If you are a poker player you will know at this point your bankroll is your poker bible. If you haven't any bankroll you simply can't play poker! This article will give you some valuable information about how to control your bankroll and the ways to never go bankrupt!
Importance Of A Bankroll:
Even if you're the best poker player on earth, you must have good bankroll management! Going bust is not the poker gods punishing you, its variance and variance is FACT. If you want to start earning a decent amount playing poker, then continue with the advice within this thread. This is the 1st step to becoming a WSOP bracelet winner.
The Chris Ferguson Method:
I read a write-up quite some time back compiled by Chris about his transformation of $1 into $20,000. He used the subsequent strategy to make certain he could handle his variance swings. He played cash games making sure he always had 20 buyins. These were not full buyins these folks were half buyins. If you desired to play $0.01/$0.02 cash games, the max buyin is $2 and for that reason you'd probably buyin for $1. This would signify you'd have to have $20 to be properly bankrolled for $0.01/$0.02. Likewise, if you have 100 then you definitely you are bankrolled for $0.05/$0.10. If you ever go BELOW 20 buyins you will need dropping right down to a level where you happen to be properly bankrolled.
This method continues to be proven. It's a good method providing you follow it. You must expect you'll hit bad variance and move down a quantity or two if you need to. Discipline is KEY for this bankroll method.
Classic Tournament Bankroll Method:
To be bankrolled properly for tournaments you have to always have no less than 30 entry fees towards the tournament you would like to enter.
Things change slightly with rebuy tournaments. Because of the nature of rebuy tournaments you will be shoving or folding hands preflop in the rebuy period (please read my article on rebuy strategy). This means you'll want at least 6 x 30 buyins because obviously you will end up double rebuying and adding on! Remember if you fall five or ten you need to decrease the amount you spend on entry fees. Again, the saying used so commonly in poker - Discipline is KEY.
Classic NL Cash Bankroll Method:
An alternative for the Chris Ferguson Method there is the Classic read more NL (no limit) Method. The basic thought of using this method is always to keep at least 2000 big blinds for that level you would like to play. That's right! to be properly rolled for $0.01/$0.02 you'll need no less than 40 dollars. If you're winning at the level you're playing at and you also find the players easier to beat, then you can certainly drop your bankroll threshold to 1500-2000 big blinds. As you will move up to $0.25/$0.50 and $0.50/$1.00 I would very much recommend you adhere to 2000 big blinds as variance has very damaging affect money wise. Please note that you will need greater than 2000 big blinds for 6 max tables and oversees.
Classic Limit Bankroll Method:
Limit poker is a WHOLE different ball game. You can have as low as 400 big blinds within your account because you may be risking less per buy in and the variance is smaller. In limit holdem it is usually impossible to lose your stack similarly from your cold deck, unlike NLHE.
NB. I do not play limit holdem and so I have zero knowledge about this bankroll. The general consensus with players I have spoken to are these claims could be the right bankroll you should aim for.