Bankroll gut check

Bankroll Calculator

This helps you see how many buy-ins you actually have for the stakes you want to play. It is not a magic rulebook, but it can keep you from sitting in a game that is way bigger than your roll.

Poker swings happen. The goal is to give yourself enough room to play without every pot feeling like rent money.

Total poker bankroll

The money you’ve set aside just for poker.

Typical buy-in

For live cash, this is usually the amount you sit down with, not the blinds.

Game type

Risk comfort

Planned session stop-loss (optional)

The most you’ll let yourself lose in one session before you stop. Leave blank to skip it.

This calculator needs JavaScript turned on. The quick version: divide your bankroll by your buy-in to see how many buy-ins you have, then compare it to a comfortable number for your game.

Poker involves risk. Keep poker money separate from life money, and do not play with money you cannot afford to lose.

How this works

Your number of buy-ins is just your bankroll divided by your typical buy-in. The suggested target is a beginner-friendly cushion for your game type and how much swing you’re comfortable with — more buy-ins for tournaments and online (bigger variance), fewer for live cash.

These are guidelines, not guarantees. If you want the full picture of why cushion matters and how to move up and down stakes, I wrote it all up in Bankroll Management for Low-Stakes Poker.