Bankroll

[SPX]

I'm considering getting wild and crazy and going to a 20 unit bankroll.

Thoughts on that? Too risky?

It's just taking too long to build up any sort of real cash with $20 units.

[MMA_scientist]

I did it. I bascially bet my entire bankroll on every fight while I was building.

I really think if you are smart with your bets, you will be fine with a 20u bankroll. Of course, it depends what your max bet is. I wouldn't be making 5u bets with a 20u bankroll.

But if you are making 2-3u max bets, 20u is plenty IMO.

[SPX]

I usually bet to win a unit and some change, and typically keep my bets 3u or less. (Occasionally I'll go up to 5u, like with Mayweather/Mosely or Penn/Sanchez).

I've never been down more than 6 or 7 units total, but I'm terrified of a bad streak hitting.

[MMA_scientist]

I can attest that it does happen, having just lost my first ever back to back big bets (4u and 5u). Still, if I was betting to win only 1u, I would have only lost a little more than 3u, as they were both under -200.

I have never lost back to back -400 bets in probably 400 bets. But it can and does happen. If nothing else, you will be doing your homework before you make your bets.

I fully support this, and I am thinking of doing it myself now.

Bottom line is that my gambling bankroll is pretty small still, and is nothing in terms of my overall position. I too have considered getting wildly aggressive, and if I lose, well, I will just start over.

[poopoo333]

Hmmm. Interesting. With a very smart and somewhat limited approach to betting, using a 20 unit bankroll would get you a lot more money quickly, if things somewhat work out. The thing that scares me is that if I have a $50 unit, and have a night like Strikeforce, I would be out like $500.

[MMA_scientist]

^^

Well you would have gotten brutalized betting 9u 45% of your bankroll... but if you only had a 20u bankroll, you wouldnt be betting 5u on a -170 fight. you would only have to bet 1.7u to win 1... so would have only lost like 3.2u. Which still sucks (it is 6.25%), but its not nearly as bad as losing 45% of your bankroll. I lose 6% of my bankroll every month. I can handle that. I lost 22% this weekend, and I can even handle that. I don't think I could take a 45% loss though.

I knew I was taking a risk this weekend, so it is easier to stomach. I have been lingering at like 30u for 2.5 months... I just wanted ot break through... and it backfired.

If I went to a 20u bankroll, I am essentially playing with a 15u bankroll anyway lately. I have a 50u, but I bet 5u about 50% of the time. Even when I had a 100u bankroll, I was betting 5u a lot, giving me about a 30u bankroll.

[poopoo333]

After UFC 114 I will give the 20 unit bankroll a go. I was honestly thinking about betting big on Jardine, as I truly think he will win. But that will probably change with a 20u bankroll.

[MMA_scientist]

After UFC 114 I will give the 20 unit bankroll a go. I was honestly thinking about betting big on Jardine, as I truly think he will win. But that will probably change with a 20u bankroll.

It only changes things if you don't resize your bets, as percentage. 2u of 20u bankroll is 10%, same as 5u bet on a 50u bankroll.

If you always bet to win 1u or some other fixed bet, then of course it will be much more profitable. With a 20u bet, you would be winning 5% with every bet. Of course, one loss on a -400 bet would wipe out 20% of your bankroll. So you really have to be careful with your favorites.

[poopoo333]

After UFC 114 I will give the 20 unit bankroll a go. I was honestly thinking about betting big on Jardine, as I truly think he will win. But that will probably change with a 20u bankroll.

It only changes things if you don't resize your bets, as percentage. 2u of 20u bankroll is 10%, same as 5u bet on a 50u bankroll.

If you always bet to win 1u or some other fixed bet, then of course it will be much more profitable. With a 20u bet, you would be winning 5% with every bet. Of course, one loss on a -400 bet would wipe out 20% of your bankroll. So you really have to be careful with your favorites.

Yeah, I really have to figure out a "system" for me to use. Right now I kind of do the following:

Fractional to 1u bets: Underdogs
2u-3u bet: Something I am not too sure about, but I give the slight edge to, i.e Rampage @ UFC 114
4u bet: 80% sure... i.e. Escudero over Lauzon
5u bet: Almost 100% sure...i.e. Bisping over Miller, Diego over Hathaway, etc... sometimes I go with 5u if the value is great for something I would typically put 3-4u on (such as Overeem @-205 or AA over Silva @-170)...well we all know how the AA bet went.

I could bet to win a unit, but I would have to steer away from big favorites

[SPX]

Thanks for the good discussion in here.

If I do this, I will definitely be tightening up my play. I have been REALLY lax in choosing my bets the past few events and it's shown. I mean, honestly, the only reason I took Shaolin was because I had never even heard of Beerbohm (nor did I know that Beerbohm was undefeated). And the plays on Reis and AA, as well as the boxing play, was just me tagging along (not to say they were bad plays).

I need to tighten up and start doing my research again. I do well when I really put the hours in. It's time to stop being lazy.

[Johnny Unreliable]

I've always been thinking super long term with my MMA betting (I call it my retirement fund). Of course after doing well for 3 or 4 months I changed my bankroll from 100u to 50u right before strikeforce. Needless to say I lost almost 20% of my investment and now I'm kicking my self for not playing it safe as I was up around 30% or so. Think I'm going to stick with the 50unit bankroll to recover though.

The allure of making more money is hard to deny but it just seems to lose me more hah.

[MMA_scientist]

^^ I still maintain that people lose out in mma wagering because they can't manage their bankroll, not because they can't pick a fight. It is hard not to chase your losses, especially when you take a big hit all at once. I too will stick with the 50u bankroll, with a max 10% bet.

[SPX]

I too will stick with the 50u bankroll, with a max 10% bet.

The notion of units becomes somewhat abstract when you consider that having a 50u bankroll and frequently making 5u bets is not much different from having a 20u bankroll and making more conservative bets.

[MMA_scientist]

I too will stick with the 50u bankroll, with a max 10% bet.

The notion of units becomes somewhat abstract when you consider that having a 50u bankroll and frequently making 5u bets is not much different from having a 20u bankroll and making more conservative bets.

yep. I prefer to think of it in a percentage. But basically I like to have about 15-20x my average bet.

[Thewiseman]

I have almost a 100u roll but my max bet is 25u, I rarely go over 10u-12u though.

[triathlete]

I'm using 100u. I'm also tracking my overall record. Until I actually go over .500, I'll stick to my 100u.

I wish there was some analysis you could do to determine whether or not you'd be good at going to a different unit size. I mean, the way I'm betting, going to a 20u would just make me lose my money faster. Undoubtedly, some of you could switch and do well with a BR that size.

Like SPX said, you just have to tighten up if you're going to drop like that. :)