Can't get past certain bank roll

[Rockfish]

I am pretty new at this, and I don't know if this is the correct forum for this question, so I apologize ahead of time.

I usually start out with a small ($50) bank roll. I can increase that to anywhere from $470 to $620. But once I get there, I always go backward instead of forward.

Some background info: When I am at $450 and above, I am wagering $30 per game. That is about 6 to 7 percent, which is a little more than most veterans would recommend. But it's not as if I am making crazy plays for a quick strike once I build the bank roll from $50 to $500.

Does anyone else have this problem, and if so, what do you recommend? We all know the insanity quote: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So I am looking for suggestions.

Is it just the law of averages saying I'm due for a cold spell after building the account from $50 to $500? Do I need to cut the percent down, or do I need to set a limit of X amount of plays, no matter if it's a day where I think it's a good card compared to others? I will say that is something I am not doing ... if I don't like the card, I don't make plays, but if I like it, I will make more than 3 on that day. Maybe I just always need to cash it out once I pass $450 then start over again.

Thanks in advance.

 

[SportsBetTracker]

Rockfish,

You should have a disciplined method for betting. There are a couple of inconsistencies here, though, that I need more information.

When your winnings go from $50 to $500 in a short amount of time, you aren't really following a system, insomuch as getting real lucky in the beginning stages. To be blunt, if you can increase your bank 10 times by betting $30 bucks a game, that is an insane rate of winning. You have to be 15-20 contracts above breaking even (50%) to make that amount of money, and if it takes you 100 bets, that is winning at a 65% increase.

You are correct. 6%, or for most conventional players, 6 units, is a rather high bet, and is not really part of a system as it makes you a hunch player, the types that the bookies really love, and in extension, the type that the big players love. Most unit breakdowns go from 1 unit to 5 units, with 3 units being the bet for the average player.

Let me refer you to a tool I made for maintaining bet discipline on this thread: http://www.therxforum.com/showthread.php?t=747998

You do need to have Microsoft Excel, which should be in every handicappers' basic software collection. If you don't have it, then the file won't work.

What this file will do is to help you maintain bet discipline with a starting bankroll. It is designed to let you enter events, odds (lines) and spreads / totals. The sheet will automatically calculate the amount of your bet. Once you make the setup, you can't change it, but it allows you to withdraw or deposit to your bankroll account.

To be honest, your bankroll should start at least at $100 to allow you to make the minimum bet amounts ($1.00) for the minimum bet. I suggest, if at all possible, making it $1,000 so you have a more consistent method of betting. In fact, you can actually set up a phantom bankroll to test it over time. If you have kept a record of your previous bets, you can enter them into the excel sheet and see if your bets would have come out better. In particular, enter the actual events and odds, NOT the bet amount themselves, as the excel sheet automatically figures out your bet amount.

That's a lot to chew on, but to be blunt, you don't really have a system or a methodology yet. You DO have an idea of what you want, so it's time to work the learning curve. Start with this sheet, and ask around.

 

[ProPokerPlayer]

I would almost guarantee that a review of your wagers show that when you get up to the $450 or so level you are making more total bets in say a 1 week period than you did with $100.
More wagers equal more volitility. Those extra bets bring down your win % and make climbing the ladder much harder.

I see it all the time here. A guy posts a couple of winners, maybe 2 1 day and 2 the next. Then for the next 4 days he picks the whole card sides and totals loses his ass and cant figure out why....

Dont let the size of your bankroll determine how many plays you make. Keep records and do exactly the same things with $100 that you do with $1000....

 

[Scoops]

Maybe once you have it built up, you get over confident and in the back of you're head a loss doesn't matter to you as much because you have won the $.It is very important to keep the focus on at all times,don't let up on discipline and hard work just because you are up.JMHO,GL

 

[Tankdog23]

money management is key