Building your bankroll. Part I.
What does it take to build up a poker bankroll large enough to choke a horse? Starting out at low limits can make it hard to gain momentum, leaving you dry. Starting out too high may leave you broke and suffering to play again.
What you need is a middle–road.
Limit or No–Limit?
Whether you play a fixed–limit poker, a pot–limit poker, or no–limit poker, you need to determine your strengths.
A no–limit hold’em player might want to only risk 10 percent of his bankroll per buy–in, considering the chance that he may need to buy in up to three times per session.
On the other hand, a limit player may be willing to risk one–third of his total bankroll in a single session, knowing that if he loses it, he is done for the night.
Success breeds more success
Do you traditionally have more success with limit poker or no/pot–limit?
Picking a game that you have been successful at in the past is key.
Picking a game that you have been successful at in the past is key in building your bankroll. You may want to be the next best no–limit hold’em player, but if you lose two–thirds of the time, you will not be able to learn much before you go broke.
Work your way up on the game that you are most successful, then experiment with a smaller percentage of your bankroll on games that you are trying to break into.
New Games
People often play outside their limits when learning a new game.
People often play outside their limits when learning a new game. If you are traditionally a 4/8 fixed–limit hold’em player, then you probably range in the $100 to $200 of risk per session. If this is the case, I do not suggest learning no–limit at a 2/5 no-limit game.
You may be able to buy in for $200 at 2/5 no-limit, but re-buys occur more frequently in no-limit. You are looking at an initial investment of up to $600 - this is many times your usual risk
The level of risk for a player who is learning 2/5 no–limit is much higher than when they play 4/8 limit.
In Sum
If you’re trying to build a poker bankroll, start with a game in which you are comfortable and successful. Build up from there and do not try to rush your progress. If you want to learn a different game, keep your buy–ins lower than your regular game, and pay attention to how often you may be needing to buy in.
Good Luck!
Andy Vaughn has played poker professionally, both online and in Las Vegas Casinos. His favorite games are mid-level no–limit and deep–stack tournaments. He has an M.S. in Sport Psychology, and Talkingchips.com is his pet project.
