Buying into the Game

How much should I buy-in for? All ring game poker players have faced this question after looking for a table live or multiple tables online. Most online poker rooms offer you the ability to pre-select a buy-in preference. Most people probably do not give this question much thought. They will buy-in for whatever they are willing to lose if they play live, or online they tend to buy-in for the minimum or table maximum. Putting a little more thought into figuring out the optimal buy-in could help your profit in the long run.

Buying in for the minimum is generally done by players who feel a little less confident with their poker skills or game. Reducing the amount of overall risk to their bankroll and playing as a shortstack allow a player to make simple math based decisions. With fewer difficult decisions to make post flop the ability to maneuver around a pot will be in some respects controlled by pot odds. More experienced players will tend to give players who buy-in short less respect when it comes to skill.

A maximum buy-in is for experienced players who like to play poker as deepstacked as possible. With more money behind they can apply more pressure to players with similar stack sizes. It also allows a player to take full advantage of their hand range by allowing them to call with speculative hands preflop instead of having to play a nittier game.

The optimal buy-in may be somewhere in between for you. If you are unsure of how a table is playing and unaware of table dynamics, it might be best to buy-in for a middling amount until you know the players in the game. This will limit some of the exposure your bankroll has and allow you to play a wider range of hands from various positions than if you only bought in for a minimal amount.

There are many different options and no one right answer. Whatever feels most comfortable for you is the amount you should buy-in for.

Curtis Steuber.