FOR DAVID SKLANSKY OR MASON MALMUTH

[hbgolfpro]

Gentlemen.......Is it possible for a winning player to start with a bankroll of 100BB as opposed to the "standard" of 300BB? Even though he is a winning player there is bound to be some losing and/or a run of bad cards. Is it just too unrealistic to start with 100BB? Please give your thoughts.

[rayrns]

I am not either one but....

I wouldn't try it. Have you ever lost 4 sessions in a row? I have and I usually start with 25BB. That would break me after only 4 sessions.

200BB if you really wanted to try and stretch it but I still wouldn't try it.

[Richie Rich]

Your question is a matter of opinion, not of fact.

Truth is, it is very easy to drop 100BB if you're getting a bad run of cards, 2nd best hands, draws not completing, etc. in one or two sessions, even if you're an overall winning player.

Sounds like you're trying to jump up in limits too quickly -- like from 1/2 limit (skipping 2/4) and straight to 5/10. Beware, grasshopper, because 5/10 is a much different game.

[Robk]

Pick the largest chance you would accept of going broke. Then use these formulas to find the bankroll size you need to achieve the appropriate risk of ruin.

[muck_nutz]

[ QUOTE ]
Your question is a matter of opinion, not of fact.


[/ QUOTE ]

Actually its the other way around. He should be able to calculate his risk of ruin for a given BR if he is a winning player. Additionally if he is willing to drop down when he hits rough water he can play higher. The 300BB often quoted is from one of Mason's essays. Its a good eassy. But unfortunately many people quote the result without quoting the assumptions. If the player is -EV or doesn't meet the 1BB/hr, reasonable variance assumption then he is going to needs a bigger BR. If he makes more, has a lower variance, or is willing to change limits he can play with a smaller BR. But the biggest one that most people miss is that if the player is taking money out of his BR then he needs a _far_ larger BR. So the 300BB is way to small a nut (but it might be a big enough BR) for a pro while its probably too big for somebody who is a reasonable player and recover from another source (job) if things get ugly.

[PiquetteAces]

" is it possible ... ? "

Everything is possible , if they let you buy-in for 20$ in a 10-20 game , you possibilly can turn it into 50 000$. Obviously , the odds are small compare if you start with a bankroll of 49 900$ !! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Just to make it more obvious , if you play loto ( which is like , about -50% of EV ) you can start with bank roll of 1$ & turn in more than 100 000 000$ in one day ! .

The theory of the bankroll requirment is : You have to have X BB of bankroll if you have a standart deviation of W & want to have less then Y% of chance to go broke .

If your a winning player & play small limit 2-4 , 5-10 etc its not a drama if you lose all your bankroll , because for most people , its not hard to find the money for a buy-in in those game . But if your a top player but have a bankroll of 5000$ , it would be a catastrophe to lose it in one session of 100-200 !

- jpp

[AceKQJT]

If poker is your only source of income, then playing with a bankroll of 100XBB is a poor business descision. If, on the other hand, you have an alternate source of income (a job [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]), then your bankroll isn't of much concern...if you run out, you just have to wait until payday to renew it.

That's my 2 cents,

--Casey

[MrBlini]

Go ahead, buy in for 100 BB. Just cut yourself some slack if you lose it, because there's a good chance you will. You get three tries to buy in for 100 BB and make it work before you've lost the equivalent of a 300 BB starting bankroll.

It is critical to start at very low limits and work your way up. I started out uncomfortable at .50/1, and now I'm comfortable at 10/20. Especially on a small starting bankroll, don't be tempted to play a bigger game until you have a 300 BB bankroll for it. If you can't beat a game with a big bet of x, you're definitely not ready for a game with a big bet of 2x or 4x. For a player new to the game, there is a lot to learn, and "lessons" are as expensive as you decide to make them. If you start at .50/1, they'll begin at about $5 an hour and get cheaper as you get the hang of things. Eventually, they'll be free. If you start at 10/20, I'd expect a typical player learning the game from scratch and making a number of mistakes to slough off $150+/hr. You might never reach "eventually".

[RustedCorpse]

Depending on your limits and games you play in I would say 100BB isn't horrid. My party bankroll was 100BB when I started at the .50/1.00 game. (Actually it was the $20 dollars they gave me, but I played tight NL till that became the new bankroll)

[PairTheBoard]

golfpro: "Is it possible for a winning player to start with a bankroll of 100BB?"

Of course it's possible. "Is it realistic?" Sure. But you might go broke. That's a realistic possibility even if you start out with a 300 BB bankroll. Obviously the risk will be higher with the smaller bankroll. In fact it will be MUCH higher as you can calculate using assumptions about your expected win rate.

What's really going on here is that you are thinking about making a PERSONAL decision about taking a GAMBLE. The risk/reward ratio depends on YOU. What does the consequence of losing mean to YOU. And what does the boon of getting lucky DO for you. It may be you just want to gamble. That's ok with me. I've done a bit of gambling in my time as well. Usually against my better judgement though.

PairTheBoard


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