Flat bet basics

Money management is tricky for most of us. Ask anyone who ever handed out their credit card to their girlfriend or wife. No, seriously, ask. From jokes to the brutal hard facts of life: To flat bet is an interesting way of approaching sports betting. It varies greatly from other betting systems we have discussed here on Howtobet.net, and we think it is in your interest to get your head around this way of betting sooner rather than later, so here goes.

What is flat betting?

Unlike betting systems with progressive staking flat betting is just what it says it is; a flat bet. If you simply decide to bet the same cash sum (suited to your bank roll) every single time you place a bet, then you are flat betting. Another variant is that for any and all bets you wager you bet a fixed amount of your bankroll, say 2%.

Why flat bet

Although other more fancy betting systems such as the Martingale and the Kelly Criterion may seem more glamorous at first glance, they also offer high volatility due to their very nature. By volatility we simply mean that your bankroll will go on an up and down roller coaster ride that will yield tops and bottoms that many of us simply aren’t suited to handle mentally. In our betting psychology section we discuss many of these aspects. If you haven’t read these articles, now is a time as good as any. Simply put; flat betting shield you from those very strenuous moments where your bankroll is in danger of approaching zero.

Other betting systems, such as the Kelly Criterion in its many ways, shapes and forms may offer a more optimized return on your betting capital given that you are dead right in calling the probability of outcomes. It is not for nothing many world renowned investors are using the Kelly Criterion in their daily capital allocation planning. However, the detail in data, and understanding of that data needed to get to the true theoretical correctness of such a system is simply mind blowing. It is definitely not something Average Joe or Sir Betting Buck should focus on. Learn your ABC at the very least before you progress with these more detailed concepts.

Again, flat betting help you sleep better at night. Remember that betting on sports is very dynamic. Odds are constantly moving, as bookmakers interpret betting stats differently and the flow of information is massive. Add to that all the incoming bets by punters like you and me with different backgrounds and ideas, using existing bet analysis tools and stats different from one another.

The betting market is an open hectic market much like the financial market, and he who can quantify the most betting factors and translate them to statistics and probability may perhaps get away with using refined betting systems. For the rest of us; flat betting is the way to go. We simply can’t get close enough to the true odds of an event often enough, and fooling ourselves thinking we can do it will more often than not end in bankroll ruin.

Flat bet conclusion

As you probably have guessed by now; us at Howtobet.net are all for the flat betting system. For a majority of our users it will be the very best way to secure profit or at the very least maximize betting entertainment at the lowest possible cost and risk. If you want; feel free to flat bet based on our betting tips in the betting tips section. It shouldn't set you back much over time. You might even win if you take our best bets early and at the best odds.