The Three Factors That Should Determine Your Buy-In Amount at a Cash Game Table

One of the first and most important decisions you’ll need to make when you’re going to join a cash game table is how much you’ll have to buy in. Many casinos and clubs have a minimum and maximum buy-in, while others will let you buy in at any price. What should you do?

In this article, we are only talking about pot-limit and no-limit games, since in limit games the stack size has little influence on the game.

Let's simplify our decision into two simple options: a small buy-in, or a large buy-in. For the large buy-in, we enter with the maximum amount (or very close to it), or, if the game has no buy-in limit, with an amount that is similar to the largest stacks in the game (100 bbs or more). For the small buy-in, we enter with the minimum or close to it (around 50 bbs).

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Now, let's see what factors will affect our decision.

1) Bankroll

The most important factor is definitely your bankroll. You shouldn't spend even R$ 1 on poker if you're going to need that money. In general, you should play with no more than R10% of your poker bankroll in a single game.

If you have a bankroll of R$ 2,000, you should have a maximum of R$ 200.00 available to play. This amount is close to what is needed for a cash game table R$ 0.50 / R$ 1 or R$ 1 / R$ 2.

2) Your available time for the game

This is also an important factor. If you have an appointment or something scheduled for a time close to the game, you should probably follow the “hit and run” strategy. In this case, it is better to buy in with a small buy-in, try to double down or a little more, and then leave the game. A large buy-in would be more convenient if you are going to spend hours at the table, as you will have more time to study your opponents, take advantage of situations and win big pots.

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3) Your skill level relative to your opponents

When bankroll and time are not an issue, you should finally consider your skill level. The better and more experienced you are, the deeper (with a bigger stack) you can play. If you are at a table full of sharks, it is definitely better to go in with a smaller stack.

Poker decisions become more difficult when the pot is larger, consequently requiring more calculations and taking into consideration more variables, not to mention, of course, the pressure factor.

It's much easier to call a bet knowing you have R$ 10 behind in your stack than it is if you have R$ 1,000.

In general, if you are more skilled in these types of high-stakes, high-pressure situations, you will do better with larger buy-ins and be more profitable in the long run.

Conclusion

A small buy-in means that your decisions will generally come pre-flop and on the flop, whereas with larger buy-ins, you will have tough decisions on the turn and also on the river.

Finally, a hybrid strategy is also valid. In this strategy, you start the session with a minimum buy-in to “test the waters”, but have money in reserve to re-enter the game if you lose your chips, with a large buy-in if you realize that you have a good edge over your opponents, giving you a good chance of coming out with a profit.

Article written by Robert Woolley and translated/adapted from the original PokerNews.