Bankroll

21 July 2022

By Royal Flushes

CINDY: When we write about casino play, we mention house edges, speed of the games, minimum and maximum bets, playing strategies, when to quit and the like. The one thing that tends to be forgotten is a player’s bankroll. This seems to be the missing ingredient for many players.

ABBY: Right. How much money should players have behind their play? You don’t usually get advice on that. There is an assumption that players have a strong idea of what is behind their play. Do they? I didn’t. In fact, I didn’t even think of it early on. I just kind of played the games.

CINDY: I sure didn’t. It wasn’t a big thing in my mind. I’d just go to the casino with some money I took out of the bank and play with that money, often winning some or losing some or all of it if I wasn’t disciplined, and then I’d repeat the process several weeks or months later.

ABBY: What was a bankroll anyway?

CINDY: Now we know what it is. Important.

ABBY: Very important.

CINDY: The bankroll a player has is the foundation of his or her gaming experience. It allows you to figure what the average size of your bets should be. That’s the first thing.

ABBY: It also protects you from dipping into money that you should never play with; such as your kid’s college funds or your daughter’s wedding plans.

CINDY: Okay, first the definition. What is a bankroll? Answer: it is the total amount of money you have set aside – and I do mean set aside – to play casino games. You do not use any other money from any other sources for playing. That is an absolute rule to follow. Your bankroll is all your playing money.

ABBY: Keep it in a separate account in the bank. Maybe a checking account that gets interest or even a savings account with a checking account. These two accounts are your bankroll accounts.

CINDY: I know how both of us did it. We would take a regular amount of money, not a giant amount either, and put it away. I put a weekly amount into the account. I wanted to get to a certain point before I returned to the casino. I wanted to be able to play $10 minimum bets at blackjack and even more at craps because I would bet several numbers.

ABBY: This is what we have learned. You need more money in the account than you at first thought. Losing streaks can cripple a bankroll. When we plan a bankroll, we tend to think things will basically go okay and we’ll be fine.

CINDY: That’s way too optimistic. Figure that you will get hurt on some occasions. That means your bankroll is kind of like a comforter. It is there so you don’t fall emotionally apart. It is there so you can go home and not kick yourself in the butt because Lady Luck already kicked you in the butt.

ABBY: Your bankroll is money and also comfort that you have more than enough to play another day. Even if you get hurt at a game, you can come back strong and still play that game. You want your bankroll to be big enough to be able to afford this.

CINDY: Next week we will discuss how big a bankroll you need to play most of the games and how to keep that bankroll strong without it ever really wilting.

ABBY: Right.