The sad reality is that most poker players lose money in the long run, especially beginners. If you want to be one of the minority that makes money from online poker then you will need more than just a strong understanding of the hands you are playing. You will need to learn about building a poker bankroll.
The most successful online poker players are the ones that play the most hands. Your bankroll needs to be big enough to allow you to stay in the game for a decent period of time to give you a chance to make money.
Before you sit down at a texas holdem table, make sure that you have enough money to see the game through. If your bankroll is only in the region of $200, choose a low limit table – for example the $0.05 tables. As your balance increases, consider gradually increasing the stakes, but don’t go up to the $1 tables until your bankroll is approaching $1000.
Set yourself sensible limits. If you move up to a higher stakes game and find that your balance is rapidly being depleted, then move back to lower stakes rooms for a while. This isn’t something that reflects poorly on your skill as a poker player – even the strongest players in the world are at a massive disadvantage if they have a short stack. Don’t let your pride get in the way of building your balance.
Take advantage of loyalty bonuses, comp points, and deposit matching as a way to increase your value for money when you are playing online poker, but don’t factor them in when assessing your performance.

Remember that the lower stakes rooms can be full of novice players, and that traditional poker strategies may not perform well against such unskilled players. As you get to higher stakes rooms, you may find that games become slightly more predictable, and this can work to your advantage. There’s always the possibility of encountering someone who has more money than sense, however, and in that case your carefully calculated strategies may go out of the window.

For this reason, you should never play with money that you cannot afford to lose. Make your poker bankroll be a part of your budget. Decide how much you can afford to spend on poker as entertainment for the next month or quarter, and stick to that. Any winnings can either be poured into next month’s bankroll to allow you to play higher stakes games if you are confident enough, or withdrawn to use to treat yourself in real life.

Good luck, and play sensibly!