Poker Buy-in and Bankroll Tips

Once you’ve established what your bankroll amount will be, it is time to find a game. Remember, poker is a game of skill, luck and leverage. So while you may want to sit down at a higher limit game to cash in on bigger pots, your bankroll may dictate starting out at a lower limit.

There’s no steadfast rule to limit poker buy-ins. Most poker rooms require 10 X’s the ante to play. So you would need $20 to sit down at a $2/4 game. While this is the poker room norm, I never recommend this low of a buy-in. Most experts say not to buy into a limit game with less then 60 X’s the ante. This would mean to be comfortable in a $2/4 game you would need $120 (not $20). My opinion is that anywhere between 40 and 60 X’s the ante is sufficient.

Keep in mind, the amount of chips you buy in with is the first impression you give to the table. If you try to buy in with less than 40x’s the ante you are inviting everyone to use your small chip stack against you. Players will raise you every chance they get because the figure you will fold in order to protect your chips. The same holds true when you bet. Other players will likely fold because they assume if you are risking your chips you must have a great hand. In both cases it’s hard to keep or win chips when you buy in short.

In addition to identifying your bankroll and buying into the right limit game, you should also be aware of your personal gambling comfort level. Being able to afford the loss is not enough. You have to be able to live with it as well. Much like trading in the stock market, you need to know your comfort zone. You should never loose sleep over your losses. Poker is a game. If it’s causing you stress, you are risking too much.

The great benefit to playing poker online is that with so many poker rooms and so many people playing, you will always be able to find a game in your comfort zone. Whether your bankroll is $10 or $10,000, there is no reason why you can’t enjoy the action and excitement of live real money poker online.