How to Build a Poker Bankroll

Intro: The most common problem I hear over and over again from struggling poker players is how to build a big bankroll. The players who ask these questions are most often low-limit players.

Step 1: Most good poker players suggest that players should never invest more than 10 percent or even 5 percent of their bankroll into any tournament or cash game but don’t realize that 5 percent of a persons bankroll may only be 10, 20 or 50 dollars.

Step 2: If you never play anything above a 50 dollar buy-in then you might be stuck grinding it out for 50 years just to build a decent size bankroll. If you are a low-limit player, like the majority of online players are, then you may find yourself never really getting anywhere. You may even be a really solid player with winning potential but your bankroll seems to barely move. If you are falling under this category then it is time to fix it and read on.

Step 3: The reason for this is at low stakes you may only really be grinding out around a dollar an hour. This is especially true if you are only playing 1 table. If you want to see your bankroll increase by more than a dollar an hour, over the long run, then my advice would be to learn how to multi-table immediately.

Step 4: If you can manage anywhere from 4-8 games at one time you can earn a lot more money even at very low-limits and build a poker bankroll. It may seem impossible for you to play that many tables and when I first started I could barely play two tables without being a little overwhelmed. As you progress as a poker player you develop very quick decision making skills and find yourself in very familiar situations more commonly.

Step 5: To build a poker bankroll, you need to play multiple tables. Over the span of a month or two you should be able to move from playing 1 table to about 4 tables. After you feel comfortable playing 4 tables continue to add another table and get used to it for a week or two. Continue adding tables until you reach about 7 or 8 at once. This should really be a sufficient amount of games to play at once while still maintaining a winning strategy.

Step 6: Your winning rate at poker will always average out to a certain amount of bets per hour per table. Say, for example, you can earn one dollar an hour while playing 1 table. You may earn less per hour per table when playing multiple tables because your decision making skills may be a little bit overwhelmed. Say, for example, you might only earn 50 cents per table per hour when playing 8 tables. That adds up to 4 dollars an hour compared to 1 dollar an hour. Although you are making less than normal per table, you still make more hourly because of the high number of games you are in. Time is valuable, if I plan on playing poker for 4 hours straight I want to get 2,000 hands in rather than a couple hundred hands. Multi-tabling leads to more hands, more experience, more money, and therefore a larger bankroll in a shorter amount of time.

Step 7: A poker bankroll of 1000 dollars is a relatively small amount to start out with but the majority of players start off with 1,000 dollars or less. Earning 4 dollars an hour is basically never going to get you anywhere. It is definitely a start and can increase your bankroll but will take a long time.

Step 8: To build a poker bankroll of 10,000 or more, you must take stabs at higher stakes. For example, you are a 2/4 limit hold em player and you just played 6 games for 8 hours and happen to make 600 dollars. You are already up 1,500 dollars this month and the 600 brings it to 2,100 dollars. Most players just book the win and return to the 2/4 game the next day. If you ever want to drastically change your bankroll it is time to take that 600 dollar win and sit down in a 30/60 limit game or a 5-10 no limit game and play for a little while. Sit with no more than the 600 dollar you just won that night and don’t plan on bringing any more money to the table. Once the 600 dollars is gone you are done for the night completely. Even with only 600 dollars in the bigger you still have potential to win anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple thousand. If it’s meant to be then you will have a big win and if things just don’t go your way then you have broke even for the day and should have nothing to complain about. I’ve seen players including myself, take stabs like this, walk away with over a 1,500 dollar win, and almost double our bankrolls in one night.

Step 9: Two things can happen after taking your small shot in a big game. You can lose or you can win. I am not going to leave that bigger game until I either lose the 600 dollars or win a nice chunk of change. Let’s say you lose, then you head back to the 2/4 game the next day and go back to grinding it out until you have a good night again. Then it is time to take that stab again at the big game.

Step 10: Eventually and statistically, you will have a winning night in that bigger game some day. If you win your very first time in that bigger game then I always recommend taking another 600$ into the big game the next day and try it again. If you win again then keep playing in the bigger game and start putting together a bankroll. If you keep losing in the bigger game then keep playing smaller limits and never stop taking chances at higher stakes.

Step 11: As I said earlier, you will win in the bigger game sooner or later because statistics show that even bad players will win a portion of time. Although, if you are good player then you have nothing to worry about, the best way to learn is from experience. So get out there, take some winnings, take a chance, experience a big game, and build your bankroll.

Tips: To build a poker bankroll, take a chance, play some bigger cash games, or try to get in a tournament for cheap and win the big first prize.

Warnings: It can be tough to quit when losing, but you must learn self-control.

Don’t waste money and time on other casino games.

If you are having a bad night of poker, go do something else which you enjoy.

Comments (1)

Carl Benjamin said:

	... These are interesting suggestions for the true gambler.
	report abuse vote down vote up

January 09, 2012
Votes: +0