Building A Bankroll in Poker
A poker player can have all the skills, strategy and training necessary to become a real successful player, but all of this would go to waste if it wasn't for having a securing bankroll. This is because a bankroll in poker is simply the lifeline of a poker player; without it, they would not be able to play thus not being able to make any money. So in short, having and properly maintaining a bankroll is very important, as this is what keeps a player's poker career afloat.
But as I am sure everyone is aware, a bankroll doesn't grow overnight; it has to be built. And since most players start with less than $50 or so on average when making their first deposit, that bankroll must be built with caution as any variance can shut a player down before they even get started.
So to help players learn how to properly build and maintain a bankroll all the while avoiding many of the common pitfalls that many players face when attempting to do so, we have provided some tips for you below that should help you get started.
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Bankroll Building Tips
Poker Bonuses
One of the first and most important steps that a player should take when building his or her bankroll is to take advantage of one of the many 'first time player' deposit bonuses that just about every room offers. These bonuses will range from around $50 on up to $1,000 or more and most are a 100% match on your money. So for example, if you signed up for xxxx poker room where they had a 100% deposit bonus up to $200 and you deposited $100, you would receive $100 which would normally be released in increments based on how much and often you play.
Once a player has cleared the bonus, they can then move to a different room if they wish with their bigger bankroll and take advantage of a bigger and better bonus. For example, if you were to start a poker room #1 where they had a $200 bonus, you can clear that and move your bigger bankroll to a room where they had a larger bonus, say $500, and work on clearing that. Just keep in mind that if you are planning to do this and are starting with a smaller bankroll, be sure to start at rooms where they have a smaller bonus offer so that way you can take full advantage of rooms that have bigger deposit bonus offers when you switch.
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Poker Rakeback
Now, rakeback will not build your bankroll as quickly as a poker bonus will. But what rakeback really is for is to provide you with a cushion that offsets any losses that you might occur while playing. That way, the losses you do have are small and your bankroll doesn't take a heavy hit.
However, if you a consistent and winning player, then rakeback can and will play a supportive role in the building of your bankroll. While playing at micro stakes it is not uncommon to earn about $1 to $2 everyday in rakeback while only playing 2 to 3 hours. This of course may not seem like much, but over the course of a month, it can add up to $30 to $60 which is quite significant for a micro stakes bankroll.
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Sit n Go's
Sit n Go's have to be one of the best ways to build a bankroll because you are not playing with your bankroll in front of you as you would a cash game so the risk is minimal or for a better word, controlled. Also, sit n go's are small enough in nature that the swings should be smaller and farther apart in comparison to larger scale tournaments. So overall, sit n go's are what you would call the 'sweet spot.'
Once you manage to accrue a big enough bankroll, say $500 or more, then you can consider looking into cash games. Just remember that cash games can be lucrative because of the amount of money that can be won at any given time, but that money can be lost just as quick.
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Bankroll Management
Even as important as building your bankroll may be, nothing will be as important as managing your bankroll. That is because it will not matter how big your bankroll is if it cannot withstand the variances that a player is sure to face when playing.
Too often players will sit down at tables where the stakes make up a large percentage of their bankroll because they feel as if the smaller stakes are 'boring.' This is understandable, but when a player does this, they run the risk of losing their entire bankroll on a bad beat or a misplayed hand. This is where 'managing' your bankroll comes in; you simply play at stakes where if you run into a bad variance of some kind, your bankroll will not be depleted because of it.
So as a general rule of thumb, all players should have somewhere in the neighborhood of about 20 to 25 buy ins for the stakes they wish to play in cash games. Or to make the math simpler, you can even use the standard 300 to 500 times the big blind rule. What this will mean is that if you want to play in $1/$2 no limit hold'em, you will want to have a bankroll of at least $600 to $1,000 depending on your comfort level.
For tournaments and sit n go's, a general rule would be to have anywhere from 50 to 100 buy ins for the game you wish to play. From experience, around 30 to 50 buy ins is 'ok' for the micro stakes sit n go's as long as you are a break even or winning player. Anything higher than that and you will definitely want to consider having closer to 100 buy ins.
Just as important is the ability to move down in stakes as well. Players tend to let their egos get the best of them and continue to play at their current stakes when it is obvious their bankroll cannot handle the swings for those stakes. This is no different than playing at stakes that are too high for your bankroll and should be avoided. There is no shame in moving down and you will find that you will virtually never have to make another deposit as long as play within your means.
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Building a Bankroll in Poker
Building a bankroll has to be one of the toughest things to accomplish in poker because there are so many different variables, some of which a player cannot control, to factor in. The best approach a player can take to building a bankroll is to find the best deals available to them, play smart, start small and work their way up slowly to ensure that they never have to redeposit again.
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