I have been playing poker for the last 3-4 years and have been playing semi full time for nearly a year, as i guess is the case with alot of player starting out, bankroll manangement has been my biggest downfall i have now adopted a 20 buy in rule but im not sure how to handle the following problem;

for example only

if a game has a max buy in of $80 then i require a $1600 bankroll

the next game up is a max buy in of $200 therefore i require $4000 bankroll

if i struggle in $200 buy in game or go on a really bad run when should i drop back?

do i drop back only when i drop back to the $1600 mark?

or should i set a marker of say a 10 buys ins loss at a level requires me to drop back?

This is pretty much all about comfort.

It's also not advisable to move up just because you have the bankroll for it. You know what I mean, make sure you can beat it, etc.

Basically though, all the questions you ask are just about your own preference/comfort levels.

Can't speak from experience much on this one but, SBRugby said in the Cardplayer interview that he would drop down if he didn't have 20 buy-ins. So I am assuming if he went on any kind of bad run he would drop down a level and would only continue if he started a new level winning?

Other than that I agree with the comfort level comment. There are plenty of big Live money games that I don't have many buy-ins for but, will absolutely sit in because they are usually pretty juicy and I can't really hurt myself too much (ex: They allow me to play small ball so much that even on the big outdraws I won't lose much). But, I only play those games cause I feel comfortable in them.

personally i think that if you are a semipro then bankroll managment is overrated..... pretty much you have a job and you can reload at any time..... maybe its just cuz i cant play low limits because its boring but if i have 2000 online i might play 4-8 or 5-10...... If you go broke you can just reload.... its not like you are paying bills with that money. Thats when you need to use bankroll management... when you are playing to pay bills. Thats what i used to do and i enjoy poker and make more money now playing semi-pro and working.... dont play as much and make lots more. just my opinion

What I'm doing in my micro-stakes play is getting to the next level +5 extra buyins. That lets me give it a legitimate shot (5 buyins). If I drop all 5, I move back down again.

I seem to always get to that point where I am about to move up but just can't break the glass ceiling. I get right to the point and then start dropping back down again.

When I first started playing online poker about 5 years ago, I deposited $100 on Party Poker and I have never redeposited again. I've cashed out about an average of $2,000 per year, which I know is not much but not losing it is the best part.

I am just getting so sick of the up and down, up and down. And, yes, I know cashing out some has not given me a chance to move up quicker, but with 2 kids, sometimes you need the extra cash. Don't get me wrong, I'm not using "family or kid money" for poker, but am using poker money for family and kids.

It just gets so frustrating to go on these bad runs and have to go down and start grinding it out again. I'm just wondering with me showing a profit over the last 5 years if I should go ahead and play a little above my bankroll just to give myself a chance. If I bust, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

Sorry if this post is rambling....just so frustrating lately (see my thread called "I Can't Win on PokerStars").

Flame away!

Usually if you are below 20 buy-ins for the level you are at then you need to drop back down. IMO, I wouldn't move up until is had 25-30 buy-ins for the next level so that I had some wiggle room if I had a bad first session or two. There is nothing wrong with 'taking a shot' though and moving up right when you hit 20. If you lose your first session, you must move back down and win that money back though. Barry Greenstein talks a lot about taking shots like this in his book.