Enjoy a dream vacation with our Holiday BRM!
Many ambitious poker poker players have jobs and consequently not that much time for poker. Our expert KTU shows that it is still possible to become successful and reach your goals.
The new Holiday BRM presents three ways to increase your bankroll from €1,000 to €3,000. Just like the popular Tankroll BRM, it features clear take-win and stop-loss marks. The Holiday BRM is more conservative, though, while still being more aggressive than most classic bankroll management systems.
It is geared towards ambitious amateurs who like to play poker while keeping a regular job, but have trouble with setting realistic goals and making progress due to the low volume that they are able to put in.
To clarify this new bankroll management, KTU will share his insights into the topic:
Your bankroll management strategies are way more aggressive compared to what's been taught previously. Does that mean the old models were simply wrong?
KTU: That depends on how you would define "wrong" and what you would like to optimise: risk of ruin, hourly, amount of hands before a take-win mark, statistical significance in terms of beating a limit, avoidance of having to climb down limits or regular cashouts.
Previously, the focus was set on a low risk of ruin. For my target group, it's more important to make progress, though. They don't have time anymore for 35,000+ hands a month and get discouraged by overly conservative approaches.
Besides the mathematical optimisation issue, determining with which BRM a player is comfortable with is also always a matter of taste. There are several psychological tests with regards to risk disposition. Someone who doesn't feel comfortable with an aggressive bankroll management should of course avoid the Tankroll or Holiday BRM.
So who is the target for the Holiday BRM?
KTU: Players who were successful poker players in the past and still enjoy the game today but don't have that much time anymore. What's the optimal strategy for starting out with €1,000 and setting a goal of 10,000 hands per month? That is the starting point for our approach.
Isn't this just about getting more members to deposit?
KTU: No. The Tankroll and Holiday BRM are mathematically optimised in all conscience. Of course, a bankroll management can only be effective when you are also a winning player on the limits you're playing. There will always be players who assess their skill inaccurately, ultimately paying the price for that. That's just the nature of poker. In that regard, it's true that the Holiday BRM will also result in players using it that actually can't achieve a positive expected value.
Planning studiously instead of taking unnecessary risks
Doesn't the Holiday BRM encourage bad habits like moving up in limits even when actually having a bad run?
KTU: This "personal karma" phenomenon indeed applies to bankroll management. Once you decide to skip the 8 AM lecture on a Wednesday for the first time, the probability of making it to university on any other Wednesday at 8 AM decreases significantly.
Certain lines should only be crossed in absolute emergencies, and even then you really have to fight to ensure it's not becoming a habit.
That's also true for bankroll management. When you deviate from your previously defined plan for the first time, e.g. by simply continuing to play NL200 although you're actually two stacks short for it, then that's an important sign that you're not in complete control of yourself.
I'm not sure if you're psychologically more exposed to doing nonsense like that when following the Holiday BRM instead of a classic BRM. I don't really think so. There have always been players who chat you up saying something like: "Busted my roll while plastered at Blackjack! Could you stake me?" Just as there are always players who don't have any issues at all with sticking to their BRM.
It always boils down to the same skill: how good are you in sticking to a previously determined decision that you made with a clear mind in a sudden moment of mental resistance.
