The Climb to 5kNL

I decided to start a bankroll challenge to show that with proper bankroll management and consistent, good decision-making, I can grow my bankroll to play in some of the highest-stakes online games! Throughout my poker career, I've made the excuse that variance has played the biggest role in failing to reach my goal of playing high-stakes online cash games. With proper bankroll management, variance will still play a large part, but won’t ultimately decide my fate. With enough volume and study, skill will determine whether or not I get to 5kNL and compete with some of the best. Follow along as I update this page and write articles on the strategies learned and observations made at each stake as I climb.

Challenge Rules

• Buy into a cash game with 5% of bankroll max
• Move down if buy-in is >5% of bankroll
• Leave table if stack is >10% of bankroll
• Employ game selection at higher stakes
• NO tournaments

Starting Bankroll: $12,000 (400NL)

Current Stats

Current Stake: 400NL
Bankroll: $15,051.47
Rakeback and Bonuses: +$5125
Total Profit: $3,051.47
Hands Played: 53,439
Challenge Start Date: May 19th 2026