Explained: What is ROI in poker

The vast majority of online poker players will have heard the term ROI mentioned, or return on investment, with it simply talking about whether a game is profitable.

To calculate the ROI we only need two items: the buy-in amount for the poker tournament played and the payout obtained.

Calculating return on investment in poker

You can calculate the Return on investment as follows:

ROI = (Win – Buyin) / Buy-in) x 100

• the buy-in must be inclusive of the fee paid.
• To “win” means the sum of the revenues of individual placements.
• To “buy in” means the sum of the buy-in for each game.

As an example: If you’re playing a Sit’n Go with a €10, and we finish the tournament in 1st place, winning €40 our ROI will be:

ROI = ((40-10) / 10) x 100 = 300%

Calculating ROI over a large sample of games is essential to assess whether you’re successful at a particular stake. Consider this scenario:

If you enter Sit & Go tournaments with a total buy-in of €500 and your total winnings are €501, your ROI would be:

ROI = ((501 – 500) / 500) × 100 = 0.2%

This may seem small, but over thousands of poker games, even a slight positive ROI reflects long-term profit.

What’s a Good ROI?

• A reliable ROI estimate requires at least 2,000–3,000 games.
• A positive ROI is critical—it means you’re a winning player at that stake.
• For single-table Sit & Go’s, an acceptable long-term ROI is typically 4–6%.
• A “double-digit ROI” (10% or more) is considered excellent and indicates strong performance relative to the competition.

Why ROI in poker matters

Beyond simply tracking profit, ROI helps you understand your skill level compared to your opponents. The more you play, the more accurate your ROI becomes. For instance:

If, after 3,000 games at €10 buy-ins, your ROI is 15%, you’re clearly beating the level — suggesting it’s time to consider moving up in stakes.