What kind of bankroll do you need to card count?
It’s true that to become a successful card counter. You’ll need time, wits, and of course, some money to get started. Without a doubt, if you come from the poker world, you should be familiar with bankroll management. In fact, it’s common practice when buying in a poker tournament not to invest more than 10% of your bankroll in a single event. This means that if your entertainment budget is $1,000. Then you can register in tournaments for $100 without impacting your fund even if you lose. Read more about how to create a card counting bankroll.
But how does bankroll management work in blackjack? And how much money do you need to get started with card counting? It’s a legitimate question.
After all, blackjack tournaments are hard to come by, even in online casinos. Thus the way to manage your bankroll is also different. And in the lines that follow, we’ll dive into the heart of this hot topic.
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More than a winning game
There are many aspects to consider when hoping to become a prolific card counter. Having a winning game is just one of them. However, it’ll be hard for you to absorb the downswing without proper bankroll management.
There are 2 mindsets amongst players.
They are those who’ll sign-up and deposit $100 in the hope of doubling up and “not being greedy”. But being content with $100 a day playing blackjack will not be enough to become a successful card counter. Then they are those who think you’ll need a minimum of $20,000 to stand a chance at money playing blackjack. But that too is far from true.
As a rule of thumb, when evaluating how much money you need to become good at card counting. It’s best to look at table limits. Because from the get-go, it’s low table limits you’ll want to use to build up your blackjack bankroll.
It’s not all about the money
Besides looking for tables that let you get cards from around $1 to $5 a hand, you’ll also want to look for tables where the dealer distributes enough cards. This way, you can vary your bets as the count changes. When looking into the bankroll, you’ll need to card count. It would be best if you also considered your risk tolerance. This means that the larger your bankroll, the lower you can keep your risk.
Yet, if you have a small bankroll and a high-risk tolerance. You could take a stab at high-risk games. Sure, you might lose your entire bankroll. But on the flip side, you could also get more out of the game. Fortune favors the brave. But does this saying apply to blackjack too?
Let’s crunch some numbers.
Card counting bankroll versus risk tolerance
Suppose you master basic blackjack strategy. And holding the count is no issue for you. Then with a $1,000 bankroll, experts say you can expect to make around $10 per hour on average. This statistic also includes 40-50% of unlucky sessions. So, the figures mentioned here were compiled after thousands of hours at a blackjack table. If you’re looking to decrease your risk. Then you should aim to sit at a table with around $3,000 in bankroll. But, of course, this doesn’t mean laying it all on the table at once.
According to experienced card counters, increasing your bankroll means that the risk of losing it all would be around 10%. However, the savviest blackjack players would tell you to aim at keeping your risk to about 2%. So to achieve an average earning of $10 per hour, it’s around $5,000 you’ll need in bankroll to keep your risk low.
Building a card counting bankroll
Because blackjack is a patience game, time invested will only pay dividends in the long run. Therefore, you shouldn’t be in a hurry to build up your bankroll. To maximize your session as you build up your assets, you could sit at a table only when the count is high. Alternatively, you could also bet behind other winning players as you get your hands. This way, you can focus on your game while other experienced card counters make money for you. The larger your bankroll, the more downswings you can absorb. Thus the less risky the game becomes. But remember. There is more to profitable blackjack play than bankroll management. The odds can also tip in your favor by picking a table wisely.
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