Building a Roll
- Thread starter PokerJunky
- Start date
PokerJunky said:
After reading various posts throughout the website, I noticed that people build their blackjack rolls differently. I currently keep 50% of my winnings to build my roll and use the remaining 50% to spend or invest as I choose. 
I am curious to know how people go about building their roll.
I am curious to know how people go about building their roll.
1. If I lose, the entire loss is absorbed from the bankroll.
2. All "expenses" are paid out of the bankroll. An "expense" is any books, memberships, etc that are related to blackjack, along with any specific travel expenses. If I play on a vacation or recreation trip, that isn't an "expense"; but if I fly to Vegas alone for the specific purpose of playing, then all of the travel expenses come out of the bankroll.
3. If the bankroll runs out, I stop playing.
4. If I win, the following happens:
A. I repay the bankroll out of the winnings for any "expenses" that have been deducted.
B. I repay the bankroll for any losses that have been absorbed.
C. Once the bankroll is restored to its previous highest point, if there are any remaining winnings, 25% goes into building the bankroll and 75% is treated as household income, to be spent, saved, or invested the same as a bonus from work or other windfall.
So, for example, if I had $1000 in my bankroll and bought a book for $20. The bankroll would become $980.
If I then lost $100 playing at a local casino, the bankroll would be $880.
If I then won $200 on a vacation trip with my wife to Las Vegas, I'd refund the bankroll for the $20 book and the previous loss. Then I'd take the remaining $80, put $20 in the bankroll, for a new total of $1020, and we'd put the other $60 into a fund to save for our next vacation.
This lets me grow the bankroll slowly, while taking money off the table at the same time. It is something like pocketing chips as you play. My wife made me do that for a long time. I'd take out $200 of regular funds to play; and I had to pocket some as I won, so that I'd eventually have the $200 back in my pocket, allowing me to play on with what was left. That is how I grew the bankroll to begin with. So if I ultimately lose my whole bankroll, I won't be losing "earned" money. I'll be losing "won" money. That is essentially the same as winning a couple of bucks on a scratch-off lottery ticket and trading it in for another ticket.
2. All "expenses" are paid out of the bankroll. An "expense" is any books, memberships, etc that are related to blackjack, along with any specific travel expenses. If I play on a vacation or recreation trip, that isn't an "expense"; but if I fly to Vegas alone for the specific purpose of playing, then all of the travel expenses come out of the bankroll.
3. If the bankroll runs out, I stop playing.
4. If I win, the following happens:
A. I repay the bankroll out of the winnings for any "expenses" that have been deducted.
B. I repay the bankroll for any losses that have been absorbed.
C. Once the bankroll is restored to its previous highest point, if there are any remaining winnings, 25% goes into building the bankroll and 75% is treated as household income, to be spent, saved, or invested the same as a bonus from work or other windfall.
So, for example, if I had $1000 in my bankroll and bought a book for $20. The bankroll would become $980.
If I then lost $100 playing at a local casino, the bankroll would be $880.
If I then won $200 on a vacation trip with my wife to Las Vegas, I'd refund the bankroll for the $20 book and the previous loss. Then I'd take the remaining $80, put $20 in the bankroll, for a new total of $1020, and we'd put the other $60 into a fund to save for our next vacation.
This lets me grow the bankroll slowly, while taking money off the table at the same time. It is something like pocketing chips as you play. My wife made me do that for a long time. I'd take out $200 of regular funds to play; and I had to pocket some as I won, so that I'd eventually have the $200 back in my pocket, allowing me to play on with what was left. That is how I grew the bankroll to begin with. So if I ultimately lose my whole bankroll, I won't be losing "earned" money. I'll be losing "won" money. That is essentially the same as winning a couple of bucks on a scratch-off lottery ticket and trading it in for another ticket.
First of all, I don't have a large bankroll. I started with money from my savings and any gifts I got. I only take $100-$200 to the casino (sometimes weekly) and all winnings go back into my gambling jar for future use. I haven't played BJ for very long yet so none of it goes to pay bills etc. The casino is a few blocks away so I have been going at least once a week sometimes only every two weeks. So far I am ahead of the game about $275. I know it's not a lot but if I come out with $50 to $100 extra after playing for 4-6 hours, I'm happy. (I don't always win though).
I give myself monetary targets to hit.
They are as follows:
$5000.00
$10000.00
$20000.00
$40000.00
$50000.00
$100000.00
Along the way I use about 2000k a month to pay all my bills. There was a time that I would just accumulate and "build" my bankroll. One thing I've learned is that mentally/emotionally to do this without "rewarding" yourself from time to time is a bad thing. So instead while building my bankroll I am also spending it on different things that I would like to get.
For instance I've recently locked away 100k and will not touch that as my "bankroll" any longer. I've reset my bankroll with 2 other friends at 4500.00 the other day and have that up to $5700.00 currently. The challenge is to now see how far I can grow this and at a lower limit/risk than when I was playing with more capital.
I agree with the others who have stated that one should remove some of their winnings from their bankroll. The emotional drain on someone when they were already speading it in their head and then going out and blowing it the next day is very trying.
Before I learned this lesson I would already have spent 5000.00 on a tv in my mind only to blow my "winnings" before I could have bought the tv. Wreaks havoc on you to play over and over in your head "I should have bought the tv..."
They are as follows:
$5000.00
$10000.00
$20000.00
$40000.00
$50000.00
$100000.00
Along the way I use about 2000k a month to pay all my bills. There was a time that I would just accumulate and "build" my bankroll. One thing I've learned is that mentally/emotionally to do this without "rewarding" yourself from time to time is a bad thing. So instead while building my bankroll I am also spending it on different things that I would like to get.
For instance I've recently locked away 100k and will not touch that as my "bankroll" any longer. I've reset my bankroll with 2 other friends at 4500.00 the other day and have that up to $5700.00 currently. The challenge is to now see how far I can grow this and at a lower limit/risk than when I was playing with more capital.
I agree with the others who have stated that one should remove some of their winnings from their bankroll. The emotional drain on someone when they were already speading it in their head and then going out and blowing it the next day is very trying.
Before I learned this lesson I would already have spent 5000.00 on a tv in my mind only to blow my "winnings" before I could have bought the tv. Wreaks havoc on you to play over and over in your head "I should have bought the tv..."
Well, in my single days, when I first started playing, I would take $100 or so to the casino in Tunica, MS. I lived in Memphis at the time; and I'd go a couple of times a month, playing with my overtime pay.
For a long time after I got married, I only played once a year or even once every couple of years. So that was just on a spare $200 or so that was laying around. If I won, it went back into the general budget. If I lost, there was more next time.
Last year, I was given a $500 allowance for my first Vegas trip. I blew $400 of it the first night there. On the second day, I won $50; and on the third day, I won $350. On the final day, I won $4500; but handed it to my wife to "hold" for me while I was in the restroom. I haven't seen it since.
No, actually, she gave me back a few hundred for my second Vegas trip last Spring. I took $800 out there and came back with $1500 in my gambling fund, which I now keep seperate from other money in the household.
We went on a cruise in May; and my wife bet me my entire gambling fund that I couldn't go all week without gaining more than three pounds on the cruise. I won the bet; and she gave me another $1500, making a fund of $3000.
On July 3, we went to Mohegan Sun, where I won $1700, minus $100 in expenses, my system called for puttting $1200 into the fund we're saving for our next vacation, and putting $400 into the gambling fund.
So, with a $3400 fund, I went to Atlantic City and Mohegan Sun in the same week (a couple of weeks ago) and managed to drop $1000, leaving me with $2400 for my upcoming trip to Vegas.
The first $1000 in winnings goes into the gambling fund. Then, after that, we split it 75-25 as described previously.
For a long time after I got married, I only played once a year or even once every couple of years. So that was just on a spare $200 or so that was laying around. If I won, it went back into the general budget. If I lost, there was more next time.
Last year, I was given a $500 allowance for my first Vegas trip. I blew $400 of it the first night there. On the second day, I won $50; and on the third day, I won $350. On the final day, I won $4500; but handed it to my wife to "hold" for me while I was in the restroom. I haven't seen it since.
No, actually, she gave me back a few hundred for my second Vegas trip last Spring. I took $800 out there and came back with $1500 in my gambling fund, which I now keep seperate from other money in the household.
We went on a cruise in May; and my wife bet me my entire gambling fund that I couldn't go all week without gaining more than three pounds on the cruise. I won the bet; and she gave me another $1500, making a fund of $3000.
On July 3, we went to Mohegan Sun, where I won $1700, minus $100 in expenses, my system called for puttting $1200 into the fund we're saving for our next vacation, and putting $400 into the gambling fund.
So, with a $3400 fund, I went to Atlantic City and Mohegan Sun in the same week (a couple of weeks ago) and managed to drop $1000, leaving me with $2400 for my upcoming trip to Vegas.
The first $1000 in winnings goes into the gambling fund. Then, after that, we split it 75-25 as described previously.
up a little, down a lot
For the first time in my life I now have a bank roll. When I was single I used to take money out of the general household fund, then I would gamble with it. When I returned home all the money would go right back into the general household fund. Now that I am married and have a family I have a bank roll.
I just started my bank roll with the winnings from a very profitable trip. All my trip expenses come from the bank roll. I also will give my wife some money to gamble with from the bank roll. If my wife losses the money it is just lost. If my wife wins she replaces the money I gave her and the winnings are split between the bank roll and her. She then can use the money for anything she wants. This system works well because she does not use household money to gamble with. She also does not mind that I gamble because I give her a piece of the action.
If I loose the bank roll just decreases. If I win all my winnings go back into my bank roll. I have also used my bank roll to cover some unexpected bills. You can guess that my bank roll goes up slowly and decreases in huge chunks. The end result is my bank roll stays about the same. I hope to stop taking money out to pay bills some day, but with a family, bills happen.
For the first time in my life I now have a bank roll. When I was single I used to take money out of the general household fund, then I would gamble with it. When I returned home all the money would go right back into the general household fund. Now that I am married and have a family I have a bank roll.
I just started my bank roll with the winnings from a very profitable trip. All my trip expenses come from the bank roll. I also will give my wife some money to gamble with from the bank roll. If my wife losses the money it is just lost. If my wife wins she replaces the money I gave her and the winnings are split between the bank roll and her. She then can use the money for anything she wants. This system works well because she does not use household money to gamble with. She also does not mind that I gamble because I give her a piece of the action.
If I loose the bank roll just decreases. If I win all my winnings go back into my bank roll. I have also used my bank roll to cover some unexpected bills. You can guess that my bank roll goes up slowly and decreases in huge chunks. The end result is my bank roll stays about the same. I hope to stop taking money out to pay bills some day, but with a family, bills happen.
Preserve Bankrolls w/Discipline
Everyone has slightly different opinions on bankroll management. Mine is similar to other posts.
I bet more agressively than some, so, my bankroll tends to swing -- higher, and yes lower. As I was learning the system that I currently use, with wider bet spreads, smaller buy ins at higher tables, and the Hi-Low count with Ace side count, I lost my entire bankroll several times. As I got the hang of it, primarily the actual counting, and now some heat deflection with chit-chat and betting modification when I know I am being "watched," the lossing trips have not been quite so bad.
Year to date, my bank roll has grown sustantially, through either excellent play, luck, or both. I started the year with $1000, and lost that a few times, early on. As my play, and or luck improved, and I started exercising some discipline to leave with winnings, or leave still with some part of my bankroll for the trip, my total gaming equity has gone up. Any trip that yeilds me a double, or 100% profit after trip related expenses (i. e. airfare, hotel), I add at least 50% to the bankroll. On one trip last month, I had an exceptionally good win at the two deck games in Vegas, yeilding a 300% gain on my total bankroll. I pulled out one third, paid off some credit card debt (unrelated to gaming) and divided the rest into two seperate bankrolls. When I go on a gaming trip now, I take one bankroll with me, and leave the other one, of equal value, at home.
The hardest part for me is exercising the disipline to leave a table. If I am up, I want to win more, if I am down I want to win some back. Knowing that I have a slight edge over the casino with card counting, leave when down instead of broke is the hardest, but the most important. Leaving up a few hundred or thousand seems like plane old good judgement, but leaving down but not out will eat a whole in my gut. I just try to use that good old discipline the military put on me through years of active duty.
Overall, I believe, and practice this. Grow the bankroll some, while paying off non-recurring debt (i. e. mortgage, vehicles, ed.) When I go broke, twice in a row, (now that I maintain two seperate bankrolls), I will have had a grand old time playing high roller, I will have less debt/more savings, and I will replace that original bankroll I started with $1000 with out of pocket funds from my day job.
The key for me is discipline. I won't win it all, but I don't have to lose it all either. I just got back from Hawaii. My plane fare was paid by freqent flyer miles accumulated from trips to Vegas. I stayed in the penthouse of one of the cheapest hotels on the beach, still much cheaper than the smallest room at the Hilton over looking the Air conditioning unit. The only thing my wife and I splurged on with blackjack proceeds was one good dinner every night; that was worth it! I gained 8 pounds!
Everyone has slightly different opinions on bankroll management. Mine is similar to other posts.
I bet more agressively than some, so, my bankroll tends to swing -- higher, and yes lower. As I was learning the system that I currently use, with wider bet spreads, smaller buy ins at higher tables, and the Hi-Low count with Ace side count, I lost my entire bankroll several times. As I got the hang of it, primarily the actual counting, and now some heat deflection with chit-chat and betting modification when I know I am being "watched," the lossing trips have not been quite so bad.
Year to date, my bank roll has grown sustantially, through either excellent play, luck, or both. I started the year with $1000, and lost that a few times, early on. As my play, and or luck improved, and I started exercising some discipline to leave with winnings, or leave still with some part of my bankroll for the trip, my total gaming equity has gone up. Any trip that yeilds me a double, or 100% profit after trip related expenses (i. e. airfare, hotel), I add at least 50% to the bankroll. On one trip last month, I had an exceptionally good win at the two deck games in Vegas, yeilding a 300% gain on my total bankroll. I pulled out one third, paid off some credit card debt (unrelated to gaming) and divided the rest into two seperate bankrolls. When I go on a gaming trip now, I take one bankroll with me, and leave the other one, of equal value, at home.
The hardest part for me is exercising the disipline to leave a table. If I am up, I want to win more, if I am down I want to win some back. Knowing that I have a slight edge over the casino with card counting, leave when down instead of broke is the hardest, but the most important. Leaving up a few hundred or thousand seems like plane old good judgement, but leaving down but not out will eat a whole in my gut. I just try to use that good old discipline the military put on me through years of active duty.
Overall, I believe, and practice this. Grow the bankroll some, while paying off non-recurring debt (i. e. mortgage, vehicles, ed.) When I go broke, twice in a row, (now that I maintain two seperate bankrolls), I will have had a grand old time playing high roller, I will have less debt/more savings, and I will replace that original bankroll I started with $1000 with out of pocket funds from my day job.
The key for me is discipline. I won't win it all, but I don't have to lose it all either. I just got back from Hawaii. My plane fare was paid by freqent flyer miles accumulated from trips to Vegas. I stayed in the penthouse of one of the cheapest hotels on the beach, still much cheaper than the smallest room at the Hilton over looking the Air conditioning unit. The only thing my wife and I splurged on with blackjack proceeds was one good dinner every night; that was worth it! I gained 8 pounds!
Well, I will preface by saying I am such a total beginner I shouldn't probably be allowed to post here.
I went to Vegas in July, and played Blackjack on something other than a computer for the first time in my life. I won well over $4,000 (beginners luck), which paid for the trip and a nice shopping spree for the wife. But, I caught the bug hard.
We found out there was a rock concert there (Vegas) the weekend after we left. (We left on Tuesday, concert was Friday) My wife was feeling great about her new clothes and shoes. She looked at the frequent flyer miles statement and encouraged me to get my ass back on the plane and go back.
Twist my arm, really.
So I went back, and again won enough to cover the whole trip, guessing about $4,000 - including my first time playing $100 hands and winning a grand in 30 minutes. HOW COOL WAS THAT!!?? :joker:
So, here I am in crappy Pullman, WA... with a crappy casino. I started playing there last week, and immediately played $10 into well over $300. Of course, most of that evaporated quickly when I really played the strategy tables (Damn those 16s!) before learning to count, which comes next.
However, I plan on keeping 100% of my winnings in my bankroll. For now. For me, I love to play, and it's just the cost of entertainment. I generally take $50 cash and play it either until I flame out, or depending on the day and my mood, until I at least double or triple. $100 profit is a great day for me, and if I could do that 5 days a week, that's $26,000 a year. So, I'm currently not going for the motherload, I just love to play, and I want to LEARN, LEARN, LEARN! I'd like to be playing $100 soon, but patience...
I'll start talking about how much I keep and spend when I start winning with regularity.
I went to Vegas in July, and played Blackjack on something other than a computer for the first time in my life. I won well over $4,000 (beginners luck), which paid for the trip and a nice shopping spree for the wife. But, I caught the bug hard.
We found out there was a rock concert there (Vegas) the weekend after we left. (We left on Tuesday, concert was Friday) My wife was feeling great about her new clothes and shoes. She looked at the frequent flyer miles statement and encouraged me to get my ass back on the plane and go back.
Twist my arm, really.
So I went back, and again won enough to cover the whole trip, guessing about $4,000 - including my first time playing $100 hands and winning a grand in 30 minutes. HOW COOL WAS THAT!!?? :joker:
So, here I am in crappy Pullman, WA... with a crappy casino. I started playing there last week, and immediately played $10 into well over $300. Of course, most of that evaporated quickly when I really played the strategy tables (Damn those 16s!) before learning to count, which comes next.
However, I plan on keeping 100% of my winnings in my bankroll. For now. For me, I love to play, and it's just the cost of entertainment. I generally take $50 cash and play it either until I flame out, or depending on the day and my mood, until I at least double or triple. $100 profit is a great day for me, and if I could do that 5 days a week, that's $26,000 a year. So, I'm currently not going for the motherload, I just love to play, and I want to LEARN, LEARN, LEARN! I'd like to be playing $100 soon, but patience...
I'll start talking about how much I keep and spend when I start winning with regularity.