Bankroll Tips for Tournaments

Your bankroll management for Tournament poker is significantly different from that for cash games. The ups and downs are bigger, you pay a set buy-in amount, and timing matters more. This all means you need to be more careful with your money than in regular cash games.

Discover on this page proven ways to protect and grow your tournament bankroll. Learn specific buy-in rules, ways to manage risk, and steps to move up in stakes. With our tips, you'll be able to handle the natural swings of tournament poker with more confidence.

What Makes Tournament Bankroll Management Different

Unlike cash games, where you can buy back in and keep playing. You quickly learn that tournaments usually end one way: you either win money or you don't. This translates to needing a bigger bankroll to handle the swings.

Here's an example: You enter ten tournaments with $100 buy-ins. Even if you're a good player, you might only win money in two or three of those tournaments. In big tournaments, good players often go long stretches without winning significant money. So any aspiring tournament player needs to learn bankroll management to perfection.

Important Bankroll Rules for Tournament Players

Following basic bankroll rules can make a big difference in tournament play. The one thing to know about getting into these events is that you'll need a larger bankroll. The strategy for multi-table tournaments (MTTs) that most pros recommend is to have at least 100 buy-ins for your regular stakes. For big tournaments (over 1,000 players), you might need 200 or more buy-ins.

For those starting out and learning the ins and outs of sit-and-gos (SNGs ), 50–100 buy-ins usually work. Stay within your limits by never risking more than 1–2% of your bankroll on one tournament. For example, with a $1,000 bankroll, your biggest buy-in should be $10–$20.

Adjust based on your experience. If you're new to tournaments, be more careful and aim for the higher number of recommended buy-ins. Experienced players with proven positive returns may use slightly fewer buy-ins, but this increases the risk. Check your progress regularly to adjust your strategy and bankroll needs as your skills improve.

Choosing Your Stakes Based on Buy-in Limits

The 1–2% rule is a foundation of bankroll management. Pick tournaments that match your bankroll size and how much risk you want to take.

Bankroll Stages and Progression

Move through these bankroll stages to grow your tournament career. Understanding these stages helps you set realistic goals and know when to move up stakes.

Micro-Stakes: $1,000–$5,000 bankroll. Focus on learning and building experience.
Low-Stakes: $5,000–$10,000 bankroll. Slowly increase buy-ins as your confidence and results get better.
Mid-Stakes: $10,000–$25,000 bankroll. Play different types of tournaments for better opportunities.
High-Stakes: $25,000–$50,000 bankroll. Compete in bigger tournaments with higher rewards.
Major Events: $50,000+ bankroll. Aim for big tournaments and consistent performance.

Moving Down Stakes: When and How to Drop Levels

Moving down in stakes is one of the hardest decisions your learn about tournament play, but it's often the most important one for long-term success. Your ego might resist, but your bankroll will thank you. The 20% rule provides clear guidance: if your bankroll drops 20% or more below the recommended level for your current stakes, it's time to move down. For example, if you've been playing $50 tournaments with a $10,000 bankroll and you're down to $8,000, consider dropping to $30 or $22 events temporarily.

Moving down isn't permanent or a sign of failure. Think of it as strategic repositioning. You're preserving your remaining bankroll while rebuilding confidence and momentum at a level where you can play without financial stress. When you do move down, resist the temptation to play recklessly because the buy-ins feel "small." Maintain the same disciplined approach that got you to higher stakes in the first place. Many successful players have used temporary moves down as springboards to even greater success.

Risk Management Strategies

Good risk management is important for keeping your bankroll during tough times. Managing losing streaks is important because they are an inevitable part of tournament poker. If your bankroll drops by 20% or more, think about playing lower stakes to protect your remaining money. Switch to tournaments with smaller buy-ins for a while.

Pro Tip: Keep a positive attitude in poker. Remember that variance is part of the game, and even skilled players can have long losing streaks.

Ways to Protect Against Variance

Variance is built into tournament play, increasing with fast/turbo formats. Using the following techniques will help protect your bankroll from up and down swings:

Mix Up Your Play: Play different tournament types and field sizes to spread your risk.
Limit Re-entries: Don't rebuy or re-enter too much, as this can quickly drain your bankroll.
Set Stop-Loss Limits: Decide how much you're willing to lose in a session to prevent emotional decisions.
Review Your Hands: Look at your play to find mistakes and improve your decisions.
Stay Disciplined: Stick to your bankroll plan, even when you're winning, to avoid overconfidence and unnecessary risk.

Common Tournament Bankroll Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced players make costly bankroll management errors that can derail their tournament careers. Learning to recognize and avoid these mistakes protects your long-term success.

Playing tournaments you can't afford: Just because you have enough money for the buy-in doesn't mean you're properly bankrolled. Stick to the 1-2% rule regardless of how confident you feel about a particular event.
Ignoring re-entry costs: Modern tournaments often allow multiple entries, and what starts as a $100 event can quickly become a $300 investment. Factor potential re-entries into your bankroll calculations before you sit down.
Not accounting for travel and accommodation expenses in live events: A $1,000 tournament becomes much more expensive when you add flights, hotels, and meals. These hidden costs can devastate your bankroll if not planned for properly.
Chasing losses: This represents perhaps the most dangerous mistake. After a bad run, resist the urge to jump up in stakes to "get even quickly." This approach typically accelerates losses and can end your tournament career prematurely.
Playing too many different stake levels simultaneously: Spreading your bankroll across $22, $109, and $530 tournaments creates unnecessary complexity and increases your risk of ruin. Focus on one primary stake level with occasional shots at the next level up.

Tournament Selection Strategy

When evaluating which tournament to enter, think about ways to improve return on investment (ROI). Smaller fields often give you more consistent wins and lower variance, while bigger fields have higher variance but bigger rewards. Look at tournament structures, how prize money is paid out, and field sizes to make sure they match your skills and bankroll.

Advanced Bankroll Management Tips

If you want to improve your strategy, advanced tools and planning are important. Software like PokerTracker and Hold'em Manager gives you insights into your play. They let you track important numbers like win rate, ROI, and variance. These tools help you make smart decisions about which games to play and how to adjust your bankroll.

Long-term Career Planning

Set clear goals for your poker career. Define milestones and regularly check your progress. Consider ways to enhance your professional development, such as seeking coaching or studying advanced strategies. Planning for the long term helps you stay focused and motivated, setting you up for a successful poker journey.

Tracking Your Tournament Results

Proper record-keeping transforms bankroll management from guesswork into data-driven decision-making. You need to track more than just wins and losses to build a sustainable tournament career. Start by recording every tournament entry: buy-in amount, tournament type, field size, finishing position, and cash amount (if any). This basic information reveals patterns in your play and helps identify your most profitable tournament formats.

Calculate your return on investment (ROI) regularly. Divide your total winnings by your total investment, then multiply by 100. For example, if you've invested $5,000 in tournaments and cashed for $6,500, your ROI is 30%. This number helps determine if you're ready to move up stakes. Track your results by tournament type separately. You might discover you're profitable in smaller field events but struggle in large MTTs. This information guides your tournament selection strategy and helps optimize your schedule.

Pro Tip: Review your data monthly to spot trends early. A declining ROI might signal the need for study or a temporary move down in stakes, while consistent profits could justify taking shots at higher buy-ins.

Lay Your Foundation for Tournament Success

Tournament bankroll management is a key part of developing a comprehensive poker strategy. Start by looking at your current bankroll and setting realistic goals. Remember, discipline and flexibility are your best tools in this journey. Accept the challenge and use the tools and techniques we've discussed to build a lasting poker career.

Cliff Spiller is a casino and sports enthusiast with nineteen-plus years of experience as a writer and editor. He's blogged about US casino and sports betting news for several prominent gaming sites. Along the way, he's written for OddsShark, NJ.com, SportingNews.com, and LegalSportsReport. Cliff is a US editor for ClickOut Media and a writer for Catena Media.