The practice of controlling bet sizing relative to your total available funds to ensure long-term survivability and sustainable profit.
Bankroll management refers to the set of rules governing how much you stake on any individual bet relative to your total betting funds. Even a genuinely profitable betting strategy can go bankrupt through poor staking — a long losing run can wipe out an underfunded bankroll before the edge plays out.
The core principle: never risk so much on a single bet that a losing run — which will always occur — eliminates your ability to continue betting. Standard guidance suggests risking 1–5% of your bankroll per bet depending on confidence and edge.
Flat staking means betting the same amount on every bet — simple and predictable. Level stakes as a percentage of current bankroll means your stake grows as you win and shrinks as you lose. Kelly Criterion stakes proportionally to your estimated edge — mathematically optimal but requires accurate probability estimates.
Most professional bettors use fractional Kelly (25–50% of full Kelly) to balance growth and risk. Beginning bettors are typically advised to use flat stakes until they have enough data to validate their edge.
Kelly Criterion
A mathematical formula that calculates the optimal fraction of your bankroll to stake on a bet, maximising long-term growth given your estimated edge.
Expected Value (EV)
The average outcome of a bet over a large number of repetitions — positive EV means the bet profits long-term; negative EV means it loses.
Value Betting
Betting at odds that are higher than the true probability of the outcome — finding bets where the bookmaker has underestimated the chances of an event.
For informational and educational purposes only. Disclaimer
