Limit Holdem Bankroll Management

Just a few years ago, the most common answer to the old “how much money should I have in my limit Holdem bankroll” question was a simple “300 big bets.” Back then, that seemed sufficient. But as more and more people joined the online poker ranks and started posting their stats, we found that big swings in bankrolls are more common than we once thought.

But even beyond that, the proper size of your bankroll really depends on your goals in poker. If you’re a casual player and don’t intend on moving up and sticking with poker for years, your bankroll will look totally different than that of a player who uses poker to pay the rent every month.

Casual Players

For casual players, your bankroll really just depends on how long you want to play. If you’re just looking for a single night of gambling thrills, you can play at any stakes you want with any amount of money. The only suggestion I have for the pure thrill seekers out there is to only play with money that you have set aside for entertainment purposes. Don’t go gambling with your kid’s tuition or anything like that.

You can increase your bankroll if you want to stretch your playing time further than just a single night. In that case, you will want to measure your bankroll in terms of big bets (BBs from here on out). Anything between 50-300 BBs for your stakes should be sufficient, depending on your risk tolerance.

Serious Players

Those of you who want to make a steady income at poker will need to increase the size of your bankroll tremendously compared to the casual players. You all will be playing more hands and therefore be more likely to experience greater downswings. You don’t want to have to start from scratch if you hit a big downswing so it helps to keep a thick cushion.

Your risk tolerance will primarily decide the size of your bankroll. I recommend 300 BBs for risk takers, 500 BBs for average players and 1,000 BBs for extra cautious players. Also keep in mind that the bigger your bankroll is, the more confident you’ll be at the tables.

Professionals

Professionals have to keep bankrolls that are way bigger than even serious players. Pros should keep at least 1,000 BBs in their bankroll at all times plus 6 months to a year worth of living expenses.*

If you’re a single college kid stuck in a dorm room and your living expenses are $800 a month, you can get away with living on a shorter bankroll. Professionals with 2 kids and a mortgage, however, will want to have a massive bankroll and at least 1 year’s worth of living expenses that are completely unconnected to the bankroll.

* – By living expenses, I mean living expenses, not your rent times 12. I’m talking about your rent, your car payment, your grocery costs, gas costs…everything! Being a professional poker player requires extreme discipline and planning your budget is just the beginning.

Stick With It

It’s easy to make bankroll standards but it can be tempting to ignore them when times get rough. If your bankroll ever falls below the minimum amount you set for it, move down in stakes so that your bankroll once again meets those minimum expectations.

Moving down is painful at first but it ends up being the right choice every time. Trying to stick it out at the higher stakes games while stressed out and sitting on a short bankroll will severely affect your play. Stay within your bankroll at all costs.

If you play no limit more often you might want to check out no limit bankroll management.