The Ultimate Guide to Unit Betting Systems for Beginners

Unit betting isn’t something you’ll hear about in everyday betting circles.  However, it’s become a popular approach and strategy amongst punters who like sports bets.  Unlike emotional gambling or Arbitrage betting, Unit betting provides structure to your bets to help you manage your bankroll which placing systematic bets.  This makes it suitable for both novice and experienced bettors. 

During the article, we’ll look at what Unit betting is, how it works and the impact it can have on bankroll management.  In addition, you’ll learn about mistakes to avoid.

What Is Unit Betting In Sports?

Unit betting is a betting strategy that requires bettors to use a predetermined percentage of their total bankroll. The chosen percentage is then used for each bet placed. There is no hard rule when it comes to how much a ‘unit’ is worth.  Each bettor will have different amounts of funds available so 1% of one person’s bankroll could differ to 1% of another person’s bankroll.

Using a Unit betting system can help mitigate losses and makes it easier to track the performance of your bets.

It also provides a consistent approach, so you know you’re always betting within your decided budget. The Unit betting system also removes emotional betting. 

For example, some punters doing horse racing bets might up the stakes because you like the name of a horse.

 In general, a Unit usually ranges between 1% and 5% of your total betting funds. For example, if you had a £1,000 bankroll and your strategy was to bet 1%, all your bets would have stakes of £10 each.  Alternatively, you could opt for a 5% strategy and your bets would be £50 each.

To put this into perspective, let’s use a hypothetical scenario of using a preset unit of 1% with a bankroll of £2,500.

• At 1% your stake would be £25 per bet. If you placed 10 bets and they all won, your returns would be £250.
• Using the same unit of 1%, 10 losing bets would cost you £250.

Whilst losing isn’t ideal, it’s not the end of the world as your bankroll still looks healthy. 

Unit betting creates a good basis for structured gambling.

The disciplined approach helps you to stay focused on the job in hand and stops you from making expensive decisions that could impact your bankroll.

Types Of Unit Bets

Okay, so now you get the basic principle of Unit betting and might have already decided what unit percentage you’re going to use.

Hold your horses, there’s more than one approach to Unit betting.   Let’s take a look at the most common approaches to Unit betting:

Basic Unit Bets

This is the safest type of Unit bet and is recommended for those new to Unit betting or betting in general.  With this approach, there’s no variance in your bets.  You would only use one unit on every single bet.

If you have a bankroll of £1,000 and have chosen a unit of 1%, all of your bets will be at stakes of £10 each.  Whether that’s Liverpool to beat Chelsea in the Premier League or England to beat Australia in the cricket, each bet stake will be £10.

The fixed unit strategy makes it easier to monitor your weekly or monthly results and track your bankroll. It’s also easier to soak up losses should you go on a losing run.  

On the flip side, if you are on a good run, the fixed unit strategy means you might not be making as much as you could.  

However, it’s always about using the betting strategy that suits your appetite to risk.

Variable Unit Bets

This approach is usually followed by experienced bettors that carry out a lot of market research and know their sports betting very well.  

The research undertaken can often provide a bettor with knowledge to make informed and confident decisions.  This can lead to them using multiple units on a bet rather than just one unit.  

Alternatively, the research can provide insights that some bets don’t warrant too much confidence so the bet can be reduced to one unit or even less.

Those who use the variable Unit betting system have the potential to increase their bankroll quite substantially and it doesn’t need the majority of your bets to win.  

For example, Let’s say you place 10 bets in one week and only 3 of them win.  Sounds bad right? This is where the variable Unit bet approach can turn things around.  If the winners were three unit bets and the losers were one unit bets, you still make a profit as your total winning units are 9 compared to losing units of 7.  

Of course, you won’t always win and these bets could of gone the other way, leaving you down by 2 units.

Percentage Unit Bets

As you’ve probably guessed, this type of strategy involves placing bets that are linked to the percentage of your current bankroll.  This means your unit stake size will adjust in line with your betting balance.

As an example, let’s say you start with an original bankroll of £1,000 and you opt for a unit of 1%.  This would mean the first Unit bet you place will cost £10.  If that bet then wins, your bankroll increases to £1010. Using the percentage unit bet system, your next bet will then be 1% of your new bankroll so with a bankroll of £1,010, your back stake would be £10.10. 

So, an advantage of using the percentage unit system is that as your bankroll increases, so do your back stakes and in theory the size of any winners increases.  However, as with any winners, there are losers too.  This can decrease your bankroll and take a little time to recover from as your unit stake also decreases.

What Unit Size Should You Use?

After you have established the bankroll you want to use, you need to pick a per-unit amount.  There’s not really a science behind this and it can vary between bettors.  The majority tend to set their unit stakes between 1% (inexperienced bettors) and 2% (established bettors) of their total bankroll.

Anybody new to the Unit Betting game should definitely start low while they establish how it works. When we say low, it’s recommended that you don’t go above 1%. 

The key to picking the right unit percentage is to make an honest assessment of your betting knowledge to combine it with your risk tolerance.  Both of these elements should help to fit into managing your bankroll.

Here’s some other factors you might consider when choosing your unit size:

Risk Level:

• Low risk bettors should consider using lower units of up to 2% to protect yourself when they are losing runs.
• High risk bettors sometimes use units of up to 5% to increase their profits. However, this can deplete your bankroll if you hit a losing streak.

Bankroll:

• Bigger bankrolls provide the opportunity for lower unit percentages and can provide more stability. 
• With a bankroll of say £5,000, using a unit of 1% means you still place sizeable bets without depleting your bankroll significantly.

Frequency of Bets:

• People who bet frequently (daily) should consider using lower unit bets so their bankroll can cope with the volumes. 
• If you are a less frequent bettor, you can consider larger unit bets as the cumulative risk is less.

The main thing you need to ask yourself when you are deciding your unit bet percentage is ‘How much can I afford to lose’. There are no guarantees with betting so it’s better to always be prepared for every scenario.

Unit Betting On Different Markets

Unit betting can be applied to pretty much all types of betting. Here’s a small sample of what Unit bets can be used on:

Sports Betting

This is by far the most popular market for Unit betting.  Sports betting covers betting on football, tennis, golf, and rugby amongst others.

• Choose your units based on bankroll and tweak the unit percentage on more confident selections.
• It’s vital that your track your performance. Set up a spreadsheet to monitor results but check on the unit performance rather than pounds.
• Always stick to your Unit betting strategy even if you are facing losses. Never chase losses.

Horse Racing

We have kept horse racing separate from sports betting because the options for horse bets are a lot more vast.  There are so many types of bets from Single bets and Each Way bets to bet multiples like the Trixie bet. When betting on horse racing, you might adapt a Unit betting approach like this:

• Use 1 unit bet for win only or each way bets. 
• Use 2 to 3 units bets for more complex bets such as a Lucky 15.

Casino

When playing games such as roulette or blackjack Unit betting helps bettors to remain disciplined. If you have a bankroll of £1,000 you could consider unit bets of 1% (£10).  You also have the flexibility to adjust your unit betting strategy.  For example, if you win, consider increasing the unit to 2% but it’s recommended you don’t exceed 3 units.

Unit Betting Tips

Remain Disciplined

• Once you have decided on a Unit betting strategy, stick to it. This will help with your bankroll management. Have clear rules in place for deciding your unit size and when you should look to up or lower your unit size. Sticking to your strategy will also help you avoid emotional mistakes.

Find Value Bets

• To try and maximise your potential profits, try and find value bets that give you positive expected value (EV). Look out for odds that the bookies are slow to update and also keep an eye out for Bet Boosts and other promotions.

Track Performance

• Try to keep records (spreadsheets or something similar) so you can measure the return on investment. The records should detail Unit bets won and lost as this will help highlight areas that might need your attention.

Use Research and Industry Advice

• Always research the markets you’re looking to bet on. If you can add your research to other outlets of information such as industry experts, this will strengthen your chances of success.

Advantages & Disadvantages Of Unit Bets

Advantages

• Risk Management: Unit betting can help preserve your bankroll when you hit a bad run.
• Removes Emotion: Can help remove impulsive betting by providing a systematic betting strategy. This can reduce any stress from losses because you are sticking to the plan.
• Flexibility: Unit betting is structured, but it offers the option of which Unit bet strategy will suit you best.
• Easy to Track Performance: A Simple spreadsheet can help indicate how your Unit betting strategy is doing at any point. The results can assist in deciding if you need to tweak your Unit bets.

Disadvantages:

• Complexity: As Unit betting isn’t an approach a normal punter takes, it might take a little time for bettors to grasp.
• Bankroll: Adventurous bettors might feel a bit restricted by the structure and slow growth in their bankroll.
• Complacency: Without proper research, some bettors may be overconfident and make bad decisions.

Pitfalls To Avoid with Unit Bets

Any type of betting comes with potential mistakes to avoid, and Unit betting is no different.  Let’s take a look at some of the more common mistakes made with Unit bets:

• Ignoring Your Bankroll: Keep on top of the performance of your Unit bets. Keep your records up to date so you know what your bankroll is doing at any point. This can also help to adjust your unit percentage if needed.
• Unit Sizes: Don’t keep changing unit sizes without evidence that matches your Unit betting strategy. Always stick to your plan.
• Chasing Losses: Losses are all part of betting. You need to accept them and avoid hiking the Units to claw back losses.

Unit Betting FAQ’s

Do All Bettors Use Unit Bets?

The simple answer is no.  Unit betting is one of many betting strategies used by bettors.  However, you do find that a lot of the serious and experienced bettors use the Unit betting system.

Is Unit Betting More Beneficial?

When sports betting https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide it’s very easy to lose track of what’s won and lost.  Unit betting can make it easier to track this. It also let’s you see how well your bets are performing on a unit basis.

Is Unit Betting Legal?

Betting laws vary from one country to another but in the UK, Unit betting is perfectly legal.

How Many Units Should I Bet With?

There isn’t a right or wrong number of units to bet with.  It really does depend on the size of your bankroll and your attitude to risk.

Conclusion

Unit betting can be a great betting strategy or a powerful addition to your overall betting strategy.  It provides a disciplined approach to betting that let’s you manage your risks.  Whilst it does require commitment and attention to detail, it’s an approach that can keep you in the game for a long time.

The benefits of Unit betting easily outweigh the difficulties it presents and offers the potential for an enjoyable and sustainable betting journey.