Playing BELOW your bank balance....

amatola

amatola

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Oct 27, 2019
Total posts
1,120
Awards
1
GB
Chips
118
We all know that playing above your bankroll is a often a sure way to end up in the dog house.

What about playing under your bankroll? Say you have got $700 bankroll but only play 2c cash game or 50c MTTs.

Whats the problem?

For some, maybe nothing. But for others you might not take the game seriously enough. Obviously, loosing 50c is not a big deal - so you start opening your range - seeing all ins with speculive hand like JQs or ATo. fulshing hunting or chasing straights when the odds do not warrent it. Basically, playing for entertainment and not taking seriously enough.

Obviously, for some, poker is entertainment and have no issue with that.

but for others wanting to progress, is playing below your bankroll as harmfull as playing above?

and as a sub question, should your bankroll match your skill level?....
 
N

neptun1914

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Total posts
1,656
Chips
0
If you play just for fun there is nothing bad to play at micro levels even with serious bankroll. If you want to improve your game though you should switch to higher level when you have the skills and bankroll. I am rather conservative regarding bankroll management so i try to play with 100 MTT buyin deep bankroll but anything over that looks overkill even to me.
 
bapfel

bapfel

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Jun 7, 2020
Total posts
1,566
Awards
15
DE
Chips
740
I make the same experience with low blinds/bankrolls or in free rolls...frustrating. What is your experience, from which levels/cash games playing is more serious?
 
P

PokerBust007

Rising Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Mar 10, 2018
Total posts
12
Chips
0
For me its tough. Im used to .25 ($25) cash games. When I run really bad or not playing well I drop down and it seems I do worse. I start playing as If I dont care about the money and leads to reckless play. I think really its best to play at what limit you are comfortable playing.
 
Pokerpoet2

Pokerpoet2

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
May 7, 2020
Total posts
2,483
Awards
2
GB
Chips
253
It is just as important to play at a level you feel confident and comfortable with, and within your Bankroll limits, 100 X the Big Blind is common, and I would not try anything higher, more for safety than anything else, you can afford to have a bad day and come back later to re-coup your losses.
I do it regularly, I can lose every game I register for on one day and not win a single game, Come back a few days later and always finish in the money, That is Poker Variance, and that is what makes the game so intriguing.
If you won every game you registered for, no one would play against you, and as the old adage says "every dog has it's day" even the worst players win sometimes.
Playing above your Bankroll or even what you can afford to lose is a sure way to disaster, sure you can get lucky and win a big game once in a while, but you have to play the odds and if you register for an MTT with a thousand other players, the odds are stacked against you right from the start.
Keep it simple, and keep the stakes within your budget, and just like the Hare and Turtle race, you will win over time.

When the fun Stops, STOP!
 
Bennoda

Bennoda

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Apr 11, 2021
Total posts
242
Awards
1
Chips
0
I do not recommend doing this poker is a fairly random game and do not play according to the bank roll, you can lose everything and then be in a state of tilt, I myself have come across this and now I am more careful
 
Psyanide14

Psyanide14

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 15, 2018
Total posts
1,072
Chips
0
As long as you play solid poker, playing below your bankroll can be beneficial. Theoretically you should be able to beat these players more frequently as they will be more of a beginner, fun variety as opposed to more serious players. Thus you should have a larger edge against this group. If you are struggling at your normal bankroll, dropping down can help you get your confidence back with some cashes.
 
F

fundiver199

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Total posts
13,267
Awards
1
Chips
262
but for others wanting to progress, is playing below your bankroll as harmfull as playing above?

I would say no, because when you play above your bankroll, the result will often be a busted roll, and along with that often comes both tilt and demotivation. But that being said there is no point in playing games, you are not able to take serious. So in your example with a 700$ bankroll, you should definitely move to 10NL cash games rather than 2NL, if you are comfortable playing 10NL.


and as a sub question, should your bankroll match your skill level?....

Ideally yes. If your goal is to win money in poker, you need to make sure, you are playing in games, you are able to beat. And just because you are financially well off due to money made outside poker, does not mean, you can beat high stakes games against the best players in the world.

So if you are new to poker, it makes a ton of sense to give yourself a relatively small bankroll to play with to force yourself to prove, you are a winner, before moving up. Now exactly how low can be up for debate and will depend on your financial situation. For some its totally fine to prove themselfes first at the lowest possible stakes like 2NL and 5NL. But for others it might be better to begin a bit higher like 10NL or 25NL to not feel, they are wasting their time.

So depending on, which end of the spectrum you fall into, a reasonable starting bankroll could be anything from 100$ to 2.000$, but probably nothing significantly more or less than this, if we are talking about online poker. Of course live poker is different, because stakes are significantly higher, and so you will need a larger bankroll.
 
eberetta1

eberetta1

Legend
Loyaler
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Total posts
2,218
Awards
7
US
Chips
162
interesting concept. i prefer to play below my bankroll because then I do not play with scared money.

and in real life if I apply the concept, does living below my means make me want to earn less money, so I do not try so hard or take as many risks. I do not enjoy spending more than I make. i see too many folk put that into practice, spend first, then earn it to pay it back with interest.
 
Top