Bankroll Management | How To Manage Money in the Casino

When talking about bankroll management in gambling, you will often hear the term “units”. A unit is a percentage of your total bankroll and could be somewhere around 1-5% depending on your preferred risk.

A lower unit keeps your money lasting for longer, but a higher unit might win you more money, it’s all up to you.

The unit is a great measure since it takes into consideration that all casino players have different budgets. Some of us have an increased amount of economic freedom, and therefore a higher budget, while some of us don’t. The most important part of bankroll management is to not gamble over your head, and here are some strategies to avoid that.

To be on the safe side, be disciplined and make sure that you don’t wager with the money you need for personal expenses and household bills. If you are to gamble, you have to ensure that you use money that’s only intended for that activity. 

Keep in mind that online gambling is a game of chance and luck. The house edge is there to secure a profit for the casinos. This means that you will never be able to beat the house in the long run, statistically, you will lose over time.

A player should always have two bankrolls; one for the household and one to gamble with that you can stand to lose without risking anything. These two bankrolls should never intersect at all. By having a separate bankroll, a player can gamble, and if he or she loses, it won’t hurt as such since that’s money set aside for gambling. 

This thinking brought about the 401G idea – a bank account with funds set aside for gambling only.

How To Start With The 401G

Structure the way you play by setting aside some of your earnings on a 401G. Since you will have to contribute to your wallet on a regular basis, we would suggest that you put small amounts monthly on a recurring basis. This is based on the fact you are playing a negative-expectation game where wins come once in a blue moon.

Total Bankroll and Session Stakes

You need to divide your bankroll as highlighted below:

• Session stake is what you will use for a single sit-down at a game. This session can last as long as you wish.
• A daily stake is the number of funds you are willing to give to yourself for playing two or more sessions.
• A weekly stake is the number of funds you will reward yourself when visiting a casino town.
• Bankroll is the total amount of funds in your 401G account. You have to make routine deposits here.

KEY ELEMENTS

• It’s vital to set aside gambling money from money intended for essential use such as food, clothes, and housing.
• Set up a 401G account strictly intended for gambling activities.
• Divide your money using the concept of daily stake, session stake, or weekly stake.

Sadly, this technique is often laughed at by players and gambling gurus despite it being sensible. It’s simple. When visiting a casino, carry some envelopes. After you are done with a session with whatever money you have –big or small- put them in an envelope after you are done with that particular session.

The next session will come from another new stake. This technique is more of a controlling factor as it stops players from betting using their previous funds, be it wins or what’s left from a losing streak.

Session stake and roulette bankroll

All players bet using small money with the hope of getting more. If you are one of those cautious players, we would suggest that the minimum spread of your units should be 1 to 40 or more. 

In case your session sees you losing 40 units, then wait until the next session (but don’t make that session a few minutes after your last one). Take a break for a few hours or days. Remember always to set aside funds in your 401G account.

The patterns of wins and losses

Outside players will attest that 1 to 40-unit betting works best, especially with even-money bets. Even though similar house edges on inside and outside bets tend to drain money at the same percentages, they do so differently over different periods of time. The patterns of wins and losses aren’t the same.

You may bet 10 units on an inside number and fail to win even if a single spin in forty sessions. But again, it could be the opposite whereby you win early. Keep in mind that you are facing 36 to 1 or 37 to 1 odds. If you opt to bet more than a number, it would be wise to go with propositions.

What to do if you bump on a biased wheel or a real-deal signature

A lot of players would not give away the chance of placing bets using a biased wheel, even for once. Things change when playing with an advantage. For instance, you won’t be interested in session stakes or playing for long.

When playing with an advantage, you will wager the numbers that keep coming up. But to be on the safe side, make sure that you have enough funds to see you through any dry spells that may come your way since such dry spells are a guarantee. Hitting a biased wheel is a once-in-lifetime occasion that you really don’t have to hope for.

KEY ELEMENTS

• While the house always has the edge on all bets –except for en prison and surrender-, the patterns of wins for “inside” and “outside” bets are always different.
• “Inside” bets are more dynamic since they come with larger wins but also plenty of losses.
• “Outside propositions” seem less dynamic.
• “Inside” bet sessions have to be larger than “outside proposition” bets for long streaks.

Every bettor needs to exercise some discipline in their game. Remember that you are playing for fun, nothing else. The house always has the upper hand and will inevitably win in the long run.

Gamblers on a losing streak have a tendency of trying to recoup prior losses. Don't fall into that trap. Remember the Martingale system. It is wise that you back down if your losses exceed your acceptable limit for the session. The only sensible way is to take a break and come back another time.