Bankroll management

Poker Bankroll Calculator

Use this poker bankroll calculator to estimate how much money you should keep behind a cash game or tournament schedule.

The calculator uses buy-ins, not vague comfort. If you usually sit in a €2/5 game with €300, your bankroll should be measured against €300. If you sit with the full 100BB, measure against €500.

Poker Stack

Track your real bankroll with Poker Stack.

A calculator gives you the target. Poker Stack helps you record cash games, tournaments, buy-ins, cash-outs, hourly rate, stakes, notes, and long-term bankroll movement.

Download Poker Stack on the App Store

How this bankroll calculator works

For cash games, the calculator treats your typical buy-in as the unit at risk. The default is 100 big blinds, but you can enter the amount you actually buy in for. That matters because a €10,000 bankroll at €2/5 is not the same thing as 20 full €500 buy-ins if you normally sit with €300.

For tournaments, the unit is your average buy-in. A schedule of €25 daily events needs a different bankroll than a schedule where most bullets are €250 and re-entries are common.

Bankroll assumptions used

Cash games use 20 buy-ins for aggressive, 40 for standard, and 60 for conservative play. Online cash defaults are more conservative because online players often play more hands, more tables, and tougher player pools. Tournaments use 75, 150, and 250 average buy-ins.

These are working rules, not laws. A strong winner in a soft live game may accept more risk. A player with a small edge, a high-variance style, or no outside income should usually protect the bankroll more carefully.

Example

If you have €7,600 and play a €200 cash-game buy-in, you have 38 buy-ins. Under the standard live cash setting, this calculator recommends about 40 buy-ins, or €8,000. That is close, but still an aggressive bankroll for that game.

Bankroll management does not stop you from losing. It gives you a way to survive normal poker variance long enough for your actual edge to show up.

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Questions players ask

FAQ

How many buy-ins should I have for cash games?

A common cash-game range is 20 to 60 buy-ins. Twenty buy-ins is aggressive, 40 is a standard working rule, and 60 gives more room for variance, game changes, and life getting in the way.

How many buy-ins do I need for poker tournaments?

Tournament bankrolls usually need more buy-ins than cash games because payouts are top-heavy and long losing stretches are normal. This calculator uses 75, 150, and 250 average buy-ins for aggressive, standard, and conservative tournament settings.

Is 20 buy-ins enough for poker?

Twenty buy-ins can be enough for a controlled shot or a very soft cash game, but it leaves little room for downswings. If the game is tougher, faster, or online, a larger bankroll is usually more practical.

When should I move up in stakes?

Move up when you have enough buy-ins for the new game, a meaningful sample at your current game, and a plan to move back down. A bankroll rule only protects you if you follow it after losing sessions too.

Poker Stack

Bankroll rules only help if your records are honest.

Poker Stack keeps the sessions, stakes, results, and notes in one place so your next bankroll decision starts from real numbers.

Download Poker Stack on the App Store

These tools provide mathematical estimates for informational purposes. Poker involves variance and financial risk. Past results do not guarantee future results.