Head Case/Terrible Bankroll Management

[Dan Mezick]

Good poker well played will be boring (ie, lacking emotional content). It's a job, like counting cards in blackjack to make money.

If you risk too much of your bankroll on any one session, you invite all kinds of problems. Most of these have to do with the emotions.

How many players reading this thread know for a fact what their ROR (risk of ruin) is?

It's a function of bankroll, losing-session frequency, and typical loss-size per session.

If you have $1000 and you are playing 5-10, you are playing to high, for example if:

When you lose, the typical loss you will experience at these stakes is $200; and

If it is very likely you will experience 5 losing sessions in a row. (not at all uncommon)

The higher you play relative to bankroll, the closer you are to actualizing RiskOfRuin. That kind of situation tends to replace a cool head with wide emotional swings in the average human being...

You have to ask yourself: does poker thrill you? If the answer is yes, it's time to seriously question what your poker motives actually are.

Remeber, the choice to play very close to your RiskOfRuin is a DECISION that you and you alone make.