Bankroll Management: Survive First, Profit Second

Your bankroll is money set aside for betting that you can genuinely afford to lose — separate from rent, savings, everything. A unit is your standard bet: 1-2% of bankroll is the sensible range.

$500 bankroll → $5-10 per bet. That feels small. It's supposed to. Even strong bettors hit 10-bet losing streaks; at 2% units that's a bruise, at 20% units it's the whole bankroll.

Bet the same amount on every play of similar confidence. The classic destroyers:

• Chasing: doubling after losses to "get it back" — the fastest path to zero
• Pressing: doubling after wins because you feel hot — variance doesn't care
• Mood sizing: big bets on "locks" — the market already priced your lock

If you want to size up your very best spots, cap it at 2 units and decide before you look at the odds, not after.

Recalculate your unit monthly as the bankroll moves. Track every bet (stake, odds, closing line if you can). Judge months, not nights. Our Results page grades every published pick — wins and losses — because that's the standard honest tracking should meet.