Bankroll
A bankroll is the money you set aside for playing poker.
The simple explanation
A bankroll is the money you set aside for playing poker. It is separate from your everyday finances and decides what stakes you can afford. A larger bankroll lets you play higher stakes and survive losing streaks.
A closer look
Poker has swings: even a winning player can lose many buy-ins in a row. A bankroll is the buffer that absorbs those swings. Good bankroll management means playing stakes for which you have enough buy-ins, such as 20 to 50 for cash games, and moving down when you are short. Without it, a bad run can force you out of the game.
A practical example
A player sets aside $2,000 for poker and plays stakes whose buy-ins are at most $60.
Full explanation
A bankroll is the money you set aside for playing poker.
A bankroll is the total amount of money a player has set aside to play poker. It is a separate fund used only for poker.
The size of the bankroll influences the stakes a player can afford and how he handles the swings of the game.
Bankroll management is the set of rules for how to use it. A common rule is to have a fixed number of buy-ins for the stakes played.
Players also use the word as a verb: to bankroll someone means to fund him.
Alternative spelling: bank roll