Your bankroll is the money dedicated only to playing, separate from your living money. Good management doesn't make you win more per hand, but it keeps from breaking you before your skill shows.
How many buy-ins
| Format | Recommended bankroll | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cash NLHE | 20–30 buy-ins of the stake | Variance is lower than in tournaments |
| Tournaments (MTT) | 100+ buy-ins | Prizes concentrated in the top spots = huge swings |
| Sit & Go | 50+ buy-ins | In between cash and MTT |
Moving up and down in stakes
Move up in stakes only when you have the bankroll for the new stake and you've been winning over a big enough sample. And the most important thing, the one almost nobody does: move down if your bankroll drops below the threshold. There's no shame in moving down; there's shame in going broke.
✓ Consejo: A “shot” at a higher stake is fine if you decide in advance how much you're willing to lose before moving back down.
⚠️ Error común: The mistake that breaks good players: playing stakes too high for their bankroll “because they beat the game.” Variance doesn't forgive a lack of cushion.
💡 Clave: Enough buy-ins for your format, move up with your head and move down without ego. The bankroll is what keeps you in the game long enough for your skill to win.