Bankroll Management: The Rule No Winning Player Breaks

You can be a winning player in the long run and still go broke in the short term if you don't manage your bankroll correctly. Variance in poker is real and often brutal.

What Is a Bankroll?

Your poker bankroll is money set aside exclusively for poker, completely separate from your living expenses, savings, and other funds. Never play with money you can't afford to lose.

Recommended Bankroll Guidelines

• Cash Games (NLHE): 20–30 buy-ins. Playing $1/$2? Keep $4,000–$6,000.
• MTTs: 100–200 buy-ins due to higher variance.
• Sit & Gos: 40–60 buy-ins.

Moving Up and Down in Stakes

• Move up when you have 30 buy-ins for the next level
• Move down immediately when your roll drops below 15 buy-ins for your current level
• Never treat a downswing as "just variance" without examining your play for leaks

The Mental Side

The hardest part isn't knowing the rules — it's following them when emotions run high. After a big downswing, there's always the temptation to "take a shot" at a higher stake to win it back quickly. This is how players go broke. Treat your bankroll like a business asset. Protect it. Grow it methodically.