I am often asked, “How much money should I bring to the casino?” Well, most recreational gamblers often don’t think about your Bankroll – the money you bring for wagering. So, How Much Of A Bankroll Is Enough??
Your Casino Bankroll Requires Planning
The criteria for the amount of money for your casino bankroll depends on three questions:
- What games will you be playing?
- What denomination will you be playing at?
- How long do you expect to stay?
Think of it this way,
“Retirement is like a long vacation in Las Vegas. The goal is to enjoy it the fullest, but not so fully that you run out of money.”
Jonathan Clements.
If you think about it, your goal every time you visit the casino is to enjoy it to the fullest – but not so entirely that you deplete your bankroll.
Questions to Ask Before Your Visit
1) “How long am I going to stay?” Decide before you go.
2) “Do I have plans on how to spend my free time?” (Time without bankroll) If using bus transportation or riding with someone else.
3) “If I get ahead on a slot or video poker machine, will I be sure to have a stop limit and stick to it?”
4) If a more extended visit spans over a mealtime, “Do I have a plan for dividing your sessions, downtime, tips, and meals?”
5) IMPORTANT: “Does my allotted bankroll equal the time for my visit?” In other words, will your time expectations match the bankroll you brought? (If not, be careful not to make that ATM your friend)
Bankroll Suggestions
Keep in mind that the following are suggestions. While a suggested bankroll might give you the best run at a certain percentage of lasting, the opposite is true. The house edge might not change in your session, but your success can get crazy bad or crazy good in a short session. Remember, your casino bankroll requires planning.
SLOTS
John Grochowski says, “….as a general rule of thumb, to have a 90% chance of staying in action for three hours on the slots, your bankroll should cover 250 bets. If you’re betting 40 cents a spin on penny slots, a $100 bankroll gives you that 90% chance. If you’re betting 75 cents on quarter slots, the bankroll needs to rise to about $187.50, and when you bet $3 per spin on dollar slots, it’s $750.”
BLACKJACK
According to CountingEdge.com, “…always buy-in with at least 50 times the minimum bet. No exceptions. In other words, to play at a $5 minimum bet table, you need to buy in with $250. At a $10 table, you need $500, and so on.
CRAPS
I understand bringing 7 to 10 times the betting amount to the table. A $5 table betting pass line with 3-4-5x odds, so betting about $25.00 requires at least $250.
VIDEO POKER
150 bets to cover 400 decisions per hour (average player with perfect strategy). In other words, playing quarter VP and five coins per single line, $1.25 x 150 bets = $187.50 (round up to $200). Of course, the lower the paytable payout, the more you will need it. Higher volatility (Triple Double Bonus Poker compared to Jacks or Better) means a larger bankroll.
Related Post – Playing Video Poker is More Than Video Poker Pay Tables
OTHER TABLE GAMES
Casino Player writer Basil Nestor, from “Casino Player,” writes, “…Blackjack and other table games are best played with a minimum of 50 bets. Let It Ride is the only exception to this rule requiring 150 bets. For table poker, it’s 100 bets.”
THE DRAW
Remember, if you lose (and the house edge says you will more than not), only lose the bankroll you bring and the money you can spend for fun.
That’s all for now.
Binbin