Poker and Casino games combine luck and skill. Some games are more heavily weighted towards skill and show a positive winning expectation long term, while other games are purely entertaining and will cost money over time. The need for proper bankroll management in any game, whether it be a skillful game like poker or a fast action game of craps, cannot be understated. For the skill game player, proper bankroll management keeps him from going broke. For the casino player, managing the bankroll leads to extended hours of enjoyment, better comps and a better chance of making a huge score on a lucky day. It also helps prevent your gaming hobby from encroaching upon money that is meant to pay bills!

What is a bankroll?

In gaming, a bankroll is money set aside specifically for gambling. It does not have to be carried as cash, but it needs to be money set aside somewhere, such as in a bank account, prepaid visa or money market fund where it can be accessed quickly. This separate pool of funds must be kept apart from your usual living expenses.

The concept of managing the bankroll is foreign to most players, and when it comes to poker bankroll management, it is one of the biggest reasons that good players and even pro players find themselves broke and looking for a loan. Poker bankroll management is just as important as poker strategy and mathematical concepts to the pro player, and casino bankroll strategy is rarely considered by even the high rollers. With the explosive growth of internet poker rooms, online poker bankroll management has become very important as well.