lowering that. But, 30x the Big Bet is a bit low for me still. I somtimes will hit a rough patch and lose that much in one session. Although, I haven't done so lately. Still, I would rather be on the safe side. I stick with at least 60x the Big Bet which would be 600x the Big Bet for a bankroll. Perhaps that is too much for some players. But, it works for me.

 

[Leroydubz]

I only play tourneys and was using a 100 buyin bankroll systems. I've been stuck in micros for quite some time now. Should I switch to 30 buyins and move up in stakes? The winnings in micros just arnt enough

 

[player4533456]

I'd say that if you can't beat the micros , moving up won't fix the problem. You need to work on your game and build an adequate bankroll at lower stakes before moving up. That would be my advice anyway.
Nice bump of a 20 year old thread btw...

 

[pep12343]

Very good article, well explained in theory. Difficult to put into practice. I think that although it is not recommended, playing moderately you can give yourself the pleasure of trying to increase the buy in from time to time in multi-table tournaments, always taking care of your bankroll.