Bankroll Requirements for Multiple Levels

[sexdrugsmoney]

Hi Guys,

I was hoping we could get a mix of opinions on what Bankroll requirements one needs to play the various levels of Stud out there.

I want to know this for myself, but I'm sure if everyone states how much they sit down with per session then the info in this thread could become part of AndyB's great sticky as alot of newbies (like me) ask about Bankroll Requirements.

I know that to reduce your "risk of ruin" (ie- not go broke) you shouldn't have under 300BB's for whatever level you play, ie-

.5/1 = $300
1/2 = $600
2/4 = $1200
3/6 = $1800
4/8 = $2400
5/10 = $3000
10/20 = $6000
15/30 = $9000
20/40 = $12000
30/60 = $18000
40/80 = $24000
50/100 = $30000

So that's how much your bankroll should be to make your risk of ruin something like 5% (I forget the exact figure), but what I'm interested in is session bankroll, ie- "How much do I bring to the table?"

I've read a couple of books on BlackJack, and one books suggested BJ players divide their bankroll into three thirds and keep one is reserve and use two at the tables (1 a primary none, the second if you have a bad run - read: rebuy)

So lets say for a 2/4 player, if your entire bankroll (the 300BB's) is $1200, do you bring $400 to the table (one third of your bankroll) or is this too much?

Also how does ante size impact on your session bankroll? Should you bring x number of BB's extra to the table specifically for ante's?

So please, post what you normally sit down with, and how its been working out for you - ie- are you forced to play tight, or can you play a solid game?

Cheers,
SDM

[jon_1van]

The problem with the 300 BB requirement is that it assumes you can't move down.


If you allow yourself to move down if you have a bad streak you can survive with alot less...I'd say around 150BB wouldn't be too bad.

And if you aren't playing too high and going "broke" means you just have to dig up another 300 bucks then you don't really need to worry about busting at all

But if you can't afford to reload you probably shouldn't be playing in the first place. If you don't want to reload for pride reasons then you'll have to be content staying within your bankroll...which can suck

[vintage_sara]

Bottomline... For some people, it doesn't matter how big their bankroll is...they will go broke.

ONlINE ADVICE

I use the 300BB method as my overall bankroll. But I can and do take shots in bigger games with that same bankroll when a "good" situation arises.

I usually cash out and start over two to three times a month to bring my account back down to the 300BB level.

I now typically play 5-10 stud online, but I also play 10-20 omaha-hi low when the game is good. I usually sit down with the minimum online and add another minimum if I lose 25 percent of my money. If there is someone with a really big stack, I might just match it. Depends on how aggressive the game is. To keep from getting bored I also play $200 STT NLs, which I usually cash in about 45 percent of the time.

Overall, I think these sites are safe but I don't want to keep more money in the account than necessary. Rarely, do I reload. I will do that if my account creeps below half of my bankroll because of a bad session.

BRICK AND MORTAR ADVICE

When I lived in a city with a casino that had poker, my typical limit was 20-40 stud. My bankroll was $15,000, which is a little more than 300BB. But it felt like a nice even amount.

I kept a box at the casino so I always had cash on hand. Rarely did I go deeper than $2,000 in a game and only if the conditions were perfect. Fortunately, I would usually dig out either a winner or a small loser in comparison. My biggest loss is $2,300 in a session. It was brutal but the right thing to do.

When I sat down at the table I would ususally sit with $1,000 to $1,500 in chips because I always wanted to have a big stack in front of me. Many people, however, would sit with $500 and usually dig back in their pockets for $500 more a few times.

Just so you know I was a winning player, making more than the BB an hour. I kept very accurate records as I do online. Logging the hours played and the win/loss for each session. I use StatKing to track my play.

I would also take stabs at the bigger games if the conditions were right, 30-60 and 40-80...nothing higher.

The ante was never an issue for me as I won't play games with a poor ante/bring-in structure (loose) as that takes the edge away from the good players. And, believe it or not the edge is small. This is a game of skill and I see no reason to level the playing field. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif In most of the casinos I played, I paid by the half hour vs rake.

Anyway antes never factored into my bankroll requirements nor does it now online.

[jon_1van]

How big a sample is your ITM % in the 200 SNG

because 45% is very good

[vintage_sara]

I just changed my post btw to add information about brick and mortar play.

I don't really know how many....it's a lot. I think I play more than 10 a week for sure. Today, I played four. Actually, beermoney told me what my stats were. He looked them up on some website under every name I've played under over the last several years and they are all around 45 percent. Pretty funny but at least it shows some consistency.

Sorry I don't have great records for that but I do for the "real" cash games.

[frappeboy]

Bankroll requirements vary from person to person based on their standard deviation and win rate. I don't have a win rate as high as vintage, but win about 1BB an hour playing 5/10 stud. From a mathematical stand point a safe bankroll is around $4,000, and $2,000 if I don't mind a 5% chance of going broke. So for me $3,000 is perfect.

For those players who only win .5BB or less per hour, the bankroll requirements will go up dramatically...

[BeerMoney]

[ QUOTE ]
Bankroll requirements vary from person to person based on their standard deviation and win rate. I don't have a win rate as high as vintage, but win about 1BB an hour playing 5/10 stud. From a mathematical stand point a safe bankroll is around $4,000, and $2,000 if I don't mind a 5% chance of going broke. So for me $3,000 is perfect.

For those players who only win .5BB or less per hour, the bankroll requirements will go up dramatically...

[/ QUOTE ]

This is about what I was going to say.

On the note of how much to sit down with.. I think that's more of a Psychological thing. Some people like to sit with a lot so they don't feel as "behind" or "stuck" during a session if they go down. Mathematically speaking, I don't think it really matters much how much u sit down with at a limit table.

As Jon said, if you start to go bust, u can always move down... Or UP!!! /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[bholdr]

I play anywhere from 2/4 to 5/10, stud, stud/8 holdem, even some $1/2 NL- and i like to have a 3k roll. i had a rough month in june and the early part of july, so my playing roll is down to about 1800, but i don't mind, that's what it's there for.

I also keep 2-3k in cash for live play, that's technically not a part of my roll (though it is poker winings). i'll use that money to buy stuff that i want (or that my gal wants) and gamble on BJ and VP, keep it on hand for emergencies, etc... it's a nice little reserve that keeps me from worring about the swings. I've noticed that the bigger my roll, the better i play.