There’s one thing that excites everyone about playing poker — MONEY! The possibility of profit distinguishes poker from other skill-based games like Scrabble or chess.
Poker is unique because you can turn a small bankroll into a fortune.
But we all know the old saying: You’ve got to spend money to make money.
So, when it comes to playing poker, how much do you actually need?
This article will answer the following questions:
- How much money do you start with in poker?
- How much money do you need to play poker at a casino?
- How much money do you need to play poker professionally?
The Basics:
How much money do you start with in poker?
First, let’s go over the fundamentals for how much money you start with in poker. That comes down to cash games vs poker tournaments.
In a cash game, one chip = one dollar. It’s a direct 1:1 ratio.
Continuing with this logic, a $25 chip would be worth $25.
Simple!
Tournaments work on an entry-fee model.
For example, you can buy a ticket into a $100 tournament and receive 20,000 chips.
Cash Games:
How much money do you start with in poker?
Now that we understand each chip represents an equivalent dollar value, let’s talk about the money required to join a cash game.
This number depends on two factors: the blinds and the buy-in range.
Here’s how cash game stakes are typically listed:
- $1/$3 (100-300)
- $2/$5 (300-500)
- $5/$10 (1000+)
Here’s your poker cheat sheet for what these mean:
1). $1/$3 (100-300):
- The small blind is $1, and the big blind is $3.
- The minimum amount to play a hand is $3 (but usually costs more depending on the action).
- To join this game, you must buy in for at least $100 and no more than $300.
2). $2/$5 (300-500):
- The small blind is $2, and the big blind is $5.
- Hands are more expensive compared to the $1/$3 game, and the costs can add up quickly.
- The minimum buy-in is $300, with a maximum cap of $500.
3). $5/$10 (1000+):
- The small blind is $5, and the big blind is $10.
- The minimum buy-in for this game is $1,000.
- There’s no cap, meaning you can start with as much money as you want.
It’s crucial to note that you cannot join a game with less than the table’s minimum buy-in for the specified stakes.
How much money you start with will depend on the table stakes you’re playing — connected to the small and big blinds.
Tournaments:
How much money do you start with in poker?
Tournaments operate very differently from cash games when it comes to how much money you start with. Instead of a direct 1:1 dollar-to-chip ratio, tournaments use an entry fee model, and players get chips as a part of their starting stack.
Here’s how it works:
1). Buy-In and Starting Chips
- In a tournament, you pay a set entry fee, such as $100, to participate.
- For this entry fee, you’ll typically receive a predetermined amount of chips, like 20,000.
- These chips have no direct monetary value; they are used only for gameplay within the tournament.
2). The Role of Chips
- Your starting chip stack determines your initial position in the game, but it has no impact on your financial investment beyond the entry fee.
- All players begin with the same number of chips, creating an even playing field.
3.). Progression and Prize Pool
- The goal in a tournament is to accumulate chips by winning pots and surviving longer than your opponents.
- Unlike cash games, you can’t add more money (or chips) during the tournament — once you’re out of chips, you’re eliminated.
- Also, unlike cash games, the blinds increase — it gets more expensive to play as time goes on.
For example:
- In a $50 tournament, you might receive 10,000 chips. If 100 players enter, the prize pool would be $5,000 — minus the rake, which is the casino’s cut — distributed among the top finishers.
Key Differences: Tournaments vs Cash Games
- Entry Fee vs Buy-in: In a cash game, you choose how much money to bring to the table (within limits). In a tournament, your entry fee determines your starting stack.
- Chip Value: Tournament chips have no monetary value outside the event. Cash game chips represent real money.
- Rebuy Option: You can always rebuy if you lose your stack or get low on chips in a cash game. There is no limit on how many times you can reach into your wallet in a cash game. However, tournaments only allow rebuys at the beginning before registration closes. After that, elimination is final. You’ll hit the rail, as we say in poker lingo.
In tournaments, the amount of money you "start with" is your entry fee, but the actual gameplay revolves around purely symbolic chips.
The most crucial difference to note is the rebuy option.
The "sudden death" nature of tournaments, making eliminations fatal, changes gameplay drastically. When you're out, you're out — as opposed to a cash game where you can keep rebuying more chips as far as your wallet permits.
The Cash Game Golden Rule
How much money do you need to play poker in a casino?
OK –Now you realise the starting stack differences between cash games and tournaments, how much money do you need to play poker?
How much money do you need to play poker in a casino?
You need more money to play poker in a casino than you do online.
Stakes start much lower online. In a casino, the cheapest cash games and tournaments you find will both have a near $100 entry point. Online poker is much more bankroll-friendly. You can easily buy into cash games and tournaments for less than $10.
Beginners should start by practising online, where the costs are much more forgiving. You’ll also learn how to play poker faster by starting online.
You’ll want to follow this CASH GAME GOLDEN RULE: Always have 100 big blinds.
Don’t buy in for less if you can avoid it. You will be at a significant disadvantage against players who can wield bigger stacks against you. This situation will force you to go all-in prematurely pre-flop and on flops rather than getting the opportunity to navigate multiple betting streets.
Even though you can technically buy in for $100 at a $1/$3 table, you will put yourself in a bad position. You wouldn’t want to sit down at this table without at least $300 ($3 big blind x 100).
Keep in mind you’ll also probably want more buy-ins in reserve as a backup.
How much money do you need to play poker in a casino? 100 big blinds for cash games.
How Much Money Do You Need to Play Poker Professionally?
When you have a day job, it’s not the end of the world if you blow through your poker budget because you’ll have another paycheck. That’s why regular people can afford to play a little looser with their bankroll while in the hunt to take down the next WPT Poker Tour.
Professional poker players cannot.
How much money do you need to play poker professionally? A lot more than you probably think!
Generally, you will need a minimum of twenty-five buy-ins for cash games and 100 buy-ins for tournaments. That estimate is conservative and assumes you are a skilled and profitable player.
(No amount of money can turn a losing player into a winning one!)
- Many poker players start going pro at the $2/$5 level — meaning they would need 25 x $500 buy-ins to start responsibly. That’s $12,500, assuming poker is your only source of income.
- Tournaments have more poker variance, which is why they require even more leeway! Larger fields with more people will also demand even larger bankrolls than the 100 buy-in mark.
Play at a limit you feel comfortable with financially. For most people, this means starting online where the stakes are lower.
Never underestimate the power of the slow grind — many high-rollers started just by playing for pennies.
