How vlogger BluffaloSam built up bankroll from $100 to $100K in 10 months

On March 24, 2023, Sam ‘BluffaloSam’ Insol deposited $77 on PokerStars and began playing tournaments at micro and low stakes with the goal of reaching $100,000.

On January 23, 2024, BluffaloSam announced the completion of the challenge on his YouTube channel.

To climb from $0.25 tournaments to $10/25/50 cash games, it took him just under 11 months. During this time, Sam released 85 poker vlogs

Was expecting to complete the challenge in 3 years: how Sam ‘BluffaloSam’ Insol grew from $100 to $100,000

It all started with a deposit of $100 Canadian dollars ($77 US) on PokerStars.

Sam began playing tournaments ranging from $0.55 to $3.30. Once, he put all in his bankroll and won $350.

Then, he started playing all $16.50 tournaments. When the bankroll reached $1,330, he switched to offline for the first time at $1/$3. Initially, it dipped to $900, then increased to $4,000.

With this bankroll, BluffaloSam started playing $2/$5 cash games and $500 tournaments offline. However, it didn’t work out, and the bankroll dropped back to $1,000.

After that, he decided to grind $1/$3 until reached $10K.

In total, BluffaloSam played 398 hours at $1/$3 with a win rate of $37 per hour.

Then he started shot-taking $2/$5. When he got to California, his bankroll was $20K

I was ready to play $5/$10 for the first time. I played one session, won $3,800. But overall, throughout the challenge, I only played three sessions at this limit.

After California, BluffaloSam went to Las Vegas with the goal of reaching $50K before heading to Texas. It was tough, but he managed it in two and a half months.

In Texas, he played at the Lodge $5/$10/$25 on streams. And had two significant losing sessions of $3,800 and $4,000.

Then he played two more sessions at Peaks Dallas, after which his downswing increased to -$11K.

After that, BluffaloSam went to Houston, where he played a session at $10/$25/$50

Just what was needed during the downswing of $11K. But in the end, I won over $10K.

After Christmas, BluffaloSam played a couple more sessions in Austin and grew his bankroll to $75K. Technically, the challenge could have been completed because in Canadian dollars, it was already over $100K. But he decided to continue, and after the new year, he reached the required amount in US dollars.

What’s next? I would like to continue moving up in stakes and comfortably play $200/$400 with an appropriate bankroll. I also want to win a WSOP bracelet and hit a royal flush. And I would like to reach 100K subscribers on my channel (currently at 5.5K) by the end of 2025.

Challenge Statistics

• Total Winnings: $108,500
• Total Hours Played: 780
• Winrate: $137 per hour
• Winrate in BB: 24.98 BB/100

Statistics of playing with stacks over 300 BB:

• Total Winnings: $93,500
• Total Hours Played: 382
• Winrate: $241.50 per hour
• Winrate in BB: 38 BB/100

Sam answered questions from Reddit readers

You can find it here.

• When you first tried $2/$5 and lost, was it a downswing or lack of experience? I’m trying to move from $1/$2 to $2/$5 and would appreciate any advice on playing against aggressive opponents.

It was a lack of experience. Of course, players are more aggressive at $2/$5. But if you play a bit tighter than at $1/$3, more relaxed, and observant, you’ll notice that the difference between these two limits isn’t that big.

Allocate one day or one buy-in per week to play at $2/$5. Consider it an investment in your education. It took me quite a few sessions to adapt to playing with very deep stacks. But playing with such stacks is much more enjoyable (plus you’ll be better prepared for high-stakes play).

• Why did you take shots at higher limits? To finish the challenge faster? Or just because you’re comfortable with risk?

Because I’m comfortable with risk. I’m perfectly comfortable playing even if I lose half of my bankroll. It’s not difficult for me to play at lower limits after I unsuccessfully attempt a new limit. It was challenging for me to move up from $2/$5 to $5/$10. But after playing three sessions at $5/$10, I hardly played at lower limits anymore.

• Tell us a bit about your poker background.

I got into poker when playing home games with friends at $0.25/$0.50. I lost. Then I watched videos with Tom Dwan on YouTube, realized the importance of aggression, and started winning.

At the age of 20, I played a bit of $1/$3. Then I took a break for 7 years. I returned to poker in March 2023 to complete the challenge.

Editor’s note: Before returning to poker, Sam Insol was a real estate agent and also made vlogs. However, they were much less popular than his poker videos.

• You’re from Canada but live and play in the USA?

Yes. As a Canadian resident, I can play in the USA for 5-6 months a year.

• How do you work on your game?

I analyze hands and practice on training sites (mostly on Upswing).