What is a bankroll?

A bankroll is money set aside only for betting, kept apart from rent, bills and savings. You split it into units, and every bet is sized as a share of it.

Set it once

Pick an amount you could lose without it hurting: $200, $500, $1,000. The number matters less than keeping it separate. Put it in its own account or card so it is easy to see.

Split it into units

One unit is 1% of the bankroll. A $500 bankroll gives a $5 unit. A normal bet is one unit. Example math, not a promise: with 1% bets, ten losses in a row cost about 10%.

When to reset

Once a month, or when the bankroll changes by a lot. Not after every win or loss. Changing the unit mid-streak is how people end up betting too big.

What it is not

It is not a promise of profit and not money to win back. If it is gone, stop; do not top it up to chase. If betting stops being fun, help is free: 1-800-GAMBLER.

The step-by-step is in how much to bet, and the bet size calculator does the math for a single bet.

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