Poker Bankroll Calculator
Pick your stake, game format, and your risk tolerance. The calculator gives you the recommended bankroll in big blinds (BBs) and £, based on standard bankroll-management guidelines for each format.
Inputs
How the calculator works
NLH cash: Standard is 20-30 buy-ins (1 buy-in = 100 BB). Conservative players hold 40-50 buy-ins; aggressive winners can run on 15.
PLO cash: Variance is roughly 1.5-2× NLH at the same level. Standard is 30-50 buy-ins. Move up only with 50+ buy-in roll.
MTT: Highest variance — recommended 100-200 buy-ins of your average MTT cost. Hyper-MTTs need more (300+).
SnG: 50-100 buy-ins is standard; hyper-turbo SnGs lean toward 200+.
Risk-of-ruin math assumes a standard variance distribution. Real-world ROR depends on your true edge and how well you handle downswings — see our Bankroll Management and Poker Variance guides.