Bankroll

Money dedicated to poker — and the rules protecting it

Definition

The bankroll is money reserved exclusively for poker, strictly separate from living expenses. Bankroll management (BRM) is the set of rules determining which stakes you can play so that the game's normal variance cannot ruin you. It's the skill that keeps winning players alive — an excellent but under-capitalized player ends up broke, while a well-managed average player lasts. The usual orders of magnitude depend on the format's variance: in cash games, 20 to 50 buy-ins of the stake played; in Sit & Gos and Spin & Gos, 100 to 300 buy-ins; in MTTs, at least 100 buy-ins and preferably 200 for large fields, where winnings are concentrated on rare final tables. The swingier the format and the thinner your edge, the bigger the margin must be. BRM works in both directions: moving up when the bankroll passes the next stake's threshold, but above all moving down without ego when a downswing eats into it. This discipline turns variance from an existential threat into mere turbulence — and it also protects the mind: playing with a stack that "matters" emotionally degrades decisions long before accounting ruin.