Bankroll Management (BRM)
Bankroll management (BRM) is how you manage the money you put into poker. It protects you from going broke and lets you play with a clear mind. There is no universal number: it is personal.
The goals
- Don't go broke (no money left to play).
- Don't have to move down in stakes.
- Be at ease financially, so you play without pressure.
In every case: your life first
Your bankroll must never impact your life. Keep enough money not allocated to poker to handle life's unexpected costs (a breakdown, a surprise bill), on top of your rent and bills. The calculator always shows this rule.
Mental → Bankroll: one page, three parts
In the app, go to Mental → Bankroll. Everything is recomputed live.
1. Your target in buy-ins
First your goal: an occasional player (a tournament now and then for the thrill) needs no BRM. Set yourself a fun budget you can lose.
Otherwise, 3 questions build your target, like the « Bankroll management » concept:
| Question | Answers | Buy-ins |
|---|---|---|
| Comfort: to play without thinking about money during a tournament, how big a cushion do you need? | small / medium / big | 100 / 125 / 150 |
| Swings: which formats do you play the most? | deepstack / in between / turbos, expressos, KOs, short-handed | + 50 / + 75 / + 100 |
| Progression: how fast do you want to move up? | fast / normal / slowly | − 25 / 0 / + 25 |
The target stays between 150 and 250 buy-ins. Example: « Your target: 200 buy-ins (comfort 125 + swings 75) ». You can change the number by hand (and go back to the computed target).
2. Your bankroll and average buy-in
- Your bankroll (€).
- Your average buy-in (€, decimals allowed, e.g. 6.50 €): the price of most of your tournaments. A few more or less expensive ones are fine.
Once saved, « Update my bankroll » lets you change only the amount in two seconds.
3. Where you stand
- Buy-ins held = bankroll ÷ average buy-in, with a status:
- green: your bankroll covers your target;
- amber: you're under your target, don't move up;
- red: you're under 75% of your target, lower your average buy-in.
- « Your average buy-in can go up to X € » = bankroll ÷ target, with a hint built from the usual buy-ins (0.50, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200…): 6 € → « mostly 5 €, with a few 10 € »; 4 € → « mostly 5 €, with a few 2 € ».
- « If your bankroll drops below Y €, lower your average buy-in », with Y = target × average buy-in × 0.75.
Example
Target 200 buy-ins, bankroll 1,300 €, average buy-in 6.50 €:
- 1,300 ÷ 6.50 = 200 buy-ins → target reached;
- 1,300 ÷ 200 = 6.50 € → « mostly 5 €, with a few 10 € »;
- 200 × 6.50 × 0.75 = 975 € → below this, lower your average buy-in.
A trade-off between progression and risk
- Fewer buy-ins: you move up faster, but you risk going broke and having to redeposit.
- More buy-ins: you progress more slowly, but more calmly.
Without an account: the free calculator
The free bankroll calculator does the same maths, no account needed. Your answers stay in your browser and are synced into your account if you sign up.
Clear your bankroll
« Clear my bankroll », under the calculator, permanently deletes your target, your bankroll and your average buy-in (after confirmation), on your account and on this device.
AI Coaching integration
The AI Coaching knows your target, bankroll, average buy-in and status. It can tell you when you're playing too expensive for your bankroll and when to move up or down.