Poker Bankroll Management Calculator
Calculates the recommended bankroll size you need to play a given stake level safely, balancing your win rate and risk tolerance. Use it when moving up in stakes or rebuilding after a downswing.
About this calculator
Proper bankroll management (BRM) protects you from going broke due to variance even when you have a genuine edge. This calculator returns the larger of two values: a stakes-based floor equal to stakeLevel × riskTolerance × 50 buy-ins, and a growth projection equal to currentBankroll × (1 + winRate / 100). The formula is: recommendedBankroll = max(stakeLevel × riskTolerance × 50, currentBankroll × (1 + winRate / 100)). The 50 buy-in multiplier is a widely cited conservative BRM guideline for cash games. The risk tolerance factor scales that requirement up or down — a conservative player uses a higher multiplier, an aggressive one uses a lower value. Win rate in bb/100 also feeds in, projecting natural bankroll growth at your current edge.
How to use
Suppose your current bankroll is $500, your stake level value is 2 (representing $0.02/$0.05), your risk tolerance factor is 1.2 (conservative), and your win rate is 5 bb/100. Path 1: stakeLevel × riskTolerance × 50 = 2 × 1.2 × 50 = $120. Path 2: $500 × (1 + 5/100) = $500 × 1.05 = $525. The calculator returns max($120, $525) = $525 as your recommended bankroll benchmark. Because your existing roll already exceeds the stake floor, your current bankroll is the binding constraint.
Frequently asked questions
How many buy-ins do I need for safe poker bankroll management at cash games?
The conventional guideline is 20–50 buy-ins for cash games depending on your risk tolerance and win rate. A recreational player or someone with a thin edge should lean toward 50 buy-ins to survive downswings, while a strong winner with a high volume sample can operate closer to 20. These figures assume you move down in stakes if your bankroll drops below the threshold for the level below.
What win rate in bb/100 is considered good in online poker cash games?
A win rate of 5–10 bb/100 is considered strong for micro and low stakes online cash games. Beating mid-stakes games at even 3–5 bb/100 is a meaningful edge given tougher competition. Win rate estimates require a sample of at least 100,000 hands to be statistically reliable, as short-term variance can inflate or deflate your apparent edge by several bb/100.
When should I move up or down in stakes based on my bankroll?
A common rule is to move up when your bankroll reaches 50 buy-ins for the next stake and to move back down when it falls below 20 buy-ins for your current stake. This creates a buffer that prevents a single bad run from forcing repeated stake changes. Tracking your bankroll relative to these thresholds with a calculator after every session keeps your decision-making systematic rather than emotional.