Bankroll

Detailed Explanation

Bankroll management is the discipline of allocating and protecting your total gambling funds to withstand the natural variance inherent in casino games. A proper bankroll is separate from living expenses and represents only money a player is prepared to lose in the worst case.

The required bankroll size depends on the game, bet size, and acceptable risk of ruin. For baccarat, a conservative guideline is 200 times your average bet size for a single session, and 1,000 times for sustained play. For poker cash games, professional players typically maintain 20–30 full buy-ins. For slots, 100–200 times the per-spin bet is standard. Session bankrolls — the amount brought to a specific table — are typically 50× the unit bet.

Disciplined bankroll management prevents chasing losses (increasing bet sizes after losing to recoup), which is the primary cause of catastrophic gambling losses. Setting hard stop-loss limits (e.g., no more than 20% of session bankroll lost in a single session) and walking away when reached is the most important habit a casino player can develop.