Bet Size: How to Control the Biggest Reason for Losing

The right bet size depends on your bankroll (how much you are willing and able to lose over the course of the season). But there is a simple rule that applies regardless of whether you are a ten-dollar per game bettor or a one-thousand-dollar per game bettor: Bet around 1-3% of your bankroll on average and don't ever bet more than 5% of your bankroll on any given game.

Personally, the bet size I choose depends on the betting method. If I'm making flat bets, I bet 5% of my daily limit (betting block), which is 1.25% of my overall bankroll. When I use the Labouchere System, I start off betting 2% of my betting block.

On rare occasions where you are sure your chance of winning the game is extremely high, maybe it makes sense to bet a higher percentage of your bankroll. But, for most bets in which you have even odds, 5% is your upper limit.

There are no sure bets. I know that there are fraudulent sports pick services out there promoting “locks” but there is no such thing as a sure thing. Any bet can lose and losing streaks will happen. Even in a season where you hit 60% overall, you will have weeks where you hit 40% or less.

Remember, the single biggest reason why 98% of sports gamblers lose is that their bet size is too large on a single game. While many people would think that making bad picks is the reason why most sports bettors fail, this simply is not true. With a good money management system, you can make money even if you only win 35% of your bets (I’ll show you how later).

The House wins because you run out of money before you have a chance to let the laws of numbers work for you. The bookmakers are banking on your lack of discipline. Don't let them win!

No reasonable investor would ever bet 25% of their entire retirement account on a single stock that had a 50% chance of going to $0 tomorrow. But when it comes to sports betting, this happens over and over again.

You control the single biggest reason for losing! Regardless if you makes the picks yourself or purchase picks from someone else, always practice safe money management by using the right bet size.

Not only should money management strategies protect your bankroll, they should also maximize profitability. One of my favourite baseball betting strategies is the Labouchere System.