Would you not say that those were minimum figures? I would have thought that for zero risk of ruin, a winning player would require nearer double that amount to safely play 5/10. 15/30 I'm not so sure about. Having gone broke once, I'm sure it's not something he wants to repeat.

My reckoning would be that $25 buyin NL games would be excellent for you, on a small bankroll. I think limit is about the WORST choice of game you can pick with a limited bankroll, for rapid upward movement. I think the middle and high limit games are obviously profitable (very profitable) for good players, but at the low limits the swings are large and the heavy rake makes progression sluggish, even for better players. Also, if you're used to 15/30, I would imagine the 1/2 and 2/4 games to require a very different set of skills to succeed at. $25NL is a game (providing you play online) that can be won at very easily and offers steady progression at a faster rate than a good low limit player could achieve on a bankroll of a similar size, without great risk of ruin. I think your $450 BR would be sufficient to play, although another 200 or so would be even better (on the safe side of 20 buy ins). Multi-tabling, I think a winrate of $40 per hour would be just about achievable, though I think for most solid players $20 per hour would be well within their capabilities. If you can put in 100 hours in a month, you should have the BR for playing 5/10 again by the end of january or so, cards willing. You just have to put in the hours, and the work.

Monk
xxxxx

Let's start with this. I used to keep about a 7000 dollar bankroll for the limits I was playing. This was more often at 5-10 dabbing at the other two once in awhile.

Something else, I jumped into 3/6 with 210 in the bankroll. I considered the risk well worth it. While poker itself is a huge risk if you play seriously, for those who have the right knowledge and experience it can be very profitable. I'll be the first to state that it's not a good idea to keep such a short roll in at such limits. I'll also be the first to say I really don't do well at any limits below 3/6. So I find 3/6 is my bare minimum.

You both gave very good advice and I appreciate it. Something else (LiLOleMe) happens to be a she. LoL

Again thanks for thoughts and comments.
-Me

Those guys are right about the math of bankroll. My idea is that the rake at small stakes makes it really hard to beat.

You need a smaller bankroll at no limit than at limit if you are a good no limit player.

I am only a part time poker player and I can stand periods of breaking even or not playing at all. When I was young and played poker for my sometimes big sometimes small bankroll, it was spending or periods of no good games that broke me.

When I'd get broke, I'd go down to a lower game and get staked, playing on the halfs until I built back up.

If I was building up, I'd start with the minimum pull out and quit with modest wins and take fewer chances as I was a broke who was starting over. This happened several times and was always this huge learning thing because when the bankroll got a few thousand, I'd be convinced I'd never see another poor day. Now I have my teacher's retirement and do not even have to play poker.

For 98% of all poker players, being a full time pro is not a good deal. You need an income to pay your basic costs of food and shelter. Having the added income of poker on top of almost any job is a lot less stressful and makes more financial sense. It makes you less stressed because of the little money things on the job, a half per cent on a raise doesn't matter if you just tipped over a sweet score.

Your poker income is gambling and is going to swing. What I have seen, and you are all going to see are these young people who win large bundles at twenty one and are broke at twenty two and face gambler's ruin...lost it all.

What difference does it make? Young people should learn to gamble where they can make something out of themselves. The successful gamblers I know have another job or business. That handful you see on TV are playing for millions that dreamers lost. I'm always at the World Series hustling the side games amused at the huge number of new "pros" who will be going home broke.

Which ever way your luck's running, it is bound to change.

Great posts.