Jack again. Everyone has a bankroll strategy until they’re four losses deep and “just one more deposit” starts sounding reasonable. So this isn’t a lecture about discipline — it’s the actual bankroll strategy I use, built for the nights the pokies are cold, because those nights are coming whether we like it or not.
Start from the only honest number
Your bankroll is money that can vanish without changing your week. Not your month — your week. If losing it would delay a bill, it’s not a bankroll, it’s rent with extra steps. Decide that number away from the screen, deposit it, and treat the account balance as already spent entertainment.
The 5% session rule
Never bring more than a twentieth of your bankroll to one session. Twenty sessions of runway means variance has room to swing back without wiping you; it also caps the damage of a tilted evening at 5%. On a $400 bankroll that’s $20 sessions. Sounds small. That’s the point.
Bet sizing: the 1% line
Keep single spins at or under 1% of the session stake — on our $20 session that’s 20-cent spins, which on most pokies still unlocks features. High volatility title? Halve it. The maths of losing streaks is brutal: at 2% a ten-spin cold run eats a fifth of your session; at 1% you shrug and keep your head.
The two rules that save you money
Stop-loss: session stake gone = session over. No topping up, no “it’s due” — the machine doesn’t know you’re due. Stop-win: double the session stake = bank half, play the rest or walk. Wins you don’t withdraw aren’t wins, they’re future bets.
Bonuses can stretch a bankroll, but only if the wagering maths works — I’ve broken that down in the wagering guide. And none of this works at a casino that stalls withdrawals, so start with the safety checklist before any of my numbers matter.
Quick answers
Does Martingale fix a losing streak? No — doubling bets meets table limits and empty pockets fast. It repackages risk, it doesn’t reduce it.
What if I can’t stick to the stop-loss? That’s what deposit limits are for — set them in your casino account while you’re calm, and see the responsible gambling guide for the heavier tools.
— Jack. My spreadsheet has survived every losing streak since 2019. My ego, mostly.