A Quick Tought About Rake & Bankroll Management

I was discussing bankroll management with a few other players and was very surprised at how varied players are at growing their rolls.

When I started out I used a 20 buy-in strategy to determine my stakes. At the time, I was pretty much forced to play HU contests with small entry fees.

With the explosion of player traffic, I can now afford to play much bigger stakes with less rake.

What about a newb starting out now? How should they attack the lobby?

I think the best value for a low stakes player is the large field tournament. You can even afford to drop multiple entries in a cheap buy-in. The potential ROI is much better than HU, even though the rake is similar.

However, if you're concentrating on HU, you might be better served to play higher sooner. On Fan Duel, the rake is identical from $1-$50 games. Only at $109 does the rake begin to drop.

It is a steep slope to climb before you can comfortably play without risk of ruin.

Some players told me they would only put 5% of their balance in play on a given night. I find that too conservative. The remaining money is just sitting there, not working for you. Besides, you can deposit instantly and withdraw almost as fast.

I think you should always have a portion of your bankroll aside to jump on a juicy deposit bonus. Every bit the site gives back will help combat the rake.

I guess the point is this: Consider how to get to the lower rake games the quickest, minimizing the drag rake will have on your bankroll.