Learn Texas Holdem

This article isn't an indepth look at poker bankrolls but just some general guide lines for beginners and how much you should bring with you when playing. The smallest limit in most card rooms for texas hold'em is $2/4 but occasionally you'll see $1/2. Most people sit down and buy a rack of chips ($100). One hundred dollars in a $2/4 game is a typical buy-in.

How far does $100 go in a $2/4 game? There is no set answer to this. It depends on your skill level, the skill level of the other players, and also the kind of day you are having. Even if you are a pro it isn't uncommon to lose a couple of racks at a game (or more) . That doesn't mean you played poor poker, it could be that you just were getting nailed by other people (bad beats, them getting lucky). That's normal. I would say though, if you learn a bit about texas hold'em first and go in there with a couple hundred bucks you can definitely play all day (win or lose). Hopefully you'll leave with more then what you came with but look at it as a lesson period too. Your education will cost something. When learning, and you lose a couple racks in a day, I would say get up and leave as opposed to investing more that session. If you played correctly then it may have been a bad day or you may actually be at a tough table.