- Bankroll Requirements for Shorthanded Play - (long)

[ClaytonN]

** This discussion should be centered on shorthanded players that are playing 5/10 and lower **

There have been numerous different ideas and strategies concerning bankroll requirements and your playing. I will pose my ideas on the topic, and the rest of you are free to join in.

Limit Hold'Em has always been a swingy game, and microlimit players have looked at shorthanded play more closely only in recent months. The opening of .5/1 and 3/6 shorthanded limit tables at Party was a part of this, but another aspect of it had to do with the fact that it was a new venture. Most microlimit players to be their bible in full ring loose game LHE play. The book did not go into explicit detail covering shorthanded play however, specifically six players and fewer.

I think it's fairly obvious that a lot of newer posters and players are gonna come to this forum and see a gold mine of hands and discussions that will improve their shorthanded play, but there have been a lot of varying opinions on how to maintain and manage a bankroll exclusively for shorthanded play. There was a time in the past where the common rule was 300bb for full ring games, but even this number has swayed with the times and varying opinions.

In one's own opinion, the amount of big bets that are in your bankroll for shorthanded should vary not only with your expectations and your intentions, but also the limits you play.

The first and foremost thing to consider when considering how many big bets to carry is the limit you intend to play. As you move up in limits, the play becomes increasingly aggressive and you must not only intensify your patience in good game selection but you should also expect to carry a few more big bets in the roll, as an increasingly aggressive game can become increasingly variant and swingy.

The second thing to consider is what you want out of poker, namely where your head is at. There is a distinct difference between the player who is using SSSH as another step towards making huge money in the higher games (10/20 and above) and the player who chooses not to risk higher dollar amounts due to outside circumstances (comfort, family, risk management).

Since we've all made this distinction, it's pretty clear that the player who thinks the sky is the limit is going to establish a little more aggressive bankroll strategy than the player who looks for a steady flow of income from the limit they are at.

So, you need to ask yourself the following:
-Why did I get started in poker in the first place?
-How did I get to where I am now?
-What do I want?
-What limit am I playing, and do I want to play higher?
-How much am I willing to risk?
-Where do I want to end up?

When you can answer each of these questions honestly to yourself, then you can more wisely establish a bankroll.

<u>In my opinion</u>, there are three distinct rungs to the ladder that may shift with the changes in player pool, the changes in limits, and the changes in the website or game overall. However, they generally seem to stay the same. Three seperate pathways, three seperate ideals to playing.

1) The aggressive bankroll building (300bb-5000bb): I would categorize this as the bankroll needed for the player who wants to be the next contributor to the mid/high stakes shorthanded forum a la Bicyclekick. To put it bluntly, it will be frequented by a lot of mid-twenty year olds and younger, often college and even high school kids who are looking to make a lot of money on the side. 3/6 and 5/10 offer a lot, but this player is looking to get to the higher stakes ASAP and is fully willing to drop down to lower bankroll levels if need be with all the swinginess.

2) The moderate bankroll builder (600bb-700bb) - this bankroll level offers a medium in comfort and ability to move up. Those who want to shoot for something bigger without having to risk too much might be more comfortable putting this amount on the table. There is room to move up, it just might take a little longer, but there's more comfort with a smaller risk of ruin.

3) The steady flow bankroll (900bb-1100bb) - this bankroll requirement is for the player who is looking to stay at his limit and make a steady flow of income, be it as a profession (or semi profession) or a distate for risking too much a percentage of one's own worth while at the same time turning a good profit.

As a general parameter, expect to get roughed up a little when moving up in levels. That happens. Still, however, continue discussing hands with other posters and keep learning. This will ease the process when you make the decision to move up in stakes.

Again, these are my opinions from a poster who's read a lot (probably too much) in the 2+2 forums over the course of 13 months and as a player who started with a $100 bankroll in January and is now at 3/6 sixmax dabbling in 5/10. Those with dissenting or contrary opinions are free to argue their viewpoints and it's more than welcome, as I'm certain there are posters here with more experience in gauging figures like bankroll requirements, so I open up this thread as a gesture to them as well to outline their opinions. The idea is to give players a better idea on what's best when it comes to bankroll management, a vital skill needed for the poker player.

Good luck,
Clayton