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Poker Bankroll Management – Why Does It Matter? 

One of the most important aspects of gambling at the casino, whether online or off, is the management of your bankroll. Whether you are playing roulette, blackjack or poker, it’s essential that you keep an eye on your casino spending. The best way to do this is to follow casino bankroll management jackpot winning strategies. When it comes to the game of poker, probably the largest reason that people go broke, apart from a lack of skill, is the fact that they fail to manage their bankroll sensibly. It’s super important that you keep enough money aside to carry you through any losing streaks.

In the same way that we should practise good financial management through our day-to-day lives. Then the same principles should follow us when we go to an online casino like 32Red Poker. Household budgeting is a necessary skill, otherwise, the bills will catch up with you. In the real world, if you live outside your means then eventually you’ll come unstuck. Exactly the same principles follow in the world of poker. If you’re not careful, then without proper bankroll management, not only will your game end very quickly, but you could also end up in serious financial difficulties.

What Is Your Poker Bankroll?

If you are a seasoned gambler, then you certainly know what a bankroll is. But if you’re new to online poker, then understanding what your bankroll is, and how to utilise it properly, are basic skills. Simply put, your bankroll is the total money that you have at your disposal when you’re playing any casino games, or even sports betting for that matter. More importantly, the bankroll is made up of funds that you can absolutely afford to lose. In other words, should all the money be gone, it would not affect anything or anyone in your everyday life. To put it another way, your bankroll is made up entirely of income that is disposable. Maybe you imagine that you have a bankroll of $200. But if you have bills for $100 coming up for payment, then your real bankroll is just $100.

At the risk of sounding like a nagging parent talking to their irresponsible teenage kids about money, we must insist all gamblers ensure that the money they use as their bankroll does not contain funds that are marked for other things. Thanks to the excitement of many gambling games, many players are tempted to spend more than they originally meant to. To try and combat this, here at Jackpotfinder.com we suggest that you always play with low stakes. In fact, the size of your bankroll should dictate the stakes that you should play. As such, you should allow this to become a cardinal rule when you’re playing poker.

Why Is Poker Bankroll Management So Important?

poker chips

Probably the most important reason why bankroll management is so important in casino games is that it limits the risk of you losing everything. Keep in mind that if you go broke halfway through the evening then you cannot continue to play poker. You’ll need to reload your account again. By doing so you increase the risk that you’re going to be spending more than you actually can afford to. All gambling consists of highs and lows. So it’s important that you have enough funds to carry you through when you hit a losing spell. Remember that a losing streak can carry on for quite a number of hands.

So it’s essential that you have enough bankroll to be able to absorb these losses before the table’s turn and you start winning again. The bottom line is that if you’re no longer playing at the poker table, then you have no possibility to win the jackpot online. We suggest that by practising good bankroll management, you’ll be prevented from trying to up your stakes too fast simply because you’re feeling optimistic. It’s always best to work the other way. And to lower your stakes in order to remain in the game.

How Large Should Your Poker Bankroll Be?

The simple answer is that it should be as large as you can comfortably afford. Before going online, or to a brick and mortar casino to play poker, we suggest you ask yourself five questions:

  • If you hit significant losses will you be willing to lower your stakes?
  • If you lost all your bankroll are you able to replenish it?
  • Do your favourite games have high validity or high variance?
  • Are you a player who likes risk and wants to move the stakes up faster?
  • What is your playing style?

In the same way that every poker variant is different, then you’ll find that every poker player offers a different bankroll management style to their gameplay. Personally, you should look for a system that works for you as this will increase your jackpot winning chances. If you can answer the five questions above honestly, then you should be able to figure out your optimal bankroll size. For example, if you’re not willing to move down the stakes and are facing a losing streak, then you’re going to need a much larger bankroll. Playing at a website with a decent welcome bonus, like the 200% up to €1000 you get from 32 Red Poker, will also help your bankroll stretch further.

Your Style Of Play Matters

poker

Now, if you’re the type of player who has a loose and aggressive style, then you’re going to need a larger bankroll than someone who plays more conservatively. Once you play poker for a while, you’ll see that some games have more swings than others. For example, if you’re playing Pot Limit Omaha Poker. Then you’re going to need a larger bankroll than a player who’s playing No-Limit Hold’em Poker. That’s simply because the former has much greater variance than the latter. Another very important consideration is whether you can reload your bankroll if you manage to lose it all.

Now, if you happen to be in the position whereby you’re flush with cash, then of course you can afford to throw caution to the wind.  But not everybody is a casino whale or VIP player. If you feel you might be at risk of running out of funds halfway through your evening because of your risky playing style, then a large bankroll will be needed. Especially if you can’t make a redeposit.

Bankroll Management Table

Different poker variations will have different buy-in amounts. Keep in mind that the guide below is just a guide, even though it may offer some surprising results. When we’re talking about cash games then buy-ins refer to the 100 big blinds at any given stake. For example, if you play $0.05/$0.10, 100 big blinds would be $10. $10 is one buy-in at these stakes.

                            Game                                                       Minimum                Medium             Cautious

  • No-Limit Hold’em 6-Max Cash Game                30 buy-ins             50 buy-ins          100 buy-ins
  • Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Max Cash Games                50                            100                       150
  • No-Limit Hold’em Sit & Go                                  30                             50                        100
  • No-Limit Hold’em MTTs                                      100                          200                       500
  • No-Limit Hold’em MTTs (2K+ players)            200                         400                       600

Conclusion: Poker Bankroll Management

Because many casino games are incredibly immersive and exciting, many players see the gameplay as more important than bankroll in their mind’s eye. This is a huge mistake. Yes, it’s true, discussing the financials of bankroll management is not the world’s most exciting topic. But if you fail to take your casino bankroll management seriously, then it will have huge repercussions both on your ability to play your favourite casino games and possibly may cause problems in your personal life. We suggest that you start your jackpot poker gambling journey by examining your bankroll possibilities as opposed to the games on offer.