Bet a fixed, small share of a bankroll: money set aside only for betting. One unit is 1% of that bankroll. A typical bet is one unit, a strong one two or three, and no single bet should pass five.
Money set aside only for betting, never money for rent or bills. Decide it once. $500 is a bankroll. So is $5,000. The size does not matter; keeping it separate does.
One unit is 1% of the bankroll. On $500 a unit is $5. On $2,000 it is $20. Bets are made in units so the plan survives both the winning weeks and the losing ones.
Because losing streaks happen to good bettors. Ten losses in a row is rare, but over a season of hundreds of bets it will happen to you.
| Bet size | Ten straight losses cost | What is left |
|---|---|---|
| 1% a bet | 10% of the bankroll | 90%, and the plan is intact |
| 5% a bet | 40% of the bankroll | 60%, and every bet now feels urgent |
| 10% a bet | 65% of the bankroll | 35%, and most people chase from here |
| 25% a bet | 94% of the bankroll | the bankroll is gone |
A bigger edge earns a bigger bet, but only a fraction of what the math would allow, because the chance behind any bet is an estimate. Most of our picks are about one unit. A strong one is two or three. No single bet is ever more than five units, and no parlay more than two and a half.
The big game pulls the big bet. Opening night, the World Series, your team on Sunday night: the feeling is bigger, so the bet gets bigger. That is how bankrolls disappear. Same size as a Tuesday in May. That is the whole trick.
The Ideal Bet tool on our site does the math. Enter your bankroll once and every pick shows the exact dollars to bet.
Then a unit is $1. If your sportsbook's minimum bet is higher, bet the minimum, treat it as your unit, and keep the five-unit cap.
No. Bet sizes follow the bankroll, which you reset monthly or when it changes a lot, never night by night. Betting more after a win is the same mistake as chasing after a loss.
Half a normal bet or less. The payout is bigger because it loses more often, so a parlay needs a smaller size to carry the same risk.
Today's free pick is on the site with its price and its bet size, at least 30 minutes before the game. Every result is public.
See today's free pickBooks we use: FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Caesars.
Data-based predictions for entertainment only. Not financial or gambling advice. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Legal · How it works · Learn · All games