Not sure if this belongs here; if not a Mod will surely move it.

How do you come up with an appropriate buy in amount for the game you play relative to your average bet? I'm not talking about having a proper BR to play a game, but how you arrive at a buy in amount that you're comfortable with.

For me, when I walk up to a craps table, my session BR is usually $3k, which is what I'm comfortable spewing around for that one session. But when I buy in, I don't plunk down the entire wad. I pull out $500. Which I'm beginning to think is stupid because my betting style calls for $180 in action on every come out roll. Two PSO and I have to buy in again. But psychologically, I refuse to buy in for more because *to me* I feel that it's harder to climb back from a $1k loss than a $500 loss if I've lost that initial buy in. Does this make sense to anyone?

I know that the amount of my buy in means nothing in terms of HA or theo, but it's been bugging me. I think it's just me.

 

Psychology is def a player in all this. True it's the same dollar amount in the end but if you're playing scared or down because of a loss it's not as fun. It's easier to walk away if you only bought in for $500 of your $3000 if the table is cold. I will walk from a craps table if I start off getting beat up.

 

I buy in for relatively small amounts relative to my average bet and total I'm willing to lose as well. Though maybe not quite as small as the OP. (I make very similar bets and have similar loss tolerance but I'd probably buy in for $1000 in the same situation.)

For me it's just a money management tool. After losing the first buy in, I'm forced to think about whether I'm having fun or just chasing while I'd dig into my pocket or ask for another marker. If the former, I'll throw down some more money. If the latter, I'll (usually...hopefully...when I'm not tilting or too drunk) move on.

 

I'm pretty much the same. Sometimes what I'll do is buy in and have them split it into 2 markers......easier to buy back.

 

I also split up my session bankroll into a few separate wads to maintain some semblance of discipline, especially the later it gets in the evening/morning. Winning back my buy in creates a new wad, losing one tells me it's time to try something else before I go on tilt, especially if it gets sucked up really fast.

 

yeah, I don't buy in for too much because I feel like less is on the line.

even though if I lose it I will almost always just pull another marker.

it also feels good to have only bought in for 10k and have 20k in front of you.

I think if I bought in for 50k and had 60k in front of me it wouldn't feel like I had won as much.

 

If I buy in with all or most of my bankroll, it's a sure-fire sign mentally to myself that I'm going to lose it, no matter what. I try to keep it to one-third per session.

 

Well, well, it seems as if I'm not the only one with this issue. I agree, Shifter that it "feels good" to have only bought in for less than you session BR.

 

I view buy-in and loss limit amounts as both practical and psychological tools. I never reach into my pocket and buy in to a session again. That, to me, feels like a loser move. Reaching into my pocket for more cash after chips are gone, psychologically, makes me feel like a chump, that the house beat me, that I’m a pathetic loser. Same reason I have a loss limit – I won’t stand at a cold table until all of my chips are gone because, again, it makes me feel like a pathetic loser, standing there while it all disappears. The argument against this is, "just buy in for $500 instead of $1,000 if you’re going to leave after losing $500 anyway; $500 is $500, so what’s the difference?" The difference is that I feel a lot better if there is something to put in my pocket when I decide to walk away. Purely psychological.

With that in mind, the amount I buy in to a table for has to be enough to weather a downturn and leave enough ammo to try to fight back: 30x min bet at BJ/pai gow/baccarat/roulette; 10x craps base bets on the table. I walk after 50% of my buy in is gone (limit losses, not gains). If I'm playing $25 BJ/pai gow etc I round up and buy in for $800 and walk when it gets to $400. $100 BJ=$3k, walk at $1.5k - go cool off, find another table etc. I split my trip BR by the number of days (envelope or similar), and never risk the entire BR or day's amount in one session.

It's conservative and I'm pretty strict about this, but by sticking to it I know that even with losing sessions (which I know there will be more losing than winning sessions) I played it my way and I'm still walking with some chips, which makes me feel better than if everything was gone.

 

If there's one thing I'm going to benefit from this Vegas Board, it's to learn the lessons being offered by other players in their experiences. Thanks for this board. I'm going to put some new tactics in April. I've got to learn how to walk away.