Poker bankroll calculator

How much money do you need to play a stake without going broke in your first downswing? Instead of a fixed buy-in rule, the calculator uses your win rate and standard deviation and shows how much rakeback cuts the bankroll you need.

Run the numbers

Stake Win rate without rakeback (bb/100)How much you win every 100 hands, in big blinds, not counting rakeback. Standard deviation (bb/100)It's in your PokerTracker or Hold'em Manager. If you don't know yours, use 90, a common value for 6-max no-limit hold'em. Rakeback (bb/100)How much rakeback adds to your win rate. Example: 40% of 5 bb/100 in rake = 2 bb/100. Risk of ruin you accept

Bankroll without rakeback: 2,427 bb · 24.3 buy-ins · $607
Bankroll with rakeback: 1,733 bb · 17.3 buy-ins · $433
Rakeback cuts your bankroll by: $173

The math assumes you always play the same way and never move down in stakes. Here, a buy-in is 100 big blinds. It's an estimate, not a promise of results.

How the math works

The bankroll you need comes from the risk of ruin formula: bankroll = deviation² × ln(1 ÷ risk) ÷ (2 × win rate), with win rate and deviation in bb/100. It answers a simple question: how much money you need so that the chance of losing it all before your bankroll grows stays below the risk you chose.

In the example that comes filled in, an NL25 player with 5 bb/100 and a deviation of 90 needs about 2,427 bb (24.3 buy-ins, $607) for a 5% risk of ruin. With 2 bb/100 of rakeback, the win rate goes to 7 bb/100 and the bankroll drops to about 1,733 bb (17.3 buy-ins, $433).

Bankroll and variance

Your bankroll is the cushion for variance: even when you play well, you’ll go through long losing stretches. To see how far those swings go over a sample of hands, use the variance calculator.

Rakeback lowers your bankroll

Every bb/100 of rakeback goes straight into your win rate, and the bankroll you need drops quickly as your win rate goes up. To see how much rakeback each site pays through our link, use the rakeback calculator.

Calculate your rakeback

Frequently asked questions

How many buy-ins do I need for cash games?

It depends on your win rate, your standard deviation and the risk you accept. With 5 bb/100, a deviation of 90 and a 5% risk of ruin, the math gives about 24 buy-ins; with 2 bb/100 more from rakeback, it drops to about 17.

Why does rakeback lower the bankroll I need?

Because it raises your win rate without changing how much the hands swing. With a higher win rate, downswings weigh less, and the same safety costs less bankroll. At NL25 in the example, the difference is about $173.

Which risk of ruin should I pick?

The lower the risk you accept, the bigger the bankroll. If your bankroll pays your bills, choose a low risk, like 1%; if it's money you can replace, you can accept more. In the example, going from 5% to 1% makes the bankroll about 54% bigger.

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