The absolute bottom line here is that players must base their decision as to what stakes they wish to consider on their bankroll. Never deviate from this general principle because it is the first step towards incurring irreparable losses that will lead to financial problems. The reason for this is that variance, the natural statistical cyclic “fortune” element in games of chance, will inevitably strike and when it does, those who have not properly planned out their approach to stakes will see their bankrolls quickly wiped out.

Exceeding five percent of a player’s bankroll is not advised no matter what game they are about to play. Those using this percentage each time they play will find that at no limit and pot limit tables they can still buy in with a maximum amount. In a limit game, players should be able to go twenty times the big bet. Exercising this level of discipline while playing will gradually build up a player’s bankroll over time, statistically speaking. This means that larger stakes are played naturally as that bankroll increases so that a player grows in skill without risking too much money at any given time.