Poker Bettings Tips - How Much To Buy In For?

Here's a common topic I'd like to chat about - the amount of your buy in for a cash game.

Many times, people confuse the term "buy in" with "bankroll". The "buy in" is the amount of money you put down at a table during a game. Your "bankroll" is the total amount of money you have.

So, for example, if I have $1,000 and I put $200 down at a table to play, my "buy in" is $200, and my "bankroll" is $1,000 (and hopefully growing).

So enough of the basic poker tips...

How much should buy-in for when you sit down at a table.

The simple answer is 200 time the big blind. So if the blinds are $1-$2, you shoudl sit down with $400.

So why 200 times the big blind? Your comfort level. If you sit down with $10 in a 1-2 game, you're not going to see many hands, and will be forced to play when it's not necessarily in your best interest. With a sizable buy in, you are able to make the best decisions when you enter a hand, not be forced because of the size of your chip stack.

Poker, as we all know, is a game of ups and downs. We all have that hot streak... along with the cooler. You want to make sure that you're able to fight through te cool periods.

Some recommend 300 times the big blind. This may be for you, but I've never felt the need for this amount. Plus, it helps protect me against myself, betting poorly because the game isn't exciting enough for me.

So what if 200X the big blind is more than you want to wager, based on the size of your bank roll?

The answer is simple - play at a lower cost game. You're not ready to play at that level.

Happy betting!

- DJ Rutt