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	Money Management (Part 2) What percentage of bankroll should be played per play? Recently, I wrote about "money management" and why I personally advocate the use of "flat betting." That column was well received, as several people emailed me stating that they agreed with my philosophy. It raised a couple of queries though, as I also received a handful of emails, primarily posing the following questions. Some asked: "If all your plays are for equal amounts, why do they have different titles and what do those titles represent?" Others simply asked: "If I''m going to be playing everything for an equal amount, what percentage of my bankroll should I wager per play?" I''ll address the latter of those questions today and will check back in with a future column, "Money Management: Part 3" to answer the former. <br> <br> I''ve already stated that I believe in playing all my picks for equal amounts. What those amounts are, is entirely up to the individual. In other words, I cannot decide how much one should be wagering on each selection. That decision depends on one''s financial situation, one''s goals and one''s risk tolerance. However, when determining "unit size," everyone needs to be aware that losing streaks can and will happen. Therefore, one needs to "prepare for the worst" and make each play represent a small enough portion of the bankroll, that the losing streaks, which are inevitable, won''t cause total disaster. <br> <br> Some extremely aggressive types might have the attitude: "I''m going to get rich, or I''m going to go broke trying." They might wager as much as five or even 10% of their bankroll on a play. That''s fine, as long as they are aware of the consequences. However, for the rest of us who aren''t prepared to see a losing streak do permanent damage to our bankroll, it makes sense to be significantly more conservative. Personally, I believe that risking one percent (of total bankroll) per play, is wise. For those wanting to be more aggressive, two percent per play is also generally considered to be reasonable. <br> <br> For those that don''t think "wild swings" are capable of happening, even during winning months, let''s take a look at my last three weeks worth of basketball selections. During that February 6-27th span, I released 104 basketball selections. Four of those games landed right on the number (at least two were winners for most) and resulted in "pushes," leaving exactly 100 remaining plays. I was fortunate to hit 59% of those plays, with a 59-41 record. That''s certainly in respectable territory. However, if one takes a closer look at the day-to-day breakdown, there were a couple of really ugly cards mixed in there. In fact, there was a two-day period where my basketball picks went an awful 1-7. If one was wagering five or 10% per play and was unfortunate enough to start my service on those days, the bankroll would have taken a serious hit. However, at only one percent per play, the damage was still relatively minor and one could have confidently continued with my basketball program, going 10-2 the following two days. <br> <br> There are a couple of sports betting cliches which come to mind. Both are probably over-used. At the same time, both are extremely relevant and both are worth consideration when trying to determine how much to wager per play. "Sports gambling is a marathon, not a sprint" and "Bet with your head, not over it." Good luck!

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