Man, that bankroll split you laid out hits like a slow jazz tune—smooth, deliberate, but with a lingering ache for those big wins we all chase. I’ve been grinding poker tables for years, and your 70-20-10 mix feels like a solid rhythm to keep the chips flowing without crashing. But there’s a shadow over that approach, you know? It’s like dancing on a tightrope—safe until the wind picks up. Cash games are my bread and butter too, but that 70% can feel like a cage when the table’s cold, and you’re bleeding blinds night after night. Tournaments, with that 20%, they’re a siren call—huge payouts, but you’re one bad beat from busting. And that 10% for side bets? It’s tempting to spice things up, but those prop wagers can burn through your stack faster than a bad bluff.
I’ve been testing a tweak to this kind of split, something to keep the melancholy at bay. I go 60% cash games, 25% tourneys, and 15% for what I call “swing bets”—not just props, but calculated risks like short-stack Sit & Gos or even dipping into sportsbooks for a low-stakes parlay when I need a break from the felt. It’s not about chasing the high; it’s about giving yourself room to breathe when the cards don’t fall your way. The key is discipline—set a hard cap on those swing bets, like 2% of your roll per wager, and never touch the cash game stash for anything else. I’ve seen too many grinders go bust because they couldn’t resist a “sure thing” on a football spread or a crazy prop at the table.
Adjusting the mix based on vibe is spot-on, but I’d add one thing: track your sessions like a diary. Every hand, every buy-in, every tilt-induced call—write it down. It’s not just about the numbers; it’s about seeing your patterns, the ones that creep up when you’re tired or desperate. That’s where the real dance happens, in the quiet moments when you’re deciding whether to stick to the plan or throw it all on a gutshot draw. Keep it tight, keep it steady, and maybe we’ll all make it through this poker grind with a few chips left to play.
