What Is a Unit in Betting?

It’s a common question in sports betting – what is a unit? A unit simply refers to the amount wagered on a sports bet.

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Unit size varies by bettor. Some will call a unit $5 while for others a unit is $100. Speaking in terms of units helps bettors keep track of their bets, their profits, and their losses.

What Is My Unit Size?

As mentioned, unit size varies by the individual bettor. If you typically find yourself betting $5 a game, then your unit size is $5. If you usually bet $50 a game, your unit size is $50.

As a general rule, unit size should be roughly 1% to 5% of your bankroll. Let’s say you deposit $500 into your sportsbook account. Your unit size – the amount you will bet on each game or event – should be $5 to $25.

Most casual sports bettors do not 1) set aside a certain amount of money for their bankroll nor do they 2) choose a standard bet size. They just simply pick a number, place a bet, and then wonder why their $500 disappeared in less than a week.

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Why Use Units?

Using units as a betting mechanism helps the average bettor manage his money. Any bettor that wants to have some success knows that money management is one of the keys.

Using the same example as above ($500 bankroll)…the bettor that lays down $250 on a game because “he’s got a great feeling” is the same bettor that will blow through his bankroll in no time.

Betting in units allows bettors more control over their money. When a bettor has more confidence in a certain wager, he may bet more than one unit.

Betting multiple units is more risky. Bettors should not attempt to make up for losses by betting multiple units on future bets. The bankroll will dwindle in a hurry.

There is plenty of debate on how many units to wager when a bettor is more confident in a certain bet. The general thought is no more than three units, though there are some that say more experienced bettors with strong records could go as high as five units.

Regardless, any increase in the number of units wagered is always driven by confidence. The higher the confidence level; the larger the number of units bet.

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The Truth about Units

Betting using units is a good thing if you are a hardcore – or at least leaning toward hardcore – sports bettor. The average casual bettor places bets as a form of entertainment. The casual bettor also isn’t as likely to put down $100 or more on individual bets.

That’s why units and unit size isn’t that big of a deal for the recreational bettor. The more serious bettor will find it easier to figure out how much he is up or down over a certain period.

A bettor may say he is up 25 units for the month. All that means is that he is in the black by an amount that is equal to 25 x his unit size. For a $100 bettor, that means he’s up $2,500.

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