Betting Tools
Bankroll Manager
Protect your betting bankroll with smart unit sizing. Choose your strategy, set your risk tolerance, and know exactly how much to wager on every bet.
Set Your Bankroll
Build a disciplined staking plan around the money set aside for betting.
Bet the same fixed amount on every wager. Simple, consistent, and the easiest to manage.
Mathematically optimal sizing based on your edge. Maximizes long-term growth but requires accurate probability estimates.
Set a specific dollar amount per bet regardless of bankroll size.
Your Bankroll Plan
Bankroll Projection
A simple view of your current guardrails and growth target.
Scale: $0 to $2,000.00
Risk of Ruin Estimator
Estimate how your win rate, price, and current unit count affect your chance of eventually exhausting your bankroll. This is a simplified educational model, not a guarantee.
Uses simplified risk-of-ruin formula: RoR = ((1 − edge) / (1 + edge))units, where edge = (win rate × decimal payout − 1). It assumes a consistent edge and equal-sized bets; real betting outcomes vary.
Unit Size Reference
| Bankroll | 1% Unit | 2% Unit | 3% Unit | 5% Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $5 | $10 | $15 | $25 |
| $1,000 | $10 | $20 | $30 | $50 |
| $2,500 | $25 | $50 | $75 | $125 |
| $5,000 | $50 | $100 | $150 | $250 |
| $10,000 | $100 | $200 | $300 | $500 |
Use this as a quick reference. Individual stakes should always reflect your own risk tolerance and edge.
How It Works
Set Your Bankroll
Your bankroll is the total amount of money you have set aside exclusively for betting. This is money you can afford to lose — never bet with rent money or emergency funds.
Choose a Unit Sizing Strategy
Flat betting (1–3% per bet) is best for most bettors. Kelly Criterion optimizes bet size based on your edge but requires accurate win probability estimates. Most pros use Half Kelly or less to reduce variance.
Follow Your Stop-Loss Rules
Set a daily loss limit (typically 3 units) and walk away when you hit it. Chasing losses is the fastest way to destroy a bankroll.
Track and Adjust
Review your bankroll weekly. If it grows, your unit size grows proportionally. If it shrinks, reduce your unit size — never chase by increasing bet sizes after losses.
Pro Tips
- Most professional bettors risk 1–2% of their bankroll per bet.
- Half Kelly is the most popular approach among sharp bettors.
- Never increase unit size after a loss — adjust down, not up.
- A 55% win rate at -110 odds is considered strong long-term.
- Keep at least 50 units in your bankroll to survive variance.
Bankroll Management Guide
Make Your Bankroll Last
How to set a bankroll, size bets with the Kelly Criterion, and see what a losing streak really does to your balance.
What Is a Betting Bankroll?
Your bankroll is money set aside only for betting, kept separate from rent, bills and savings. Treat it as a budget you’re prepared to lose, not an investment.
Bets are measured in units, a fixed share of that bankroll. Units keep your stakes consistent, so one bad day can’t wipe you out, and they make your results easy to compare over time.
Example: You set aside $1,000. At 2% per bet, one unit is $20, which gives you 50 units of cushion. If the bankroll drops to $800, a 2% unit becomes $16.
How Kelly Sizing Works
What Losing Streaks Do to Your Bankroll
| Stake per Bet | After 5 Losses | After 10 Losses | After 15 Losses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1% | 95.1% | 90.4% | 86.0% |
| 2% | 90.4% | 81.7% | 73.9% |
| 5% | 77.4% | 59.9% | 46.3% |
| 10% | 59.0% | 34.9% | 20.6% |
Share of your starting bankroll left after straight losses, betting a fixed percentage of your current bankroll each time.
How common are streaks? We ran the probability math for 500 independent bets. At a 50% win rate, there’s about a 62% chance of at least one 8-bet losing streak and about a 22% chance of a 10-bet streak. Even at a strong 55% win rate, the chance of an 8-loss streak somewhere in those 500 bets is about 37%.
Bankroll Rules & Tips
Keep it separate. Use a dedicated account or e-wallet for betting so you always know your real balance.
Log every bet. Record the stake, odds and result. Without a record, you can’t tell skill from luck.
Bonus money isn’t bankroll yet. Promo funds with rollover rules don’t count until you’ve cleared them and can withdraw.
Shrink stakes on long shots. Parlays and big underdogs swing harder, so many bettors use 0.25 to 0.5 units on them.
Decide when you’ll withdraw. Set a rule in advance, such as taking out profits above your starting bankroll each month.
A bankroll is a budget, not a way to win back losses. If betting stops being fun, take a break. Need help? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
Frequently Asked Questions
A unit is your standard bet size: a fixed percentage or dollar amount that makes your results easier to track. Rather than thinking in raw dollars, a bettor might describe a wager as one unit or two units. Your unit should be small enough that normal losing streaks do not threaten your bankroll.
For most bettors, 1–2% per standard wager is a disciplined range. More aggressive sizing increases volatility and the chance that a downswing does serious damage. Only risk more when you have a well-supported edge and can absorb the variance.
The Kelly Criterion is a formula that suggests a stake based on the price available and your estimated chance of winning. It can maximize long-run growth when estimates are accurate, but full Kelly can be volatile. Many experienced bettors use Half Kelly or less.
Do not chase. Continue to use your preset unit, follow your daily stop-loss, and review whether the original betting process still has an edge. If your bankroll has fallen meaningfully, lower the unit proportionally before you resume.
Flat betting is the best starting point for most people because it is transparent and easy to follow. Kelly is useful only if you can make calibrated, honest probability estimates. If you choose Kelly, a fractional version is generally more practical.
There is no universal dollar amount. Start with a separate amount you can afford to lose, then size each wager conservatively. Building a bankroll of at least 50 standard units gives a beginner a more realistic buffer against ordinary variance.
Bet with discipline
Take control of your bankroll.
Set your bankroll, pick your strategy, and bet with discipline.
