• Forums
  • Best Betting Sites
  • Sportsbook Promos
  • Best Sports Betting Apps
  • NFL Betting Forum
  • NBA Betting Forum
  • MLB Betting Forum
  • NHL Betting Forum
  • NCAAF Betting Forum
  • NCAAB Betting Forum
  • Soccer Betting Forum
  • Tennis Betting Forum
  • General Discussion
  • Help Forum
  • Guidelines
  • FAQ
  • Forum Updates
    Covers Logo
    Covers App
    Faster picks. Smarter bets.
    All in the NEW Covers App
    Download on the App Store Download on the Google Play Store
    • Sports
      • NFL
        • Back
        • NFL
        • NFL Home
        • Scores & Matchups
        • Prop Projections
        • NFL Picks
        • Weather
        • Injuries
      • NCAAF
        • Back
        • NCAAF
        • NCAAF Home
        • Scores & Matchups
        • Prop Projections
        • NCAAF Picks
        • Weather
        • Injuries
      • NBA
        • Back
        • NBA
        • NBA Home
        • Scores & Matchups
        • Prop Projections
        • NBA Picks
        • Injuries
      • NCAAB
        • Back
        • NCAAB
        • NCAAB Home
        • Scores & Matchups
        • NCAAB Picks
        • Injuries
      • MLB
        • Back
        • MLB
        • MLB Home
        • Scores & Matchups
        • Prop Projections
        • MLB Picks
        • Weather
        • Injuries
      • NHL
        • Back
        • NHL
        • NHL Home
        • Scores & Matchups
        • Prop Projections
        • NHL Picks
        • Injuries
      • Soccer
      • UFC
      • WNBA
        • Back
        • WNBA
        • WNBA Home
        • Scores & Matchups
        • WNBA Picks
        • Injuries
      • CFL
        • Back
        • CFL
        • CFL Home
        • Scores & Matchups
        • CFL Picks
      • Golf
        • Back
        • Golf
        • Golf Home
        • Golf Odds
        • Masters Odds
        • PGA Championship Odds
        • US Open Odds
        • British Open Odds
        • Ryder Cup Odds
        • Golf Picks
    • Odds
      • All Odds
      • NFL
      • NCAAF
      • NBA
      • NCAAB
      • MLB
      • NHL
      • Golf
      • Soccer Odds
        • Back
        • Soccer Odds
        • MLS Odds
        • Champions League Odds
        • Premier League Odds
      • UFC
      • WNBA
      • CFL
      • Election Odds
      • Futures
        • Back
        • Futures
        • NFL
        • NBA
        • MLB
        • NHL
        • NCAAB
        • NCAAF
      • Sports Odds History
    • Picks
      • All Picks
      • NFL
      • NBA
      • NHL
      • MLB
      • NCAAF
      • NCAAB
      • Golf
      • WNBA
      • CFL
      • User Picks
      • Team User Picks
      • Consensus Picks
        • Back
        • Consensus Picks
        • All Consensus Picks
        • NFL
        • NBA
        • NHL
        • MLB
        • NCAAF
        • NCAAB
        • CFL
        • WNBA
        • Consensus FAQ
        • Public Money
    • Prop Projections
      • NFL
      • NBA
      • MLB
      • NHL
    • Betting
      • US Betting Sites
      • Canada Betting Sites
      • Sportsbook Reviews
      • States
        • Back
        • States
        • US Legal Tracker
        • Revenue Tracker
        • Arizona
        • Arkansas
        • California
        • Colorado
        • Connecticut
        • DC
        • Florida
        • Georgia
        • Illinois
        • Indiana
        • Iowa
        • Kansas
        • Kentucky
        • Louisiana
        • Maine
        • Maryland
        • Massachusetts
        • Michigan
        • Mississippi
        • Missouri
        • Nevada
        • New Hampshire
        • New Jersey
        • New York
        • North Carolina
        • Ohio
        • Oregon
        • Pennsylvania
        • Tennessee
        • Texas
        • Vermont
        • Virginia
        • West Virginia
        • Wyoming
      • Provinces
        • Back
        • Provinces
        • Alberta
        • British Columbia
        • Manitoba
        • New Brunswick
        • Newfoundland and Labrador
        • Northwest Territories
        • Nova Scotia
        • Nunavut
        • Ontario
        • Prince Edward Island
        • Quebec (English)
        • Quebec (francais)
        • Saskatchewan
        • Yukon
      • By Sport
        • Back
        • By Sport
        • Baseball
        • Basketball
        • Boxing
        • College Football
        • F1
        • Football
        • Super Bowl
        • Golf
        • Hockey
        • Horse Racing
        • March Madness
        • Soccer
        • UFC
        • World Cup
      • Betting Apps
        • Back
        • Betting Apps
        • Best Sports Betting Apps USA
        • Ontario Sports Betting Apps
      • Rest of World
        • Back
        • Rest of World
        • UK Betting Offers
          • Back
          • UK Betting Offers
          • UK Betting Sites
          • bet365 Bonus Code UK
          • 888Sport Promo Code UK
          • William Hill Sign up Offer
          • Betway Sign up Offer
          • BetVictor Bonus Code UK
      • Betting Guides
        • Back
        • Betting Guides
        • All Guides
        • Glossary
        • Betting Calculators
          • Back
          • Betting Calculators
          • Odds Converter
          • Parlay Calculator
        • Futures Betting Guide
        • Moneyline Betting Guide
        • Over/Under Betting Guide
        • Parlay Betting Guide
        • Point Spread Betting Guide
        • Prop Betting Guide
        • Sports Betting Guides
          • Back
          • Sports Betting Guides
          • How To Bet On Sports Guide
          • NFL Betting Guide
          • NHL Betting Guide
          • NBA Betting Guide
          • MLB Betting Guide
          • NCAAB Betting Guide
          • NCAAF Betting Guide
          • Golf Betting Guide
          • Tennis Betting Guide
        • Teaser Betting Guide
      • Betting News
        • Back
        • Betting News
        • All News
        • Industry News
        • Podcasts
        • Covers Videos
        • Covers Writers
        • Offers & Boosts
    • Promos
      • Sportsbook Promos
      • Canada Sportsbook Promos
      • Bonuses By Sportsbook
        • Back
        • Bonuses By Sportsbook
        • bet365 Bonus Code
        • BET99 Promo Code
        • BetMGM Bonus Code
        • BetRivers Bonus Code
        • Caesars Sportsbook Promo
        • DraftKings Promo Code
        • Fanatics Sportsbook Promo
        • FanDuel Promo Code
        • Hard Rock Bet Promo Code
        • Sports Interaction Promo
        • Stake Promo Code
        • theScore Bet Promo Code
        • TonyBet Promo Code
      • Bonuses By Region
        • Back
        • Bonuses By Region
        • Arkansas Promos
        • Arizona Promos
        • Colorado Promos
        • Connecticut Promos
        • DC Promos
        • Illinois Promos
        • Indiana Promos
        • Iowa Promos
        • Kansas Promos
        • Kentucky Promos
        • Louisiana Promos
        • Maine Promos
        • Maryland Promos
        • Massachusetts Promos
        • Michigan Promos
        • Missouri Promos
        • New Jersey Promos
        • New York Promos
        • North Carolina Promos
        • Ohio Promos
        • Pennsylvania Promos
        • Tennessee Promos
        • Vermont Promos
        • Virginia Promos
        • West Virginia Promos
        • Wyoming Promos
    • Forum & Contests
      • All Forums
      • NFL Betting Forum
      • MLB Betting Forum
      • NCAAB Betting Forum
      • NCAAF Betting Forum
      • NBA Betting Forum
      • NHL Betting Forum
      • Soccer Betting Forum
      • Contests
        • Back
        • Contests
        • Contests Home
        • Streak Survivor
        • King of Covers
        • My Contests
    • Casino
      • Sweepstakes Casino
        • Back
        • Sweepstakes Casino
        • Sweepstakes Casino
        • Sweepstakes No-Deposit Bonuses
        • Sweepstakes Promos
          • Back
          • Sweepstakes Promos
          • Card Crush
          • Casino.click
          • Chanced Casino
          • Crown Coins Casino
          • FreeSpin Casino
          • LoneStar
          • McLuck
          • Mega Bonanza Casino
          • PlayFame
          • Pulsz
          • Stake.us
      • US Casinos
        • Back
        • US Casinos
        • US Online Casinos
        • US Online Casino Bonuses
        • Casino Promos
          • Back
          • Casino Promos
          • bet365 Casino Promo Code
          • BetRivers Casino Promo
          • Borgata Casino Bonus Code
          • Caesars Casino Bonus Code
          • DraftKings Casino Promo
          • Fanatics Casino Promo
          • FanDuel Casino Promo Code
          • Golden Nugget Casino Promo
          • Hard Rock Bet Casino Promo
          • Hollywood Casino Promo Code
      • Canada Casinos
        • Back
        • Canada Casinos
        • Canada Online Casinos
        • Provinces
          • Back
          • Provinces
          • Alberta Online Casino
          • BC Online Casino
          • Ontario Online Casinos
        • Casino Promos
          • Back
          • Casino Promos
          • BC.GAME Bonus Code
          • Cloudbet Promo Code
          • RainBet Promo Code
          • Roobet Promo Code
          • Shuffle Promo Code
          • Thrill Promo Code
    • Prediction Markets
      • Prediction Markets
      • Prediction Market Apps
      • Prediction Market Promos
      • Kalshi Promo Code
      • Kalshi Referral Code
      • Polymarket Promo Code
      • Polymarket Referral Code
      • DraftKings Predictions Promo Code
      • Novig Promo Code
      • ProphetX Promo Code
      • Underdog Promo Code
      • Betr Promo Code
      • OG Promo Code
      • Fanatics Markets Promo Code
      • Plus500 Promo Code
      • Gemini Predictions Promo Code
    • NFL Week 3
      NFL Week 3
      • NFL Odds
      • NFL Picks
      • Falcons-Packers Picks
      • Survivor Picks
      • Week 3 Odds
      • NFL Prediction Markets
      • NFL Betting Sites
    Covers Account
    Log in Create account
    Join free Log in
    All Forums | Systems & Strategies

    Math / Risk of Ruin Question

    Jengle
    C.R.E
    CATD10
    BillyBaxter
    Superfigg
    Participants:
    Search model icon
    Views: 1115
    Posts: 8
     
    Jengle
    Jengle
    Prospect
    Participation Meter
    Joined: Jan, 2002
    Posts: 84
    Posted: Nov. 6, 2007 - 10:53 PM ET #1

    Ok, I'm not really sure how to go about setting this up so I was wondering if someone could help me out. What I need is the formula which would tell me the odds of me going broke. If I have a $500 bankroll and am betting 2% per game ($10) on each game, with a line of -110. What is the chance the I lose my initial investment? Can anyone help me out?
    Reply
    Quote Post
    0
    Report User
    To remove first post, remove entire topic.
    Ok, I'm not really sure how to go about setting this up so I was wondering if someone could help me out. What I need is the formula which would tell me the odds of me going broke. If I have a $500 bankroll and am betting 2% per game ($10) on each game, with a line of -110. What is the chance the I lose my initial investment? Can anyone help me out?
     
    C.R.E
    C.R.E
    Veteran
    Participation Meter
    Joined: Feb, 2007
    Posts: 1039
    Posted: Nov. 7, 2007 - 10:27 AM ET #2

    if you lost about 80 bets in a row youd be around $100. if thats right (it may not be, i probably messed up somehow) then youd have about $20 if you lost 160 in a row.
     
    its very hard to lose a bankroll betting this conservatively. basically if you go through a bankroll w/out betting more than 2% on a game, its time to get a new hobby.
     
     
     
    Reply
    Quote Post
    0
    Report User
    if you lost about 80 bets in a row youd be around $100. if thats right (it may not be, i probably messed up somehow) then youd have about $20 if you lost 160 in a row.
     
    its very hard to lose a bankroll betting this conservatively. basically if you go through a bankroll w/out betting more than 2% on a game, its time to get a new hobby.
     
     
     
     
    C.R.E
    C.R.E
    Veteran
    Participation Meter
    Joined: Feb, 2007
    Posts: 1039
    Posted: Nov. 7, 2007 - 10:38 AM ET #3

    if you go 50/50. very rough estimate. once again might be way off, but i think it would take 1600 bets to get down to $100, and another 1600 to get down to $20. i hope thats right. i think im getting alzheimers. what was the question again?
    Reply
    Quote Post
    0
    Report User
    if you go 50/50. very rough estimate. once again might be way off, but i think it would take 1600 bets to get down to $100, and another 1600 to get down to $20. i hope thats right. i think im getting alzheimers. what was the question again?
     
    CATD10
    CATD10
    Prospect
    Participation Meter
    Joined: Jan, 2005
    Posts: 415
    Posted: Nov. 7, 2007 - 6:48 PM ET #4

    Jengle,
    To lose your bank role you would have to be really bad or picking every game under the sun.  Lets say you bet 18 games and have a record of 10 wins and 8 loses. 
    $10 x 10 games = $100 and $10 x (-1.1) = $-11 x 8 games = $-88
    $100 - $88 = $12 up.

    Reply
    Quote Post
    0
    Report User
    Jengle,
    To lose your bank role you would have to be really bad or picking every game under the sun.  Lets say you bet 18 games and have a record of 10 wins and 8 loses. 
    $10 x 10 games = $100 and $10 x (-1.1) = $-11 x 8 games = $-88
    $100 - $88 = $12 up.

     
    Jengle
    Jengle
    Prospect
    Participation Meter
    Joined: Jan, 2002
    Posts: 84
    Posted: Nov. 7, 2007 - 10:10 PM ET #5

    Thanks alot for the responses. I appreciate it. Maybe I wasn't clear in my question. I'm pretty sure that there is a way to determine over "X" amount of bets with a certain bankroll and win pct, how often you would end up losing money. I have a small bankroll right now (little over $300) so I want to see how often I would go bankrupt with different unit sizes.
    Reply
    Quote Post
    0
    Report User
    Thanks alot for the responses. I appreciate it. Maybe I wasn't clear in my question. I'm pretty sure that there is a way to determine over "X" amount of bets with a certain bankroll and win pct, how often you would end up losing money. I have a small bankroll right now (little over $300) so I want to see how often I would go bankrupt with different unit sizes.
     
    C.R.E
    C.R.E
    Veteran
    Participation Meter
    Joined: Feb, 2007
    Posts: 1039
    Posted: Nov. 8, 2007 - 10:08 AM ET #6

    yeah you didnt give us a win pct. i wanted to give you a formula, but i dont know how to do that shit anymore.
     
    google kelly criterian. youll find a kelly calculator, and be able to mess around with some numbers.
     
    basically its gonna tell you if youre risking 1.1-1 and 50% likely to win you should bet no more than like 3.5% of your bankroll on a bet.
     
    hope this helps a little more.
    Reply
    Quote Post
    0
    Report User
    yeah you didnt give us a win pct. i wanted to give you a formula, but i dont know how to do that shit anymore.
     
    google kelly criterian. youll find a kelly calculator, and be able to mess around with some numbers.
     
    basically its gonna tell you if youre risking 1.1-1 and 50% likely to win you should bet no more than like 3.5% of your bankroll on a bet.
     
    hope this helps a little more.
     
    BillyBaxter
    BillyBaxter
    Prospect
    Participation Meter
    Joined: Aug, 2007
    Posts: 164
    Posted: Dec. 16, 2007 - 2:13 PM ET #7

    Correct money management is easy to explain. It is almost impossible to adhere to.

    There have been about as many 'systems' for varying the bet size as there are systems to beat the craps table. None of them work and all of them do harm by giving false expectations. Double-up systems, star betting, the Kelly Criterion, etc. all have the same thing in common. They adversely affect the cash flow and they raise the breakeven percentage that must be accomplished.

    Any time you vary your bet size by the slightest amount, you increase the breakeven percentage of 52.38. If you refigure your percentage after each bet, your breakeven jumps to over 55%. If you have 1 star and 5 star bets or bet twice as much on some plays, you should understand that only the large bets are meaningful to whether you will be a winner. You might as well not bet the smaller ones. In the end, they won't matter.

    Some touts say you should increase your bet when you are on a winning streak and decrease it when you are on a losing streak. The key word is 'are'. If you won yesterday, you 'were' on a winning streak. But that was yesterday. If you know you will win today, why not bet it all? If you know you will lose today, you might consider not betting at all.

    The problem with bet size is not the streaks, but the breakeven. If you have a 56% advantage on each bet, over 200 games you will win less than 50% about 17% of the time.You will win more than 60% about 17% of the time. Winning 100 and losing 100 with a 5% unit, you will lose 50% of your bankroll to the vigorish. (100 wins times $50 less 100 losses times $55 equals minus $500 on a $1,000 bankroll).You will lower your bet and never get even. I recommend playing no more than 2% of your bankroll. Anything over 2% is unacceptably risky, even for recreational bettors

    Reply
    Quote Post
    0
    Report User

    Correct money management is easy to explain. It is almost impossible to adhere to.

    There have been about as many 'systems' for varying the bet size as there are systems to beat the craps table. None of them work and all of them do harm by giving false expectations. Double-up systems, star betting, the Kelly Criterion, etc. all have the same thing in common. They adversely affect the cash flow and they raise the breakeven percentage that must be accomplished.

    Any time you vary your bet size by the slightest amount, you increase the breakeven percentage of 52.38. If you refigure your percentage after each bet, your breakeven jumps to over 55%. If you have 1 star and 5 star bets or bet twice as much on some plays, you should understand that only the large bets are meaningful to whether you will be a winner. You might as well not bet the smaller ones. In the end, they won't matter.

    Some touts say you should increase your bet when you are on a winning streak and decrease it when you are on a losing streak. The key word is 'are'. If you won yesterday, you 'were' on a winning streak. But that was yesterday. If you know you will win today, why not bet it all? If you know you will lose today, you might consider not betting at all.

    The problem with bet size is not the streaks, but the breakeven. If you have a 56% advantage on each bet, over 200 games you will win less than 50% about 17% of the time.You will win more than 60% about 17% of the time. Winning 100 and losing 100 with a 5% unit, you will lose 50% of your bankroll to the vigorish. (100 wins times $50 less 100 losses times $55 equals minus $500 on a $1,000 bankroll).You will lower your bet and never get even. I recommend playing no more than 2% of your bankroll. Anything over 2% is unacceptably risky, even for recreational bettors

     
     
    Superfigg
    Superfigg
    Veteran
    Participation Meter
    Joined: Mar, 2006
    Posts: 4129
    Posted: Dec. 23, 2007 - 12:08 PM ET #8

    https://www.albionresearch.com/kelly/default.php
    Reply
    Quote Post
    0
    Report User
    https://www.albionresearch.com/kelly/default.php
    All Forums | Systems & Strategies

    Hot Forums IconHot Forum Topics

    • 🤢🥴💩_ Fubah's risky baseball bets _🥶😲🥵 449,489 Covers arrow
    • Giants vs Rams MNF in-game live 2,483 Covers arrow
    • Monday 09/21/2026 460 Covers arrow
    • Serious Streak Survivor Strategies 1,918,168 Covers arrow
    • ***Macwesties * Mon. Sept. 21, 2026 * Birthday * NFL * MNF * Football Play*** 4,135 Covers arrow
    • NFL LOCKED IN! 99,546 Covers arrow
    • New York Giants @ Los Angeles Rams 5,056 Covers arrow
    • Where are they getting enough explosive offense to separate from New York by more than a touchdown 2,569 Covers arrow
    • ?? KBO Plays 🥎 14,775 Covers arrow
    • Monday Night 4,413 Covers arrow

    Warning - External Link

    Report User

    Thank you for reporting
    This content is abusive or harmful
    This post is spam
    An error has occurred
    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    Delete Post

    Are you sure you would like to remove this post?

    Remove Thread

    Are you sure you would like to remove this thread?

    Scan Results

    Login/Register

    Happy to have you join the conversation. To do so, please login or create an account.
    Accounts are free and easy to create.

    Search


    Loading…

    Loading…

    About Us
    Contact Us
    Careers
    Our Team
    Brand
    Testimonials
    Betting Guides
    Sportsbook Reviews
    Betting News
    Podcasts
    Responsible Gambling
    Betting Sites
    US Betting Sites
    Canada Betting Sites
    Canada Casinos
    Best Betting Apps
    Contests
    Streak Survivor
    King of Covers
    Ultimate Race
    Office Pools
    The Covers community has
    810,221
    lifetime members worldwide
    Join our community today
    Covers 30 Years Logo Established in 1995,
    Covers is the world
    leader in sports
    betting information.
    21+
    Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
    Help Privacy Terms of Service Cookies Sitemap Forum
    YouTube logo
    Facebook logo
    Twitter logo
    Instagram logo
    LinkedIn logo
    Google News logo
    Covers is verified safe by:
    Evalon Logo Logo GPWA Logo GDPR logo Logo GeoTrust logo Logo PCI DSS logo Logo
    Copyright © 1995 - 2026 CS Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
    If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.