Bankroll Management
You can read piles of books and use a Hand Converter to analyse your play, but one of the questions asked most often by beginning players is: "What level should I be playing if I have X amount of money". Well, that question is personal to you, depending on what your poker goals are. If you like playing just for fun and put a poker deposit into your account every couple weeks, then you can just play whatever you're enjoying most. However, if you'd like to make more money playing poker and don't want to keep losing money, then bankroll management is for you.
So here are some bankroll management tips for the serious beginning player:
Cash Games
You should have at least 20 buy-ins for the level you'd like to play at. A buy-in is considered 100 big blinds. So if you want to play the .02/.05 NL level you should have at least $100 (20 x $5). With a bankroll of $50 the level you should be at is .01/.02 till you're able to raise it to $100, then start playing some level .02/.05. When you're attempting to play at a higher level, don't be ashamed to move back down if it proves too difficult. Here is an example: You just made it to .02/.05 with your $100 bankroll. If you run bad and the poker hand order you're getting just isn’t helping, it's imperative to drop a level to .01/.02 if you slip to 15 buy-ins ($75). Then, when you climb back up to $100, move back up. I haven't come across anyone who has played poker for a long period of time that did not have to drop down at least a level. People go busto simply because they were too proud to move down. Good poker players will use Hand Converter tools and jump between almost every new level they try until they get accustomed to the play at the next level. Even taking the intelligent step of using a Full Tilt bonus code won’t prevent you from having to move down a level.
As you jump up to levels of about 100nl and up, it would be a good idea to be more careful with your bankroll and probably a minimum of 30 buy-ins would be a better idea.
Sit & Go Tourneys (SNGs)
The order of poker hands in Tourneys usually have higher variance than cash games. As such, it's a good idea to have a more generous bankroll to absorb the swings. I would recommend 40 buy-ins for Sit & Go tournaments. So, using our $100 bankroll, you should be playing something like a $2.20 buy-in till you increase your bankroll to about $130. Once you're up to a $130 bankroll you can play $3 games and see how well you play. Like with cash games, don't be too stubborn to move back down if you are not running well.
Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs)
Multi-Table Tournaments can be tempting since they offer some great payouts if you come out on top. It's important to note, the variance in poker hands order is very high with MTTs and going long periods of time without placing in the money is not uncommon. Therefore, it is standard to have a minimum of 100 buy-ins to play Multi-Table Tournaments. You must also factor in at least one rebuy and one add on to the cost of the MTT when rebuys are available. Generally you'll need even more than that to place so be cautious of that. For example, to play a $3 re-buy MTT you should plan on a minimum of $9 and therefore you should have at least $900 available in your bankroll.
Here's a tip for players on a very small poker deposit who want to play MTTs: consider playing satellites. They usually have very small buy-ins and many of the other players tend to be quite poor, so this can be a good way to get some experience and potentially win a ticket worth a good portion of your bankroll. After winning a satellite you may find it to be tempting to take a shot at a bigger tourney. Recognize this temptation! The correct thing to do is grind more games within your bankroll with your tournament money.
A Low Risk Way to Pad the Bankroll
The preferred way to increase your bankroll is absolutely to play many poker hands. Using a Hand History Converter and other tools, you can turn this raw data into some useful learning aids. A key method of padding the bankroll while you're grinding is to collect bonuses at the sites you play. One of the most attractive options is the no deposit poker bonus that you can earn at a couple sites out there. This is a great method of starting off the bankroll if you’re a new player or to give the bankroll a boost if you’re stuck at micro stakes. If you reside in the United States, you’ll most certainly want to read of US friendly poker sites. The most respected of these online rooms are PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. The most important PokerStars bonus is the first deposit bonus of 100% up to $600 if you use the PokerStars marketing code. They also frequently give reload bonuses and freeroll options. If you’d rather make a Full Tilt Poker download, their deposit bonus is the same with a Full Tilt bonus code : 100% bonus up to $600. Full Tilt advertises $800 in monthly tournaments.
Parting Words on Bankroll Management
It's too easy to slip and to play out of your bankroll. Stick to the plan, use poker hand converter technology, and you'll never have to deposit again! Don't get caught up in what levels other people are playing or what other people think of the level you're playing. Simply stick to whatever you're most comfortable with and what's within your bankroll. It's always better to err on the side of caution. However, if you're well above these bankroll thresholds and are just nervous to increase the stakes, you've got to get over it if you're a serious player. So take some shots when the time is right, and don't be too nervous to climb up and down. Sooner or later you'll find yourself a regular at the mid-stakes games with a stuffed bankroll.
Poker Hands Order
In the last few years the love of poker has exploded, with glitzy cardrooms reverberating to the sound of raucous poker-table banter. The uninitiated learn the game from their friends or family and although these newbies may go on to scoop pots like pros, they have to work from the ground up. The easiest thing to learn is the poker hands order, simply which hands are more powerful.
You can’t play solid poker without knowing the proper order of poker hands, unless you want to lose your money. The game you see on TV, No Limit Hold ‘em, is a contest of big bets and tough calls. If you aren’t sure whether a flush beats a straight or if trips crush two-pair, then you can’t ever hope to compete. When you sit down at the table, a solid foundation in the correct poker hands order is an absolute necessity.
Usually, when you ask a newbie to sit down at the poker table, they will complain about being unaware of the correct order of poker hands. You may not be confident in your teaching, but thorough study of a knowledgeable poker article will have your pupil up to speed in a matter of minutes. These articles not only cover the simple poker hands order information, they will school the uninitiated in different stages of play and how to form a winning Texas Hold ‘em hand. Before you know it, your new opponent will be check-raising and pushing you off a hand.
In contrast to older games, Texas Hold ‘em presents players with an added level of hand complexity. When the hand ends, the learned player will know at a glance who has come out on top, but those who really want to excel need to learn which hole cards are better than others. Figuring the poker hands order of down cards is a little more complicated, but it is still relatively easy to rank them. Learning that Ace-King suited is a stronger hand than pocket Jacks will be instrumental to becoming a winning player. Poker hands information worth spending time on will relay these details in an easy to digest format.