Unit Calculator & Tracker

A betting unit is a standardized measurement of your bet size based on a percentage of your total bankroll. Professional bettors use units to track performance consistently, regardless of bankroll size. For example, if your bankroll is $1,000 and your unit is 2%, then 1 unit equals $20.

Most professional bettors recommend 1-3% of your bankroll per unit. Conservative bettors use 1% (safest, withstands long losing streaks), moderate bettors use 2-3% (balanced risk/reward), and aggressive bettors use 4-5% (higher risk, requires strong edge). Beginners should start with 1% until they prove consistent profitability.

Units normalize performance across different bankroll sizes. Someone winning +10 units with a $100 bankroll performed the same as someone winning +10 units with $10,000. It also allows fair comparison between bettors and makes it easier to scale your betting as your bankroll grows or shrinks.

Yes, most professionals recommend recalculating periodically. Some recalculate weekly, others monthly or after significant swings (±20%). If your bankroll grows, increasing unit size captures more profit. If it shrinks, reducing unit size protects your remaining bankroll. This is called "variable unit sizing."

At standard -110 odds (juice), you need a 52.4% win rate to break even. Any win rate above that is profitable long-term. A 55% win rate is considered excellent among sharp bettors. Remember that short-term variance means you could have losing streaks even with an edge - that's why proper unit sizing matters.

For a winning bet, units won equals your stake in units multiplied by (decimal odds - 1). For example, betting 1 unit at -110 (1.91 decimal) and winning gives you 0.91 units profit. Betting 2 units at +150 (2.50 decimal) and winning gives you 3 units profit (2 × 1.50 = 3).

ROI (Return on Investment) shows how profitable your bets are relative to the amount risked. It's calculated as (Units Profit / Units Wagered) × 100. An ROI of 5% means you profit 5 units for every 100 units wagered. Tracking ROI helps you evaluate your betting strategy's effectiveness over time.

Some bettors use a "confidence scale" (e.g., 1-3 units based on confidence). However, this requires accurate self-assessment of edge. Studies show most bettors overestimate their confidence. Flat betting (same units every bet) eliminates this bias. If you do scale, never exceed 3-5% of bankroll on any single bet.