The goal of almost every poker player is to build a big enough bankroll to play the highest stakes available. Whether that is your final aim as a player or just to get to where you want to be then it needs careful planning and discipline. There are several different factors that go into building a poker bankroll, these include skill level, taking shots, table selection, confidence and planning. In this article we are going to take a look at how you can build your poker bankroll and climb the stakes in the most efficient way possible.
Having a bankroll of 20 or more buy-ins is usually considered a good starting point for playing at the highest levels of poker. This will allow you to move up the stakes and deal with any periods of losing, as well as giving you a chance to make some profits.
While the goal is to have a large enough bankroll to play the maximum limits, it is also important to not be afraid to grind lower stakes and study. It may seem boring but it is an important part of the game and will help you improve much quicker than if you just play and take shots.
Table selection is a key element in any poker player’s game. It is essential to have a mix of players that are weaker than you and strong players. This will ensure that you are not making basic mistakes and getting punished by the stronger players at the tables. If you are not playing in good games on a regular basis then it will be much harder to build your poker bankroll.
It is also important to be aware of the amount of variance that is in poker. Even at the lowest stakes there is a large amount of variability between winning and losing. This can be especially damaging for new players who have small win rates, as they will often experience large downswings that can wipe out their entire bankroll in a matter of minutes.
One of the most important things that you can do is to learn to fold. By folding the majority of your hands, you are minimising the chances that your bankroll will decrease. This is a key part of poker bankroll management and is something that many players do not realise the importance of.
It is also important to not withdraw money whilst you are trying to build your bankroll. This will slow down the process and can make it more difficult to build a bankroll. Most businesses that are starting up will not withdraw any of their capital to begin with, so it is vital to treat your poker bankroll in the same way. Using poker bankroll tools like Poker Stack can also help you manage your bankroll more effectively. You can use these tools to track your winnings, losses and how much you are able to move up in the stakes.