Most bankroll calculators tell you your risk of going broke. This calculator answers the more practical question: “How much money do I actually need?”
By inverting the famous Risk of Ruin formula, this tool calculates the precise Bankroll (B) required to keep your risk below a specific threshold (e.g., 1%), based on your Winrate and Variance. Whether you’re planning to go professional or just want to grind safely at your current stakes, this calculator gives you the exact number.
📊 Bankroll Requirements Calculator
Reverse RoRBankroll Requirements (Big Blinds) — Std Dev 100 bb/100
| Winrate | 1% RoR | 2% RoR | 5% RoR | 10% RoR | Buy-ins (1%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bb/100 | 23,026 | 19,560 | 14,979 | 11,513 | ~230 BI |
| 2 bb/100 | 11,513 | 9,780 | 7,489 | 5,757 | ~115 BI |
| 3 bb/100 | 7,675 | 6,520 | 4,993 | 3,838 | ~77 BI |
| 4 bb/100 | 5,757 | 4,890 | 3,745 | 2,878 | ~58 BI |
| 5 bb/100 | 4,605 | 3,912 | 2,996 | 2,303 | ~46 BI |
| 6 bb/100 | 3,838 | 3,260 | 2,496 | 1,919 | ~38 BI |
| 8 bb/100 | 2,878 | 2,445 | 1,872 | 1,439 | ~29 BI |
| 10 bb/100 | 2,303 | 1,956 | 1,498 | 1,151 | ~23 BI |
Typical Standard Deviation by Game Type
| Game Type | Typical Std Dev | Bankroll Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| NLHE Full Ring | 60-80 bb/100 | 0.5x - 0.6x |
| NLHE 6-max | 80-120 bb/100 | 1.0x (baseline) |
| NLHE Heads-Up | 100-150 bb/100 | 1.0x - 2.25x |
| PLO Full Ring | 100-140 bb/100 | 1.0x - 2.0x |
| PLO 6-max | 120-160 bb/100 | 1.4x - 2.6x |
| PLO Heads-Up | 150-200+ bb/100 | 2.25x - 4.0x |
Risk of Ruin with 20 Buy-ins (2,000 bb)
| Winrate | RoR with 20 BI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| 2 bb/100 | 36.8% | ⛔ Extremely risky |
| 4 bb/100 | 13.5% | ⚠️ Too risky |
| 6 bb/100 | 5.0% | ⚠️ Aggressive |
| 8 bb/100 | 1.8% | ✓ Acceptable |
| 10 bb/100 | 0.7% | ✓ Safe |
What is Risk of Ruin?
Risk of Ruin (RoR) is the probability that you will lose your entire bankroll before it grows indefinitely. Even winning players face this risk because of variance — short-term luck can overwhelm long-term skill.
🎯 1% Risk of Ruin
Professional standard. 1 in 100 chance of going broke. Recommended for anyone whose livelihood depends on poker.
⚠️ 5% Risk of Ruin
Serious recreational. 1 in 20 chance of going broke. Acceptable for committed players with other income sources.
⛔ 10%+ Risk of Ruin
High risk. 1 in 10 chance of going broke. Only acceptable for casual players who can easily reload.
The key insight: even a 5% RoR means that 1 in 20 players with your exact skill level will go broke despite being long-term winners. Proper bankroll management isn’t about being paranoid — it’s about survival.
How the Math Works
This tool solves for B (Bankroll) using the formula derived from Brownian motion — the same mathematical model used in physics and finance to describe random movement:
$B = \frac{\sigma^2 \times \ln(1/r)}{2\mu}$
Understanding the Variables
μ (Mu) — Your Winrate
Your edge measured in bb/100 (big blinds per 100 hands). This comes from your tracking software and represents your long-term expected profit rate.
- 2 bb/100 — Small winner / breakeven with rakeback
- 4 bb/100 — Solid regular winner
- 6+ bb/100 — Strong winner (rare at higher stakes)
- 10+ bb/100 — Exceptional (usually only at micro stakes)
σ (Sigma) — Standard Deviation
A measure of how much your results swing around your expected value, also in bb/100. Higher variance = bigger swings = larger bankroll required.
- 60-80 bb/100 — NLHE Full Ring (tight, passive)
- 80-100 bb/100 — NLHE 6-max (standard)
- 100-130 bb/100 — NLHE 6-max (aggressive)
- 120-160 bb/100 — PLO 6-max
- 150-200+ bb/100 — PLO Heads-Up
r — Risk of Ruin
Your maximum acceptable probability of going broke, expressed as a decimal.
- 0.01 = 1% (Professional)
- 0.02 = 2% (Very conservative)
- 0.05 = 5% (Serious recreational)
- 0.10 = 10% (Aggressive)
Typical Standard Deviation by Game Type
If you don’t know your exact standard deviation, use these typical values based on game format:
| Game Type | Typical Std Dev | Suggested Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLHE Full Ring (9-max) | 60-80 bb/100 | 70 | Tight games, fewer big pots |
| NLHE 6-max | 80-120 bb/100 | 100 | Most common online format |
| NLHE Heads-Up | 100-150 bb/100 | 125 | More aggression, bigger swings |
| PLO Full Ring | 100-140 bb/100 | 120 | Higher variance than NLHE |
| PLO 6-max | 120-160 bb/100 | 140 | Much higher variance |
| PLO Heads-Up | 150-200+ bb/100 | 175 | Extreme variance — requires huge bankroll |
Pro Tip: If you play an aggressive style with lots of 3-betting and bluffing, add 10-20 to your default standard deviation. If you play a tight, passive style, subtract 10-20.
Complete Bankroll Requirements Table
This table shows the required bankroll in big blinds for different winrate and risk combinations, assuming a standard deviation of 100 bb/100 (typical NLHE 6-max):
| Winrate | 1% RoR | 2% RoR | 5% RoR | 10% RoR | Buy-ins (1% RoR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bb/100 | 23,026 bb | 19,560 bb | 14,979 bb | 11,513 bb | ~230 BI |
| 2 bb/100 | 11,513 bb | 9,780 bb | 7,489 bb | 5,757 bb | ~115 BI |
| 3 bb/100 | 7,675 bb | 6,520 bb | 4,993 bb | 3,838 bb | ~77 BI |
| 4 bb/100 | 5,757 bb | 4,890 bb | 3,745 bb | 2,878 bb | ~58 BI |
| 5 bb/100 | 4,605 bb | 3,912 bb | 2,996 bb | 2,303 bb | ~46 BI |
| 6 bb/100 | 3,838 bb | 3,260 bb | 2,496 bb | 1,919 bb | ~38 BI |
| 8 bb/100 | 2,878 bb | 2,445 bb | 1,872 bb | 1,439 bb | ~29 BI |
| 10 bb/100 | 2,303 bb | 1,956 bb | 1,498 bb | 1,151 bb | ~23 BI |
Note: For PLO, multiply these numbers by approximately 2x (for 140 bb/100 std dev) or 2.5x (for 160 bb/100 std dev).
Example: Planning for Professional Play
You are a solid winner with a winrate of 4 bb/100 and a standard deviation of 100 bb/100. You want a professional safety net (1% Risk of Ruin).
📊 Calculation
B = (100² × ln(1/0.01)) / (2 × 4)
B = (10,000 × 4.605) / 8
B = 5,757 Big Blinds
- In Buy-ins: 5,757 ÷ 100 = ~58 Buy-ins (at 100bb stack depth)
- For NL100: 5,757 × $1 = $5,757
- For NL200: 5,757 × $2 = $11,514
If you want to be safer (0.1% Risk), the requirement jumps to ~8,600 bb (~86 buy-ins). This tool proves why “20 buy-ins” is rarely enough for serious grinding.
Why “20 Buy-ins” Is Often Not Enough
You’ll often hear advice like “just keep 20 buy-ins.” Let’s test this with math:
❌ The 20 Buy-in Myth
Scenario: 4 bb/100 winrate, 100 bb/100 std dev, 2,000 bb bankroll (20 BI)
Using the standard RoR formula: Risk of Ruin = 13.5%
That means roughly 1 in 7 players with these exact stats will go broke despite being long-term winners!
Here’s when 20 buy-ins actually provides different risk levels:
| Winrate | RoR with 20 BI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| 2 bb/100 | 36.8% | ⛔ Extremely risky |
| 4 bb/100 | 13.5% | ⚠️ Too risky |
| 6 bb/100 | 5.0% | ⚠️ Aggressive |
| 8 bb/100 | 1.8% | ✅ Acceptable |
| 10 bb/100 | 0.7% | ✅ Safe |
Bottom line: 20 buy-ins is only safe if you have an 8+ bb/100 winrate — which is unrealistic for most players above micro stakes.
NLHE vs PLO: The Variance Multiplier
One of the most important insights from the formula is that variance (σ²) is squared. This has dramatic implications when comparing NLHE to PLO:
🃏 NLHE 6-max Example
- Winrate: 4 bb/100
- Std Dev: 100 bb/100
- 1% RoR requirement: 5,757 bb
- ≈ 58 buy-ins
🎰 PLO 6-max Example
- Winrate: 4 bb/100
- Std Dev: 140 bb/100
- 1% RoR requirement: 11,284 bb
- ≈ 113 buy-ins
The PLO player needs almost 2x the bankroll for the same safety level — and if their std dev is 160 bb/100, they need nearly 2.5x.
This is why many PLO players go broke despite being winners. The game is incredibly high variance, and “standard” bankroll advice designed for NLHE is completely inadequate.
Preparing for Downswings
Even with proper bankroll management, you will experience significant downswings. Here’s what to expect:
Expected Downswings (4 bb/100 winner, 100 bb/100 std dev)
| Over 100,000 hands: | Expect at least one 2,000+ bb downswing (20+ buy-ins) |
| Over 500,000 hands: | Expect at least one 4,000+ bb downswing (40+ buy-ins) |
| Over 1,000,000 hands: | Expect downswings of 5,000+ bb (50+ buy-ins) |
These aren’t worst-case scenarios — they’re expected. Proper bankroll management doesn’t prevent downswings; it ensures you survive them.
For detailed downswing analysis and simulations, use our Poker Variance Calculator.
Related Poker Calculators
- Poker Variance Calculator — Simulate results and visualize downswings
- Rake & Rakeback Calculator — Calculate your true post-rake winrate
- Poker Equity Calculator — Outs and equity calculations
- Pot Odds Calculator — Make correct calling decisions
- Tournament Bankroll Calculator — Bankroll for MTTs (different formula)
- ICM Calculator — Tournament equity and deal-making
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where do I find my Standard Deviation?
You can find this in your tracking software (PokerTracker 4 or Holdem Manager 3). Look for “Std Dev bb/100” or “Standard Deviation” in your statistics panel.
Typical values are 80-100 bb/100 for NLHE and 120-160 bb/100 for PLO. If you play a more aggressive style, your number will be on the higher end.
Why does the required bankroll skyrocket for PLO?
Because variance (σ²) is squared in the Risk of Ruin formula. If your standard deviation doubles from 100 to 200 (common when moving from NLHE to PLO), your required bankroll quadruples to maintain the same safety level.
This is why PLO players typically need 3-4x larger bankrolls than NLHE players at the same stakes.
What is Risk of Ruin in poker?
Risk of Ruin (RoR) is the probability that you will lose your entire bankroll before it grows indefinitely. A 1% RoR means there’s a 1 in 100 chance you’ll go broke despite being a long-term winner.
Professional players typically target 1% or less, while recreational players might accept 5-10%.
Is 20 buy-ins enough for poker?
Usually not for serious play. 20 buy-ins (2,000 bb) is only sufficient if you have a very high winrate (8+ bb/100) or accept significant risk (10%+ RoR).
A typical winning player with 3-4 bb/100 winrate needs 40-60 buy-ins for a safe 1-5% Risk of Ruin.
How much bankroll do I need for NL50?
For NL50 ($0.25/$0.50), assuming 4 bb/100 winrate, 90 bb/100 std dev, and 5% RoR:
- Required bankroll: ~3,100 bb = 31 buy-ins = $1,550
- For 1% RoR (professional): ~5,200 bb = 52 buy-ins = $2,600
What winrate should I use if I’m not sure?
If you don’t have enough hands to know your true winrate, use conservative estimates:
- 2 bb/100 — Breakeven / small winner
- 4 bb/100 — Solid winner (most common)
- 6+ bb/100 — Only if proven over 100k+ hands
Being conservative protects you from variance and potential skill overestimation.
Does this formula work for tournaments?
This specific formula is designed for cash games with continuous bankroll changes. Tournament variance is fundamentally different and requires ROI-based calculations.
For MTT bankroll requirements, use our Tournament Bankroll Calculator with your ROI and average field size.
How does rake affect bankroll requirements?
Rake reduces your effective winrate. If you calculate 5 bb/100 pre-rake but pay 3 bb/100 in rake, your net winrate is only 2 bb/100.
Always use your post-rake winrate from tracking software for accurate bankroll calculations. Use our Rake Calculator to understand your true costs.
Should I include rakeback in my winrate?
Yes. Rakeback effectively increases your winrate. If you earn 30% rakeback on 3 bb/100 rake paid, that’s +0.9 bb/100 added to your winrate.
Include all forms of rewards (rakeback, bonuses, leaderboards, promotions) in your calculations for accuracy.
What if I’m a losing player?
The Risk of Ruin formula only works for winning players (positive winrate). If you’re a losing player (negative winrate), your Risk of Ruin is 100% regardless of bankroll size — you will eventually go broke.
Focus on improving your game (study, coaching, hand reviews) before worrying about bankroll management.