Bankroll Management
The practice of managing your gambling funds to minimize the risk of going broke.
Bankroll management is the discipline of sizing your bets appropriately relative to your total gambling funds. It's arguably the most important skill in gambling because even the best edge is worthless if you go broke before the long-term math works in your favor.
The basic principle: never risk more than a small percentage of your bankroll on any single bet. Common guidelines suggest 1-5% per bet for sports bettors and at least 200-300 big bets for poker players.
Bankroll management also means only gambling with money you can afford to lose, keeping gambling funds separate from living expenses, and being honest about your results. Chasing losses — increasing bets to recover — is the opposite of bankroll management and the fastest path to going broke.
Related Terms
Unit
A standardized bet size used to track performance, typically 1-2% of your bankroll.
Kelly Criterion
A formula for calculating the optimal bet size to maximize long-term bankroll growth.
Risk of Ruin
The probability of losing your entire bankroll, even with a positive edge.
Tilt
Emotional state causing irrational decisions, usually triggered by a bad beat or losing streak.
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