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While online poker can be a fun and sometimes profitable pass-time building a poker bankroll requires a more disciplined approach. The natural variance in poker means that a run of bad cards can come at any time. Winning players make sure that they are able to withstand such runs in order that their poker bankroll's grow over time. This article looks at 5 ways to ensure that your online poker bankroll will grow.

1) Never Play Above Your Level

Bad cards and bad beats happen to even the best players in the world at times. If you have too much of your poker bankroll at the table at any one time then a few beats could potentially wipe out your cash. In order to counter this disciplined players ensure that only a small percentage of their bankroll is at risk in any one game. Useful numbers to remember are 20 buy-ins for No-Limit Holdem games, or 30 buy-ins for SNGs or multi-table tournaments.

2) Spend Time On Table and Site Selection

Time spent selecting the 'fishiest' tables to play on will reward players with steady poker bankroll building. Instead of just sitting at the first available table check the statistics available in most poker room lobbies. The key factors to look for are number of players seeing each flop and the average size of the pot. Waiting just 10 minutes to play can result in playing against the very worst opponents! In a similar way it can pay to check out several poker rooms. Not all sites are equal in terms of skill level of opponents so make sure you shop around.

3) Take Advantage of Online Bonuses.

Many sites offer big incentive bonuses to sign up with them. Discipline players look beyond the 'headline rate' to find how easy the bonuses clear. Regular reload bonuses and extra incentives such as VIP clubs or freerolls can also be factored in. Again playing at more than one site will allow those building a poker bankroll to switch quickly as new bonus offers become available.

4) Beware of Tilt!

Tilt describes any situation where a player starts to play less than optimally. The classic form of tilt is anger following a 'bad beat' which then leads to reckless gambling. More subtle forms include becoming resigned and passive at the table following a bad run of cards. Tilt is the arch-enemy of disciplined players building a poker bankroll. The best solution is to be aware of this factor - and never move up levels to gain back lost money.

5) Study and Study Again

Poker Bankroll Building involves more than just grinding out the same games day-by-day. As your bankroll grows you will need to move up levels - and thus face stronger opponents. Study of the game can take many forms including participating in poker forums, reading poker strategy articles and even paying for one of the many online training sites available today. One thing is true here - if you do not work on your game that bankroll will stop growing some day soon!

Mark R Holland is an online poker pro, blogger and writer for high-quality poker sites. For great poker strategy articles and tips covering SNGs, Poker Tournaments and Satellite Qualifiers visit Online Poker Tournament Strategy Tips today!