Chris Ferguson Bankroll Management

[gmanshade 0]

100 Ferguson Goes From Zero to Hero Chris Ferguson April 27th, 2007 I'm almost a year into an experiment on Full Tilt Poker. I'm attempting to turn $0 into a $10,000 bankroll. With no money to start with, I had no choice but to start out playing Freerolls. Starting out, I'd often manage to win a dollar or two, but I'd quickly get busted and have to start over again. It took some time but, after awhile, I was eventually able to graduate to games that required an actual buy-in.Even today, people don't believe it's really me when I sit down at Full Tilt's small stakes games. They ask what I'm doing down here, and often tell me stories about how they turned $5 into $500 or $100 into $1,000. Usually, these stories end with the person telling me that they went broke. There's no surprise there. These folks tried to quickly build a bankroll by gambling. They'd play in a game that was beyond their bankroll and, if they happened to win, they'd move up to a higher limit and risk it all one more time. Inevitably, they'd lose a few big hands and go broke. For me, this experiment isn't about the money. It's about showing how, with proper bankroll management, you can start from nothing and move up to the point where you're playing in some pretty big games. I know it's possible because I did it once before, turning $1 into $20,000.To ensure that I keep my bankroll intact, I've adopted some key rules: -I'll never buy into a cash game or a Sit & Go with more than 5 percent of my total bankroll (there is an exception for the lowest limits: I'm allowed to buy into any game with a buy-in of $2.50 or less). -I won't buy into a multi-table tournament for more than 2 percent of my total bankroll and I'm allowed to buy into any multi-table tournament that costs $1. --If at any time during a No-Limit or Pot-Limit cash-game session the money on the table represents more than 10 percent of my total bankroll, I must leave the game when the blinds reach me. I think a lot of players would do well to apply these rules. One great benefit from this approach to bankroll management is that it ensures you'll be playing in games you can afford. You'll never play for very long in a game that's over your head because, when you're losing, you'll have no choice but to drop down to a smaller game. You can continue to sharpen your game at that lower limit until your bankroll allows you to move up and take another shot. These rules also prevent you from being completely decimated by a bad run of cards. ***i will be honest, i have probably leaked 5k in the last year playing drunk or out of my bankroll. i playd $30/60 limit with a 5k roll when i was completely hammered. another time i sat at 3/6 with $600 when i had 2k on the site, and lost a full buyin when someone flopped 666 on me against QQ. i also played $100+9 turbo SNGs with a 1500 bankroll and ran so bad it was sick. i realized recently that poker is a lot less stressful when i play with less than 100 % of my roll on the table. im going to follow his bankroll suggestions until i hit 10k again. i just took down a $4 180 man on stars, so that's a good start.

[fitzinabox 0]

yep i got that email also, too bad ill never follow those bankrool management skills. I wish i could, i just don't think i have the discipline right now for it.

[Dabs45 1]

got it also, anyone know how much he has so far??

[timwakefield 68]

That's pretty cool. I don't understand why he is leaving a table if his stack represents more than 10% of his roll though. If for example he has 25 buy-ins at whatever level and triples up a full stack he has to leave, even if nobody at the table has him covered.

[grocery_mony 8]

I wonder how many hours he had to put in though. sounds good on paper but when you find out his hourly rate was something like $5 it sounds almost like a waste of time. His overall message of bankroll management is a very good one that most people will take to heart for couple of weeks than go back to gambling it up with stacks of cash in there dreams.

[gmanshade 0]

I wonder how many hours he had to put in though. sounds good on paper but when you find out his hourly rate was something like $5 it sounds almost like a waste of time. His overall message of bankroll management is a very good one that most people will take to heart for couple of weeks than go back to gambling it up with stacks of cash in there dreams.

i'm sure his rate is bad for the first month or two, but after that it is probably pretty reasonable. the way i look at it a lot of pros are bad at money management they are constantly broke. someone like ferguson i respect, even though he's a little boring, since he knows how to take care of business. obv hellmuth is the absolute best since he has a business empire where he doesn't have any pressure to win tournaments any more.

[iloveplaypokr 0]

To ensure that I keep my nuts intact, I've adopted this key rule: Never buy my girlfriend energy drinks for our anniversary.

FYP. You should listen to Ferguson.

[dereeekho 0]

got it also, anyone know how much he has so far??

He has $669 as of last night.

[Dratj 0]

DN never followed those rules.

[chaosnhavoc 0]

That's pretty cool. I don't understand why he is leaving a table if his stack represents more than 10% of his roll though. If for example he has 25 buy-ins at whatever level and triples up a full stack he has to leave, even if nobody at the table has him covered.

I think hes talking about the pot, if a single hand ever reaches more than 10 percent of his bankroll he leaves before his BB.

[ajs510 122]

Interesting timing the way Chris is taking on this little bankroll experiment when he hasn't had a tournament cash since the last WSOP ($4800 last July).

[HermanKahn 0]

He has $669 as of last night.

Where did you get this; can you get updates? If so, I think I'll start with $669 tonight and try to beat him to it. LOL

[CrazyJoe 0]

I think hes talking about the pot, if a single hand ever reaches more than 10 percent of his bankroll he leaves before his BB.

what? no.he buys in for the highest limit he can with 5% of his bankroll and plays short stack poker, if he doubles up he leaves and sits at a different table with 5% again, it pulls his profit off the table. i personally think it sets a bad example, but not much you can do about it.

[Ward 0]

I think hes talking about the pot, if a single hand ever reaches more than 10 percent of his bankroll he leaves before his BB.

umm sw?

[Dr_Shakes 0]

DN never followed those rules.

When I read your post with your avatar I hear Homer saying it.

[Royal_Tour 0]

who makes it to 10k first, jesus or royal?I'm betting on myself, I might not be able to walk on water, but i can pisss like a racehorse.

[DOG 0]

I'm betting on myself, I might not be able to walk on water, but i can pisss like a racehorse, despite being hung like a mouse.

my money is on you sexy

[chaosnhavoc 0]

what? no.he buys in for the highest limit he can with 5% of his bankroll and plays short stack poker, if he doubles up he leaves and sits at a different table with 5% again, it pulls his profit off the table. i personally think it sets a bad example, but not much you can do about it.

Thats what I thought then I kept reading it over and over and just misinterpreted the last part.just a little tired..

[chaosnhavoc 0]

I have a question: Is he doing this under another screen name? or under Chris Ferguson? If its under Chris how hard would it to be to make it through the micros with everyone willing to gamble just to say that they beat Chris Ferguson? If its not Isnt this a violation of the multi account rule?

[BobVersion1 0]

I have a question: Is he doing this under another screen name? or under Chris Ferguson? If its under Chris how hard would it to be to make it through the micros with everyone willing to gamble just to say that they beat Chris Ferguson? If its not Isnt this a violation of the multi account rule?

I THINK it's under his name because he says other people ask why he's down to these low limits. I don't play on Full Tilt, but that's my guess.

[nutzbuster 7]

I like Furgusen.Why?...ummm......cause he once stopped and talked to us and took a photo with my wife?HOLLAAA!!Chris was very cool. Good ballroom dancer too!

[James D 0]

I like Furgusen.Why?...ummm......cause he once stopped and talked to us and took a photo with my wife?HOLLAAA!!Chris was very cool. Good ballroom dancer too!

Where is your wife's left hand?I have never seen Chris grin so widely before

[Kestral123 0]

My $0.02 worth on the subject:Bankroll management is not that hard, and critically important to building your roll. When I started a few years ago, I started off playing mostly limit, and bought in twice for around $300 and lost it. I was playing $2/$4 mostly, which I now know was way too high. I played each time for a few months, and then busted. At that point I started reading about theories of bankroll management, and I adopted a simple approach that I adhered to rigidly:1. I move up in limits when I have 300 big bets for that limit.2. I move back down in limits when I fall below 150 big bets for that limit.It's simple but it works. My third deposit was $200, and I've never redeposited since then and am now playing mostly MTTs and some higher limits ($10-$20 mainly) out of a five figure roll. It was touch and go for a while, though, mainly until my MTT game took off last year. I worked up to $10-$20 twice before and got slammed back down (not because the players are better; in fact they are HORRIBLE - the worst at any level by far that I've played, so the variance is extremely high). Each time I dropped back down to $5-$10 and stuck to my plan. I'm still only break even at the $10-$20 level, but my roll is way above the 300 bb that I need to play it, and I don't play that much cash games any more.Once my roll got high enough to justify it, I moved most of it into an online savings account that earns 4.5% interest. I keep a little on ePassporte, a little on each of the sites I play, and the rest sits in the savings account earning interest. I NEVER spend anything out of that account. If I want to spend some of my poker money, I first transfer it to my checking account. I have no checks or credit/debit cards tied to the poker savings account. Discipline isn't that hard, but the easier you make it for yourself, the better off you'll be.

[mtdesmoines 3]

I have a question: Is he doing this under another screen name? or under Chris Ferguson? If its under Chris how hard would it to be to make it through the micros with everyone willing to gamble just to say that they beat Chris Ferguson?

I think that's one of the reasons it's working.

[oldmangrimis 0]

Is it posted or does anyone know where he made the most gains, was it from cash game, 1t SNG, or MTT. He did not make anythingwins until he got a 2,000 to 3,000 bankroll. also he took a big lose does anyone know what game that was from