Even The Best Of Us Can Burn Through Our Bankrolls!
If you are passionate about playing online poker, then you probably know that fuzzy feeling of grinding for weeks and even months while gathering a hefty balance. Wouldn’t it be sad if you would lose it all in one or two bad sessions? Unfortunately, this is exactly what happens to approximately 90% of online poker players.
What I find surprising is that even winning players are facing this problem and all because they are simply unable to keep a balance online. If you know that you are a consistent player; very capable of making money through online poker, yet you can’t seem to keep a healthy bankroll, here are some of my suggestions:
You can’t make money without spending some
In my opinion, the most important rule to respect in online poker is to play within your roll to make money. It’s like this: a winning player can always have positive expectations regarding his investments. However, in order to be able to make those investments, first he needs to have sufficient money in his account so that the variances and swings become irrelevant. Essentially, even though your funds are limited, the budget should be large enough to seem infinite.
Another important rule states that you should always have less than 5% of your total funds in a roll. If you don’t have to worry about going broke just because you had a couple of bad games, then chances are that you won’t. In conclusion, by playing with a legit bankroll, you will take very little to no risks at all.
Keep your eyes on the game, not your balance
Because online poker is played with chips and not real money, your balance is the last thing to be concerned about while playing. Granted, checking the balance after several successful hands will surely have a positive influence on your spirits and confidence. Not to mention that it only takes a click of a button to verify it when you play online!
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On the other hand, how would you feel after losing a big sum and noticing that devastatingly low amount of cash in your account? Besides feeling bad, you can also fall into the trap of thinking that you can and have to win that money back. That’s just a surefire way to lose them all! If it took you a month to make that money, in general you should think of it as that is how much it will take to get them back.
Treat online poker seriously
You’d be surprised by the number of online poker players that chat, check their emails or do many other things while playing. Playing online poker while multitasking is a certain way to make mistakes and lose your money. Simply put, losing because of numerous silly and minor mistakes will not generate any profit. Because you can play from the comfort of your own home, that does not mean you should not treat the game as seriously as you would in a real land based casino. Therefore, if certain stimuli distract you from making the best decisions, simply eliminate them from your proximity.
The same goes for those sessions when you are playing out of boredom. I’m not denying the fact that poker is entertaining and an overall fun game. I’m just saying playing while bored will tempt you to do various dumb and risky moves just to get some thrill at the table.
Are you thirsty, hungry or perhaps you need to lay down for a while?
It’s only natural that you will feel hungry or thirsty after playing for several hours, so I’d strongly advise you to take a small break and get a glass of water or a snack. Hunger and thirst act as distractions, since you will be constantly thinking that you should get something to eat and drink instead of planning your next move.
I believe it’s self explanatory that you should never play while you are tired or while having any pressing matters on your mind. Similar to being hungry or thirsty, exhaustion and personal problems will lead to bad decisions. Since you are not playing your best, you will obviously be losing a lot of cash. Unless you are comfortable and able to keep your head in the game, don’t play in these situations!
Byline
Hi I am Chad and I am an enthusiastic online poker player. Join me in playing poker at http://www.pokerstars.co.uk!
Byline
Hi I am Chad and I am an enthusiastic online poker player. Join me in playing poker at http://www.pokerstars.co.uk!