Newbie Question: The 300BB Rule
I'd like some of the smart kids out there to flesh out the 300BB rule for me. As I understand it, it's a guide to what level you should be playing, given the size of your bankroll.
$.10/.25 blinds means a big bet (BB) is $.50. 300BB = at least $150 in your bankroll.
$.25/.50 blinds, BB is $1, 300BB = $300
et cetera
My foremost question: I would imagine this 300BB rule is designed for limit poker. How is it modified for no-limit games, where you can lose dozens of BB's in one hand?
In my case, my online bankroll is now $400, and I've been feeling comfortable playing $.10/.25 blinds NL, where the buy-in is $25 max. According to the 300BB rule, I should consider moving up to $.25/$.50 NL, where the buy-in is $50. But $50 seems like an overly-large chunk of my $400 bankroll. I honestly don't think I should move up to a $50 buy-in ring game until I beef the 'roll up past $600 or so.
Have any of the brilliant poker minds written about the 300BB rule as it applies to no-limit ring games? I've googled "300BB rule poker" and skimmed some of the entries, but they've been discussing limit poker, and bankroll swings.
posted by High Plains Drifter @ 6:39 PM
2 Comments:
Yes, I think the 300BB rule typically applies to Limit. I haven't seen much on the subject on 2+2 lately, but I've read many others saying that a good NL "comfort" roll is at least 30-40 buy-ins. So, for a $25 NL table $800-1000. I think that's a bit of overkill, but then again I don't play NL cash games very often...
You can use it for NL too...it gives you a basic comfort zone. Since the buyin amount changes depending on what site you're playing at...that may not be the best way to look at it either...so at least with the BB rule, you're always looking at something that's not going to move around on ya, you know? Honestly, most people I know that have a roll of $800-$1000 are not playing $25 NL. (Unless they're keeping me company). :) But then I've also heard some people advocate having as much as 100 buyins. I think you have to play whatever level you feel comfortable with...and you know that when you feel that you're making decisions based upon the actual validilty of the decision/play itself, not on the impact it might have on your stack. So I suppose the answer would be, as with all things in poker, "it depends". :)
The main thing is to not only have a comfortable bankroll for your level you're playing at, but also to have a stop-loss. Like you said, you could lose dozens of BB in one hand at NL...so if that happens...what's your plan? Quit for the day or keep playing? You have to be able to know how such a loss (say of one full buyin) really affects your play. I've seen people lose a buyin and keep plugging away, only to lose their entire bankroll in one night...because they didn't have a stop-loss in place - a forced plan for getting away from the table once they had lost "x" amount.
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