Establishing a bankroll – Poker money

Dear Antonio,

I play a cash game once a week. The money I take with me is, as you say, “poker money.” I take a set amount. The other players I play with seem to come in with dickwads of money, and they just keep throwing it out there. Granted, I’ve taken them for their sloppy play, but I wonder if they know something I don’t.

Brendan

Dear Brendan,

I’m not sure how much money there is in a “dickwad,” but anyone who mixes their poker money with their real world money is either making a mistake or just not serious about their poker. The first thing a serious player does is establish a bankroll and play out of it. This is not the same thing as taking too small an amount for the game you’re in — so make sure you don’t make that mistake. But a lot of time players mix their money so they don’t have to face the sad fact of their own consistently losing ways.

· Antonio