Bankroll and risk
Flat betting
Staking the same amount on every bet regardless of how good it looks.
Flat betting means one unit on everything. It gives up the theoretical growth advantage of edge-proportional staking in exchange for two real benefits: it is impossible to get wrong, and it makes your results interpretable, because every bet contributed equally.
For anyone whose probability estimates are uncertain — which is nearly everyone — flat betting outperforms badly-executed Kelly by a wide margin. It is the correct default until you have enough history to know your edge is real.
Want the full version? Read the in-depth guide, with worked examples and the math.
See also
- Unit — A standard bet size expressed as a fixed percentage of bankroll, usually 1%.
- Bankroll — The money set aside specifically for betting, separate from everything else you own.
- Kelly criterion — A staking formula that sizes each bet to the size of its edge, maximising long-run bankroll growth.