Playing Scared and its Effects on Your Bankroll

Bankroll
February 10 2009

Building a bankroll is a difficult task for any player. The bigger the game, the faster one can build it. But it’s risky to be playing in a game that you don’t have enough money to be in. We’re all guilty of this at some time or another, and it leads to leaks in our game that we would normally never have in the proper-size game. The psychological effect of knowing that all your money can disappear fast if you lose in the game you’re playing in leads to “playing scared”.

Playing scared means that you’ve always got saving bets on the mind, and you play timidly against aggressive opponents. You end up playing too tight and the blinds erode your cash faster than you can win any money. It doesn’t take long to recognize a player that’s scared to put their chips in the pot, and once your opponents can tell, they’ll force the action on you at every opportunity.

If you practice proper bankroll strategy you won’t be in a situation where you’ll be worried about your cash. Stay away from the big games that can make you go broke if you go on a bad run. You should feel that you have lots of money for the stakes you’re at so you can play your best game.

 

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