Online poker has been growing lately. Most online poker sites/unions/clubs still practice the same old marketing techniques.

Most players want to only play big guaranteed tournaments for a small buy-in.  However, for organizers to cope up with such demand, Organizers, in turn, allow multi-buy-ins and rebuys and add in order to ensure no overlay.

Online poker tournaments tend to be faster. this is to entice players to re-buy and add on.

Some players believe that online poker nowadays is all about luck and having a big bankroll to win. Is this true?

As both topics are very broad. our article today will only focus on bankrolls.

People may have differences in opinion. but when the most reliable thing you should look into is data.

Data and statistics are hard facts, and if you look into It might show you surprising results.

Tackling the myth, the size of the bankroll is the key to help you win.

A lot of online tournaments are definitely fast pace. Some are bordering on super turbo.

This is due to organizers are pushing the limit to entice players to rebuy.

But online poker was not the first to push the limit. There were live tournaments before the pandemic that push this style of tournament.

As tournaments are structured to be a fast pace game. Having a bigger bankroll is the key factor to help you win as you can take more risk.

Rating: Not true

The size of the bankroll

Yes, having a good bankroll does help. but to define winning. We have witness players who have re-entered a tournament 11 times that he would need to be on the top 3 to break even.

And there were times they do end up being the champion of events.

But are they winning? the answer is NO!

There is still a point in time where you can no longer re-enter. But being accustomed to taking so much risk and bringing it to the later part of your game will be disastrous in the result.

Players who also use this type of play will also end in bankrupt. It will not be every day where you can actually get back your investment. One hit can destroy your bankroll. 

Looking at the data.

For years we have been accumulating data from events. As we were able to get our hands on how many players bought in, rebuy, and which country they came from.

Some players would say that other foreign players are winning because they have a bigger bankroll.

Astonishingly, the data tells a different story.

In many live events in Manila, the number of Filipinos on the field was at 20-25% of the field. Most of the time coming in first or second as the most number of entrees. but amazingly. the number of Filipinos that were on the final table is not that many.

While there have been cases where the least number of entries per country has the most players on the final table.

To suggest that bankrolls are a key ingredient in winning. then by default, more Filipinos should be on the final table as they are with the biggest entry. 

Surprisingly. in a lot of cases, amidst having a big percentage of entrees. the number of Filipinos on the final table can be counted in one hand. 

An interview with one great player

A few years back, we were able to interview a player who was competing for the player of the year award.

Back then, he was competing against another player who was a great player, a multi-awarded player who has won many great events. But was a massive re-entry/re-buyer and that it should be considered in the pointing system.

The reason this was a special story was that during the interview. He mentioned something that we have checked and verified to be true.

As they were neck in neck in the competition for the player of the year. He lamented that he does not re-buy/re-enter tournaments at all. At most would be 1-re-entry.

Yet he was in second place for the player of the year.

Why?

We knew he was serious about competing for the player of the year. Winning it meant a lot to him to bring it home to his country.

But why would he not re-buy/re-enter?

In his opinion, having the option to rebuy/re-enter more can make you take more risk, but at the same time having such a mentality could make you take a lot more risk than usual.

“Yes, taking risks is part of poker. But at the same time, the question that remains is whether or not should you take those risks or wait for a better opportunity. 

 

Poker tournaments are a marathon, not a sprint, Even the small tournaments since you need to spend many hours on it. you may not be taking that much risk on one side, but you can also make it up by outplaying other players, it is not about taking risk but more about judging whether the risk is good or not. It is not about not taking risk,

 

But do you need to take that risk now? Even being short stack, there are still multiple factors you should consider. 

Changing the way we play

Data are data, there are players who have proven that it is not about luck nor how deep is the bankroll defines who wins.

having a deeper bankroll may help you win.

But it is not absolute. 

Poker is about adapting and growing. If you are not winning, Maybe, just maybe there might be some holes in your game that you need to improve.