Bankroll Management in Poker

Managing your bankroll is the foundation for lasting in poker.
Yet it’s a topic many players neglect — until the day they go broke.

Since I started playing poker, it’s a question that keeps coming up.
Many players have asked me:

“How do you manage your bankroll as a pro?”
“What advice would you give to manage a poker bankroll as a recreational or semi-pro player?”

It’s an essential topic, but often misunderstood.
With Pokmanager, my bankroll tracking tool, I’ve seen how clear and structured bankroll management can make a massive difference in the long run.
Here’s my vision and a few concrete benchmarks to help you avoid classic mistakes.

In short:

💰 Play only with money you can afford to lose
🎯 Keep a minimum number of buy-ins depending on your format
🧠 Accept variance and be ready to move down in stakes
🔒 Your bankroll = your oxygen

1. Your skill level

This is the most important point: are you a winning player?
If the answer is no, no bankroll management system will save you (unless you get insanely lucky).

For example, if you have a -20% ROI in tournaments, you can be the most disciplined player ever — your bankroll will still eventually hit zero.

But even a losing player can limit the damage by setting clear limits:
💸 Loss limit (e.g., max €100 per session)
🎯 Volume limit (e.g., max 10 tournaments per session)
💰 Buy-in limit (e.g., only tournaments under €50)

These guardrails help you stay in control and avoid disastrous sessions.

2. Your player profile

First, ask yourself a simple question:

What’s my poker status?
Am I a recreational player, semi-pro, or professional?

The right approach depends entirely on your profile:

➡️ If you’re a professional
Your bankroll is your lifebar.
If it drops to zero, you’re done: no more poker, no more income.
You must protect it like a treasure.

➡️ If you’re a recreational player
You have a regular job, so a stable income.
Your poker bankroll is just a leisure budget.
You can play more freely, but set a monthly deposit limit to avoid getting carried away.
Poker is still a game — but without structure, addiction can creep in fast.

➡️ If you’re a semi-pro
You’re in the gray zone. You work, but take poker seriously.
Ask yourself:

• If I lose my entire bankroll, can I redeposit without financial stress?
• Am I willing to reinvest part of my winnings regularly?

Your bankroll strategy should balance safety and ambition.

3. How many buy-ins should you have?

The right number of buy-ins depends on your format and ROI (return on investment).
The lower your ROI or the less volume you play, the more conservative you should be.
On the other hand, a high-volume winning player can afford to be a bit more aggressive.

Here’s a general idea:

• Cash Game: 20 to 100 buy-ins, depending on your risk tolerance.
• Tournaments (MTT): because of high variance, aim for hundreds of buy-ins — up to 1000 for very cautious pros.
• Spin & Gos / Expressos: extreme variance → 500 to 1000 buy-ins recommended before moving up.

👉 These are guidelines, not strict rules.
Everything depends on your volume, risk tolerance, and especially your ability to move down in stakes during a downswing.

Example:

• A player with 15% ROI in low-stakes MTTs can manage with ~300–400 buy-ins.
• A player with 5% ROI or lower volume should aim for 700–1000 buy-ins to absorb variance comfortably.

With Pokmanager, you can track your buy-ins, ROI, and bankroll curve in real time to check if your management fits your goals and profile.

4. Your game format

Your format directly affects bankroll management. Each type of poker has its own variance:

• MTT (Tournaments): huge variance → very conservative management
• Cash Game: lower variance, but fast swings possible
• Expressos: extreme short-term variance, smoother long-term

If your goal is to build a solid bankroll, prefer formats with more manageable short-term variance.

5. Your mindset

Bankroll management isn’t just about numbers — it’s about mindset.
Can you:

• Avoid spewing after losing an 80/20 at the final table of a big event?
• Avoid launching tilted Expressos after a failed river bluff?
• Move down in stakes after a bad run?

If the answer is no, you’ll need to adopt a stricter bankroll plan.
Your mental game is the shock absorber of your bankroll.
The more tilt-prone you are, the more “nitty” your bankroll management should be.

6. Variance

Variance is part of poker, especially in MTTs.
Even the best players can go hundreds of tournaments without a big score.

Your bankroll plan should account for:

• Your estimated ROI
• The limits you play (higher stakes = tougher fields)
• The number of players per tournament (larger fields = higher variance)

To visualize variance impact, I recommend Primedope.
It lets you simulate variance and understand how two equally skilled players can have very different short-term results.

👉 Transition:
Now that you understand variance, let’s talk about the common mistakes to avoid if you want your bankroll to last.

7. Common mistakes to avoid

Many players know the theory… but still fall into the same traps.
Here are the most common ones:

❌ Moving up in stakes too fast after a big win
❌ Playing tilted after a bad run
❌ Confusing short-term luck with actual skill
❌ Refusing to move down in stakes “out of pride”

Avoiding these puts you ahead of 80% of players already.

8. Conclusion & advice

There’s no absolute truth in bankroll management.
It depends on your profile, goals, and risk tolerance.

Personally, I’ve always taken a very conservative approach:
👉 more than 1000 buy-ins for the tournaments I played.
That might sound extreme, but it kept me stress-free, focused, and — most importantly — never broke.

If you’re willing to move down in stakes during tough periods, you can take a more aggressive approach.
Otherwise, it’s better to be too nitty than broke.

9. What now?

Take 10 minutes tonight to think about your current bankroll strategy.
Ask yourself:

Does my bankroll management really match my poker goals?

If not, it’s time to structure your approach seriously.

And if you want to track your bankroll automatically and clearly, that’s exactly why I created Pokmanager 😉

🎯 Manage, track, and grow your bankroll with peace of mind.
👉 Visit Pokmanager.com