How much bankroll do you need for NL500 ($2.50/$5)?
NL500 is a mid-to-high stakes online game where most opponents are strong regulars and many use study tools. Win rates are smaller and swings are larger in dollar terms, so professionals usually keep 50 or more buy-ins and move down quickly after a big downswing.
| Approach | With $500 buy-ins (100bb) |
|---|---|
| Aggressive (30 buy-ins) | $15,000 |
| Moderate (40 buy-ins) | $20,000 |
| Conservative (60 buy-ins) | $30,000 |
Online games are faster and more volatile per hour, so we recommend more buy-ins than for live play. If poker money comes from your salary and you can top it up, the aggressive figure is fine. If your bankroll is all you have, use the conservative one.
What can you expect to win?
A solid winner might make 2–5 bb/100, which is $10–$25 per 100 hands. Results swing a lot in the short term: see how big your swings could be with the variance calculator, and check your chance of going broke with the risk of ruin calculator.
Move-up and move-down rules for NL500
- Move down if your bankroll drops below 30 buy-ins ($15,000).
- Move up when you have 40 buy-ins for the next level.
- Take shots with a fixed number of buy-ins set aside, and step back down if you lose them.
Open the bankroll calculator for NL500 to plug in your own bankroll, or read our full poker bankroll management guide.