How to break the ‘deposit > play > bust’ cycle for good

Dweezy has been playing poker for around six years, but never took it seriously.

“I was just depositing and trying to fast-track to a big score, but I was very rarely studying so I always burned through my bankroll in the process.”

If that sounds familiar to your own poker situation, you’re not alone. But if you want to break that cycle, there’s something you can do about it.

“I always told myself if that I managed my bankroll correctly, I honestly believed I could make a decent side income from this game I love,” he says. “So last month (August 2022) I tried it out along with a more consistent study routine.”

Dweezy, a 32-year-old Telecoms Engineer from Liverpool, decided to set himself a challenge: One month to turn a $100 deposit into $1,000 playing only micro-stakes. If he stuck to correct bankroll management and game selection while playing a high volume, he believed this was achievable.

“I wanted to prove to myself that I can start from the ground up and build my bankroll the right way,” he says. “I think a lot of people, myself included, feel poker owes them something and that we’re soooo unlucky and that’s why we never win. When in reality, poker is very fair to those who do things the right way and stay humble in the games they’re qualified to play.

“Variance is a bitch, so ensuring you have to funds to handle it is crucial.”

But before he began playing, he needed to get positive study habits in place.

“I purchased the Apestyles bundle and watched two videos prior to every session,” he says. “The guy’s a genius and explains some of the most daunting topics for low-level players so well.”

Dweezy also attended the free BBZ seminars every Monday (“Those sessions helped me massively”) and reviewed hands he’d marked during his sessions by running them through GTO+ to gain more insights.

“I’ve always been a fan of Jordan’s work ethic and the community BBZ has built is second to none,” he says. “From complete beginners to absolute crushers, there’s a fine blend of cool and very helpful individuals here.”

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Dweezy kicked off the challenge playing around 50 hours per week of $1.10 and $2.20 tournaments, with the occasional $3.30 thrown in. But even he would admit this wasn’t necessarily Bankroll Management 101 (the risk of ruin in tournament poker is so high that it’s recommended you have 100-200 buy-ins).

But as he already had six years of playing under his belt, he took an aggressive approach.

And it paid off as he managed to build his bankroll to $300 quite quickly.

From there on, it’s been smooth sailing and he ended the month with a $2,200 bankroll.

“I personally think aggressive bankroll management is OK at micro-stakes, but I will be a lot more strict now, playing no higher than $11s with maybe the odd $16.50 / $22,” he says.

Dweezy’s success has even inspired other members of the BBZ community to take on their own bankroll challenges. We wondered what advice he’d give to them before they begin.

“Accept it will be a grind, go back to basics, don’t be a degenerate with your bankroll, and enjoy it,” he says. “With a bit of study and patience, this challenge is 100% achievable.”