The required bankroll for tournaments depends on a number of things including:
* Fields size
* Your ROI
* Payout structure
* Your willingness to move down
* Your ability to top up the bankroll with money from outside poker
* If you always play the same games or mix up limits
Starting with field size large fields create more variance, because there is longer between reaching the top prices, which then on the other hand are bigger. Having a high ROI helps pull you out of downswings, before they get to large, whereas if your ROI is negative, you will always go broke, if you continue playing. The tricky part of course is, we dont actually know our ROI, before we start playing.
The payout structure is typically fairly similar for MTTs, but those paying a smaller percentage of the field and/or with very top heavy payout create larger variance. And finally its ok to be more aggressive with your bankroll, if you are willing to move down and/or able to top up your bankroll with money from outside poker. Like paychecks. If you know, that you will be able to top up the account with another 100$ in 13 days, you can essentially play like, those 100$ is already part of your bankroll.
The 100 buy-in rule is easy to remember, but for MTTs on PokerStars its not enough, if you always play for the maximum amount, are unwilling to move down and unable to top up with money from outside poker. If for instance you deposit 330$ and then only play 3,3$ MTTs with an average field of 1.000 players, 150 places paid and an ROI of 20%, then your risk of being broke after 10.000 of those is as high as 50%.
Tournament Variance Calculator | Primedope
However if you use the 100 buy-in rule as the sealing for, which games you are allowed to play, and adjust it up or down, when your bankroll change, then you are going to be completely fine. With the 330$ bankroll you will then be playing 3,3$, 2,2$ and 1,1$ MTTs, which is also better, because it reduce waiting time for new games to begin.
If you drop below 330$, now you are confined to 2,2$ and 1,1$ MTTs, and if you drop below 220$, now you are confined to 1,1$ MTTs. This is a fairly conservative bankroll management scheeme, and if you are a winning player the risk of going broke (having to redeposit) will be minimal.
As for the limits you play, yes typically higher limits will require more conservative bankroll management than lower limits for two main reasons:
1) Your ROI will be lower playing in tougher fields
2) Replacing the bankroll with money from outside poker will be more difficult or painfull
If we go to the extreme and say, you intend to start grinding the 25c or 50c 18-45 man SnGs on PokerStars, then talking about a required bankroll is kind of silly, since you can just dig out your credit card and make another minimum deposit of 10 dollars whenever needed. Or at least this is the reality for the vast majority.
For stakes like 1-5$ it can make sense and be benefitial to have a dedicated poker bankroll to set some limits for yourself and avoid being one of those people, who repeatedly have to redeposit. Typically that process also avoid things like tilt and playing above skill level, which is definitely not good.
But if you have previous experience with poker, and the ability to add more money later, there is no need to be so anal about bankroll management in the micros. You also want to get out of the micros and into at least low stakes games, where hopefully your hourly winrate is going to be higher, and where you are going to challenge yourself against some better opponents.
