How to do a good bankroll management in sports betting

What you will find in this article:

• What is bankroll management?
• Why do bankroll management? What are the benefits?
• How to do a good bankroll management
• Strategies and methods
• How to place the best bets
• Importance of responsible gambling

If you've come this far, it's because you want to know how to do good sports betting bankroll management. That is the main topic of this article, but, as usual at the Academy, you can learn a lot more.

After explaining what betting bankroll management is, we will talk about the reasons why you should do it, as well as the advantages. Only then we will talk about strategies and other points of what is considered good bankroll management.

Among other relevant aspects, such as responsible gambling, the topic of how to place the best bets stands out. There we give you some tips that you can and should keep in mind so that you bet moderately and with real purpose.

So now you know: read our article and learn how to make good bankroll management in sports betting. That and much more, of course.

What is bankroll management?

This is one of the simplest yet most important concepts in sports betting. The name already indicates what it is, but let's explain it in more detail.

Bankroll management is the process that a person goes through when managing their bankroll. All gamblers, including those who are unfamiliar with the concept, do it - even though some do it in a less positive and unsuccessful way.

All good bettors should manage their bankroll well. This will allow them to control their losses and maximise their winnings by giving them more betting opportunities.

It is important not to forget that gambling addiction is one of the main problems in sports betting. But with this in mind, bettors can place their bets calmly and without exaggerations, which should be avoided.

Find out more about the reasons for good bankroll management and its advantages.

Why do bankroll management? What are the benefits?

You may already have an idea of the importance of bankroll management from what we have already explained, but here we explain it better. Above all, the great advantage is that you can control your money and make it really work, not only looking to win money, but also looking to place bets consciously.

If you manage your bankroll well, you can make more money in the long run. Avoiding promises of easy money is essential to winning consistently in betting. Therefore, players must divide their bankroll well in order to bet in a regulated manner.

Without good bankroll management, you will be limited to betting for fun and without proper weighting. Even if it is a hobby, by doing this management, players ensure that their money is used for much longer and not lost quickly.

Below, we have listed some of the advantages you can have if you are careful managing your bankroll in your sports betting.

- Advantages

•  More rules and fewer risks
•  Increased profit potential
•  Better control of losses and balances
•  Better and smarter bets
•  Less high and unnecessary costs

How to do a good bankroll management

Before we introduce you to some concrete strategies and methods, let's talk about some key points for good bankroll management in your sports betting.

- Set a value for your bankroll

This is the first step before you start betting. How much money do you want to deposit: 10, 20, 100? Choose the amount and make sure you don't deposit money you can't afford to lose. It is essential that you do not bet excessive amounts that will jeopardise your daily life.

- Set the value of your unit and your betting stake

Another important point for good bankroll management is to define the value of the betting unit. This value refers to the amount you will bet on each ticket. Imagine that your bankroll is 10: a good option is to divide it into 10 parts, which means that each unit would be worth 1. This way, you know that you have at least 10 betting opportunities.


Also taking into account factors such as fair odds, you might want to bet half a unit or two units on a particular bet. That is the meaning of stake: the number of units you want to invest in a bet.

In the end, all these decisions are also part of bankroll management. The goal is that you can have several units to bet, as opposed to, for example, betting everything on one or two bets.

- Record all your bets

Keep a record of all your bets, hits and misses. You can, for example, opt for an Excel spreadsheet. This will allow you to have a visual and physical perception of mistakes and successes in order to be able to make even better bets. If you wish, you can choose how to organize these records, e.g., by weeks or months.

Strategies and methods

There are more, but these are the most common methods used by players to manage their money:

- Fixed value

This is the easiest strategy to understand: you always bet the same amount. If you have a bankroll of 10 and you choose 2 as your stake, that's always what you'll bet, regardless of losses or wins.

- Percentage value

In this case, you choose a percentage of your bankroll. 10% is a commonly chosen amount and that means you will always bet that 10%. Even if you lose a bet, you bet that percentage of your total bankroll again.

- Kelly Criteria

This strategy is based on a principle developed by John Kelly in the 1950s. The aim is for the player to realise for himself what he thinks the probability of a certain team winning is and compare it with the odds given by the bookmaker. From there, the punter realises whether the odds are advantageous and how much of his bankroll he should bet. You can find out more about Kelly's criteria in our article on this topic.

- Martingale

Although it is not highly recommended, especially in betting, the Martingale strategy consists of opting for odds that double the bets and is widely used in roulette. If you lose, you double your stake to try to recoup the loss or even have a chance of making a profit. If you win, you always return to the stake you initially chose.

- The d'Alembert system

Also widely used in roulette, its initial logic is identical to the Martingale strategy: place bets that double the amount, although this is not compulsory. In this case, players choose an amount, which they then increase each time they lose or reduce each time they win.

- All In Strategy

The name says it all, doesn't it? It's a strategy where you start with a low amount (1, for example) and you always bet every win at odds you think are safe (1.20 or 1.30, for example). Of course, it's not the best option, but it's a way of betting without spending too much money from your starting bankroll.

How to place the best bets

We also have some tips that you can apply to various sports to make the best bets. Discover them all here:

- Get to know the sport

There is no point in betting if you don't know the sport. Again, don't be seduced by the promise of easy money. Make sure you know the sport you are betting on.

- Get to know the teams, athletes and competitions

Just as it is important to know the sport, you should also know the teams or players competing. Being aware of the league is all well and good, but knowing the current form of a club or player will be good for your betting.

- Analyse matches very well

Every time you are about to bet, make sure you have studied the match well. Get to know the history of the team or the players, not only in recent times, but also in head-to-head matches. This research often allows you to choose the ideal market for your bets.

- Read the forecasts and take advantage of the Academy's resources

Ideally, as punters, we should make our own decisions after analysing the matches and other details. However, this does not detract from the importance of knowing other opinions, which can help us reach our own conclusions. Don't forget that here, in the Academy, you can read our statistics, previews or tips.

- Live betting

A good way to place good bets is to opt for live betting. There are several reasons for this, such as the possibility to better understand how the match is unfolding. Another reason why we recommend this is that sometimes you can find more interesting odds than the pre-live odds.

- Don't bet with your heart and... make a good bankroll management

Thinking of betting on your favourite team or country? Believe us, it's not worth it, especially if you can't do the same rational analysis as in other cases. After all, it's all about good bankroll management and often betting with your heart doesn't allow you to follow your own rules.

Importance of responsible gambling

We've talked about it here before, but we won't tire of repeating it: don't be lured by promises of easy money. This is one of the biggest problems when it comes to gambling and leads many people to addiction, which in turn brings many negative consequences.

It is very important to realise that sports betting or casino gambling should be treated as a hobby. Although there are those who win by gambling, most people are not able to do it. Never forget: it is not easy to make a living from gambling.

There is one essential rule for anyone entering the world of gambling or the casino: don't spend more than you can afford to lose. Never, at any time, exceed your limits. Exciding them is the first step to not gambling responsibly.

By making good bankroll management in sports betting or casino betting, we also avoid seeking to recoup losses. This is another mistake: by trying to recoup lost money, the player risks losing even more.

These are some of the points that anyone should take into account in order to avoid major consequences. Keep in mind that gambling addiction does not only affect us, but also those around us. Family and friends, for example, can be affected.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to read our articles on how to recognise the signs of sports betting addiction and how not to fall into gambling addiction.
bankroll management, sports betting