If you're a poker player you'll know right now that your particular bankroll will be your poker bible. If you have zero bankroll you simply can't play poker! This article will present you with some valuable information about how to control your bankroll and ways to never go under!
Importance Of A Bankroll:
Even in case you are the very best poker player in the world, you need to have good bankroll management! Going bust is not the poker gods punishing you, its variance and variance is FACT. If you need to start earning a decent amount playing poker, then keep to the advice on this thread. This is the first step to being a WSOP bracelet winner.
The Chris Ferguson Method:
I read articles a little while back published by Chris about his transformation of $1 into $20,000. He used the subsequent strategy to be sure he could handle his variance swings. He played cash games making it certain he always had 20 buyins. These were not full buyins they were half buyins. If you desired to play $0.01/$0.02 cash games, the max buyin is $2 and therefore you would buyin for $1. This would signify you'd probably have to have $20 to be properly bankrolled for $0.01/$0.02. Likewise, if you have 100 then you definately you might be bankrolled for $0.05/$0.10. If you ever go BELOW 20 buyins you will need to lower down to a level where you're properly bankrolled.
This method may be surefire. It's a good method so long as you adhere to it. You must be prepared to hit bad variance and move down an even or two if you want to. Discipline is KEY for this bankroll method.
Classic Tournament Bankroll Method:
To be bankrolled properly for tournaments you should always have no less than 30 entry fees on the tournament you need to enter.
Things change slightly with rebuy tournaments. Because of the nature of rebuy tournaments you may be shoving or folding hands preflop during the rebuy period (please read my article on rebuy strategy). This means you'll want no less than 6 x 30 buyins because obviously you may be double rebuying and adding on! Remember if you fall five or ten you should decrease the amount you would spend on entry fees. Again, the phrase used so commonly in poker - Discipline is KEY.
Classic NL Cash Bankroll Method:
An alternative towards the Chris Ferguson Method there is the Classic NL (no limit) Method. The basic concept of this method would be to keep at the very least 2000 big blinds for your level you would like to play. That's right! to get properly rolled for $0.01/$0.02 you'll need no less than 40 dollars. If you're winning on the level you might be playing at and you also get the players much easier to beat, then you can certainly drop your bankroll threshold to 1500-2000 big blinds. As you learn to progress to $0.25/$0.50 and $0.50/$1.00 I would a lot recommend you stick to 2000 big blinds as variance has very damaging affect money wise. Please note that you will need a lot more than 2000 big blinds for 6 max tables and manages.
Classic Limit Bankroll Method:
Limit poker is really a WHOLE different ball game. You can have as few as 400 big blinds in your account because you'll be risking less for each buy in and the variance is smaller. In limit holdem it is usually impossible to reduce your stack on one side coming from a cold deck, unlike NLHE.
NB. I do not play limit holdem and so I haven't any exposure to this bankroll. The general consensus with players I have spoken to is niagra could be website the right bankroll you need to aim for.