If you're a poker player you will be aware chances are that your particular bankroll is the poker bible. If you have no bankroll you simply can't play poker! This article will provide you with some valuable information about how to deal with your bankroll and ways to never go under!
Importance Of A Bankroll:
Even if you are the top poker player on the globe, you might want good bankroll management! Going bust is not the poker gods punishing you, its variance and variance is FACT. If you would like to start earning a decent amount playing poker, then continue with the advice on this thread. This is the first step to being a WSOP bracelet winner.
The Chris Ferguson Method:
I read an article a little while back written by Chris about his transformation of $1 into $20,000. He used the subsequent solution to ensure he could handle his variance swings. He played cash games and made sure he always had 20 buyins. These were not full buyins these were half buyins. If you wanted to play $0.01/$0.02 cash games, the max buyin is $2 and thus you would buyin for $1. This would signify you would have to have $20 being properly bankrolled for $0.01/$0.02. Likewise, if you have 100 then you definately you're bankrolled for $0.05/$0.10. If you ever go BELOW 20 buyins you will need to drop into a level where you're properly bankrolled.
This method has become proven. It's a good method as long as you adhere to it. You must be prepared to hit bad variance and move down an amount or two if you need to. Discipline is KEY for this bankroll method.
Classic Tournament Bankroll Method:
To be bankrolled properly for tournaments you must have always a minimum of 30 read more entry fees for the tournament you need to enter.
Things change slightly with rebuy tournaments. Because of the nature of rebuy tournaments you will end up shoving or folding hands preflop through the rebuy period (please read my article on rebuy strategy). This means you need to have no less than 6 x 30 buyins because obviously you will end up double rebuying and adding on! Remember should you fall 5 or 10 you have to 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 you have the Classic NL (no limit) Method. The basic notion of this process is always to keep a minimum of 2000 big blinds for that level you would like to play. That's right! being properly rolled for $0.01/$0.02 you'll need at least 40 dollars. If you're winning in the level you're playing at so you find the players better to beat, then you can drop your bankroll threshold to 1500-2000 big blinds. As you start to 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'll want a lot more than 2000 big blinds for 6 max tables and heads up.
Classic Limit Bankroll Method:
Limit poker can be a WHOLE different ball game. You can have as few as 400 big blinds inside your account because you'll be risking less for each buy in along with the variance is smaller. In limit holdem in most cases impossible to reduce your stack on one side from the cold deck, unlike NLHE.
NB. I do not play limit holdem and so I have no exposure to this bankroll. The general consensus with players I have spoken to is niagra may be the right bankroll you must aim for.