Game Rules The 100-Buy-In Rule for Cash Games URL has been copied successfully! A common recommendation for bankroll management in poker cash games is the 100 buy-in rule. It suggests that at any particular stake, you should have 100 buy-ins of that stake available. The idea behind this is that it gives a decent cushion to take the variance – natural ups and downs that occur in wins and losses – while allowing you to move up in stakes as the bankroll grows. Be it a novice, amateur, or professional poker player, the 100-buy-in rule can be quite workable for risk management and increasing one’s possibility of long-term success. The rule works for all types of players; it is very useful for those who do not want to go broke while improving their game. What is the 100-Buy-In Rule? Now, the 100-buy-in rule for cash games goes something like this: it suggests that a player should at least have 100 buy-ins for the cash game stakes he or she intends to play. A buy-in is basically how much money you would need to sit down with the standard stack size of chips. In most no-limit cash games, the traditional buy-in size is 100 big blinds. Then, if you are playing the $1/$2 game – with $2 as the big blind – then your buy-in would be $200. Using the 100-buy-in rule, this means that you need to have at least $20,000 in your bankroll if you are going to play these stakes – $200 buy-in x 100 = $20,000. Why Use the 100-Buy-In Rule? The 100-buy-in rule accounts mostly for variance. Even in cash games, the best players go on downswings. So with a larger bankroll, you give yourself more room to absorb those swings without feeling pressured or going broke. The 100-buy-in rule can even help you play very confidently and securely, knowing your bankroll will be prepared for any expected losses. Confidence in poker tends to equate to better decisions, as players with larger bankrolls tend to play more rationally, not falling into the emotional traps derived from fear of money loss. How the 100-Buy-In Rule Works for Different Players How the 100-Buy-In Rule Works for Different Players 1. Beginner Player An average player has less experience with the strategy involved in poker and tends to commit more mistakes. The 100-buy-in rule will be especially important for a beginner until such time that variance would probably be big as one develops his or her skills. Example with a Bankroll of $50: This means if a beginner has $50 in his bankroll, the 100-buy-in rule would have him playing in games where the buy-in is $0.50 or less. He would play at micro-stakes tables like $0.01/0.02$ or $0.02/0.05$. At this kind of table stakes, the buy-in would be $1-$5, which would let the player safely sit down and play a few hands. The reason beginners should play for such low stakes is that they are still learning, and to lose a big portion of their bankroll early might discourage them. The 100-buy-in rule enables beginners to have a good experience without risking too much money. 2. Amateur Player The amateur players already have more experience compared to the beginners and might achieve some successes at stakes that are lower. Still, the bankroll has to be shielded from both ups and downs in terms of variance as their progress continues. Stability for amateurs and a hedge against going on a losing streak is the 100-buy-in rule. Example with a $500 Bankroll: By the 100-buy-in rule, it would safely put an amateur player with a $500 bankroll in games with a $5 buy-in. That would come under games like $0.02/$0.05 or $0.05/$0.10, where the buy-in falls between $5 and $10. With up to 100 buy-ins, this player is well cushioned against variance and can comfortably keep working on his game. As the amateur player gains more confidence, they may want to move up to higher stakes games in which they participate. In either case, this occurs only after their bankroll has sufficiently increased in size to the point at which they can still apply the 100-buy-in rule. Using the same example above, if they wanted to play in a game with $0.25/$0.50 stakes with a buy-in of $50, their bankroll size should be at least $5,000. 3. Pro Player Because professional poker players tie their incomes directly to the poker game, prudent bankroll management becomes that much more important. The 100-buy-in rule gives them the buffer they need against swings in results, allowing them to keep playing during black streaks or less-than-ideal performance. Example with a Bankroll of $10,000: With that kind of bankroll, the pro can comfortably sit at any table with stakes no larger than $0.25/$0.50 – which allows a player to buy into a game for $50. At this size, a player has plenty of cushion in order to handle any kind of downswings without putting their entire bankroll at risk. For a professional, being able to weather the downswings is the most important aspect of remaining in the game. If their bankroll falls below 100 buy-ins for the stakes they are playing, they must move down to lower stakes until they rebuild. Adherence to the 100-buy-in rule helps professional players survive the variance that invariably creates long-term poker play. Examples of Table Stakes Based on Bankroll $100 Bankroll: Following the 100-buy-in rule means that with a $100 bankroll, you should be playing at stakes like $0.01/$0.02 where the buy-in is $2. This gives you 50 buy-ins and plenty of room for the variance that comes from playing cash games.$1,000 Bankroll: On a $1,000 bankroll, it would be reasonable to move up to $0.05/$0.10 where the buy-in is higher – would be $10. Having 100 buy-ins at this level would give the player a much stronger buffer against variance, too, enabling them to compete at those stakes.$5,000 Bankroll: At a bankroll of $5,000, the 100-buy-in rule is going to recommend that one plays at $0.25/$0.50-stakes, $50 buy-ins, which is a very comfortable level for most amateur and professional players. Table Stakes Based on Bankroll How to Adjust Based on Risk Tolerance and Variance In essence, the 100-buy-in rule is an extremely conservative bankroll management strategy. Those players who can handle more variance will very often play at 50 or 60 buy-ins, but this does increase the likelihood of going broke on a downswing. The extremely cautious players may prefer the 150- or 200-buy-in rule, which will further reduce their variance but will give them little chance to quickly move up in stakes. Another thing to consider is variance: If a style of play is more maniacal, playing lots of multi-way pots or simply playing looser than average, the variance can be higher. In that case, 100 buy-ins are very good because then you have that security to deal with the swings. Final Thoughts The 100-buy-in rule is a very down-to-earth and conservative approach in bankroll management for players of any level: a complete beginner, an amateur, or a pro. By sticking to this rule, you’ll be protected from variance and cash games, the likelihood of going broke will be reduced, and the chances of building up your bankroll over time will be higher. Whether playing at the micro-stakes tables or in higher buy-in events, the 100-buy-in rule enables players to focus on their game, unencumbered with the stress of losing money. Americas Cardroom Americas Cardroom Updates & Announcements: providing a comprehensive summary of the week’s key happenings and significant announcements within ACR Poker.