A serious poker player with the goal of winning should start a bankroll to keep track of their progress.  A bankroll also will help you absorb those bad beats you will no doubt take at some point. Poker is a gambling game at heart but when you make good decisions and have a proper bankroll to back them up, poker turns into a game of primarily skill.

When starting a bankroll you should set some rules for what limits you should be playing. A standard rule for managing your bankroll for limit cash games is 500 big bets. If you want to play no limit cash games or tournaments you should have 40 buy ins. Now these are just my guidelines you can adjust how much risk you are willing to handle by playing with less or more if wanted.

The following chart will give you a good idea of what you will need to play at the various limits based on your level of risk. You should drop down a limit when you don’t have enough buyins or big bets.

 It is ultimately up to you how you manage your bankroll. Remember that poker rewards the tortoise more often than the hair. The conservative route has been taken over and over again by many of the professional players today. Those who continue to subject themselves to higher risk by playing outside of their bankroll will go broke. 

So respect your roll or be prepared to kiss it goodbye