I consider myself to be a good poker player. We all do, though, don’t we? While the stakes I play are modest, I am usually able to pay my rent and buy some groceries with poker winnings. For someone who only plays on a recreational level (home games), and often for only $10 - $30 at a time, that’s not bad.

But lately, I’ve been wondering how to effectively translate modest earnings into higher ones. The most obvious answer would be to make more final tables. Over the last few months, I spent a good chunk of time trying to build up a serious roll up while playing MTTs online. I turned my $100 into just over $1,000 after a month of playing 3-4 tournaments a day. With an ROI of about 27% over that time, I was making a decent return. However, I was still without a final table other than at a few 90 person sit-n-go’s that I could win with some frequency. It was in the large field tournaments on Poker Stars that I was having trouble running deep, often finishing just a few levels into the money. Someone starting out in tournaments might be happy with steady cashing, but anyone with any experience knows that tournaments are hardly worth cashing in unless you can make some final tables.

The second option would be to stop spending what I win live and online and invest it in my bankroll. In live tournaments, I have been able to win quite often. At various home games and charity tournaments in my town, I’ve been able to chalk up a number of wins and even more cashes. Again, though, I don’t reinvest my money in building a live bankroll or deposit it online.

So it’s decision-making time. If I want to take a serious shot at MTTs and have a chance of moving up past the $5-10 games, I’m going to have to start committing winnings building a larger bankroll. A 27% ROI is fine and dandy, but when you’ve only invested $1200 or so, it isn’t anything to write home about. Maybe I won’t be able turn the same ROI with higher buy-ins, the competition isn’t going to get any easier. I guess it’s time to find out.
Is anyone else thinking about making a more serious commitment to the game? Have you recently taken the plunge? I’d love to hear about it. Email me at clickraise@gmail.com

-Ben