Poker Bankroll Calculator
Enter your total poker bankroll, select your game format, and choose a risk level.
This calculator uses the Mason Malmuth risk of ruin formula to tell you the highest stakes you can safely play, how many buy-ins you have, and when to move up or down.
Calculate Your Stakes
How to Use This Calculator
The calculator needs three inputs: your bankroll size, game format, and risk tolerance.
Here is what each one means and how to set it correctly:
Enter your bankroll
Your total poker bankroll in dollars. Do not include living expenses, rent, bills, or emergency funds. Only count money you can deposit into a poker room without affecting your real life.
Select your game format
Different formats have different variance profiles. NLH cash games swing less than PLO. Spin & Gos swing more than Sit & Gos. MTTs require the most buy-ins of any format.
Choose your risk tolerance
Conservative (2% to 5% risk of ruin) is safest for players who rely on poker income. Moderate (5% to 10%) suits most grinders. Aggressive (10% to 20%) allows faster progression but bigger swings.
Read your results
The calculator shows your recommended stake, buy-in count, a move-up target with progress bar, and a move-down threshold. If the results say you need 40 buy-ins but you only have 25: drop down one level or build your bankroll first.
How Many Buy-ins Do You Need?
The number of buy-ins you need depends on your win rate, the game’s variance, rake, and your acceptable risk of ruin.
These figures assume a 2 BB/100 win rate in cash games and 20% ROI in tournaments. If your win rate is lower, add 20% to 30% more buy-ins. For full bankroll tables with exact dollar amounts at every stake, see our poker bankroll management guide.
| Game Type | Conservative (2% to 5% RoR) | Moderate (5% to 10% RoR) | Aggressive (10% to 20% RoR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLH Cash (6-Max) | 50 to 75 buy-ins | 30 to 40 buy-ins | 20 to 25 buy-ins |
| NLH Cash (Full Ring) | 40 to 50 buy-ins | 25 to 30 buy-ins | 15 to 20 buy-ins |
| PLO Cash (6-Max) | 100 to 150 buy-ins | 60 to 80 buy-ins | 40 to 50 buy-ins |
| Sit & Go | 60 to 100 buy-ins | 40 to 60 buy-ins | 25 to 35 buy-ins |
| Spin & Go | 80 to 120 buy-ins | 50 to 75 buy-ins | 30 to 45 buy-ins |
| MTT | 100 to 150 buy-ins | 75 to 100 buy-ins | 50 to 75 buy-ins |
| Zoom / Fast-Fold | 40 to 60 buy-ins | 25 to 35 buy-ins | 15 to 25 buy-ins |
| Live NLH Cash | 60 to 80 buy-ins | 40 to 50 buy-ins | 25 to 30 buy-ins |
PLO and Spin & Go formats carry roughly double the variance of standard NLH cash games. If you play these formats, size your bankroll accordingly or expect larger and more frequent downswings.
Tournament players should note that MTT variance is the highest of any format: even winning players regularly experience 50+ buy-in stretches below expectation. The variance section below explains how the calculator accounts for this.
Understanding Your Calculator Results
The calculator factors in your format’s variance profile to determine safe stakes. Three things shift the result most: format variance, rake, and your game selection rules.
Variance and Risk of Ruin
Higher variance formats need more buy-ins to survive the same downswing. The buy-ins table above shows why cash games need fewer buy-ins than MTTs or Spins, and the calculator adjusts automatically based on your format selection.
For the full math on how standard deviation, sample size, and risk of ruin interact, see our variance in poker guide.
Rake and Rakeback
Rakeback lowers your effective rake, which directly reduces the buy-ins you need. The Player A vs Player B comparison above shows why: same bankroll, different safe stakes. For the full breakdown of how rakeback changes your strategy and bankroll math, see our rakeback and strategy guide.
Game Selection and Moving Up
Do not move up until you have at least 30 buy-ins at the next level. If your bankroll drops below 20 buy-ins at your current stake, move down immediately.
These thresholds protect you from turning a normal downswing into a bankroll-ending one. For the full shot-taking rules and when to move down, see our guide to moving up stakes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the difference between a bankroll calculator and a variance calculator?
A bankroll calculator tells you how many buy-ins you need and what stakes you can safely play right now. A variance calculator projects the range of possible outcomes over thousands of hands or tournaments based on your win rate and standard deviation. Use the bankroll calculator for stake selection. Use the variance simulator to model long-term swings and set realistic expectations.
How does rakeback affect my bankroll calculator results?
Rakeback lowers your effective rake. If you earn 15% rakeback at a site with 5% rake, your effective rake drops to 4.25%. Run your numbers with the effective rake, not the nominal rake. This can reduce your required buy-ins by 10% to 15% depending on the format and your volume.
Can I use this calculator for both cash games and tournaments?
The calculator supports cash games (NLH), Sit & Gos, and Multi-Table Tournaments. Each format uses different variance assumptions. Cash game calculations use standard deviation in big blinds. Tournament calculations use ROI percentage and field size. Select the correct format from the dropdown to get accurate results for your game.
How many hands do I need before trusting my win rate?
At minimum 50,000 hands. At that sample your win rate can still swing by 0.5 BB/100 due to variance. At 100,000 hands the confidence interval tightens to roughly 0.25 BB/100. Until you hit 100,000+ hands, use conservative estimates in the calculator: assume your win rate is 1 BB/100 lower than your current average.
What happens if my actual win rate is lower than I estimated?
Your risk of ruin roughly doubles for every 50% drop in win rate. If you entered 2 BB/100 but you actually win at 1 BB/100, you need close to twice as many buy-ins to maintain the same safety margin. This is the single biggest bankroll killer: the gap between what you think you win and what you actually win. Track your results over a large sample before committing to a stake level.