Reviewed by TipsterCheck Editorial TeamLast checked 29 October 2026MethodologyCorrections
Betting glossary · Staking
What is Points and Units?
What is Points and Units?
How Points and Units Work
Rather than quoting tips in pounds, tipsters express stakes as points or units — the two terms are interchangeable in most contexts. A common convention is that 1 point equals 1% of your starting bankroll, so a 100-point bankroll means each point is 1% of whatever total you begin with. A tipster might advise '2pts win' or '0.5pts each-way', and you simply multiply your chosen point value by that figure to find your cash stake.
There is no single industry standard for point size; conventions vary between tipsters and proofing services. Some services define 1pt as a flat £10 for record-keeping, others use the percentage-of-bankroll method. What matters is consistency: a tipster should apply the same point scale throughout their record so that profit and loss figures are meaningful. When reviewing a tipster on a site like TipsterCheck, always check how that tipster or the proofing service defines a point before drawing conclusions.
A Worked Example
Suppose you allocate a £500 betting bankroll and decide 1pt = 1% = £5. A tipster issues three tips in a week: 2pts on a football selection at 2.50 decimal (wins), 1pt on a horse at 4.00 (loses), and 0.5pts each-way on a horse at 10.00 (places, paid at one-quarter odds). Your cash stakes are £10, £5, and £2.50 each-way (£5 total). The football win returns £25 (£15 profit, +3pts after the 2pt stake); the horse loses (−1pt); the each-way place returns £10.63 on a £5 outlay, roughly +1.13pts. Net for the week: approximately +3.13pts, or £15.63 at your chosen point value.
If a fellow follower sets 1pt = £20, they make £62.60 from the same tips. The point record is identical; only the cash outcome differs. This is exactly why points are useful — they separate the tipster's skill from each individual's staking level.
Why It Matters When Judging or Following a Tipster
Profit in points is the standard metric used to assess a tipster's track record objectively. Quoting results in cash is almost meaningless without knowing the stake sizes involved; a tipster who claims '£500 profit' might have risked £10,000 to achieve it. Points allow direct comparisons between tipsters across different sports, price ranges, and time periods. They also underpin related metrics such as yield and ROI, which divide point profit by total points staked to produce a percentage return.
When following a tipster, sizing your points sensibly protects your bankroll. Many experienced punters keep individual bets between 1pt and 5pts and rarely exceed a total exposure of 10–15pts across open bets at any one time. Be cautious of tipsters who regularly advise stakes of 5pts or more, as large unit sizes can inflate short-term profit figures while masking volatility. Always note the sample size alongside point profit — a 20pt gain from 15 bets tells you far less than the same gain from 500 bets.
Example: A tipster with a 100-point starting bank recommends '2pts' on a selection at 3.00 decimal; a follower using £10 per point stakes £20 and receives £60 back if it wins, recording +4pts profit on the shared record.
FAQs
Can I use any cash amount as my point value?
Yes. Points are a scaling tool, so you set the cash value yourself based on your bankroll. If the tipster defines 1pt as 1% of your bank and you start with £200, each point is worth £2.
Are 'points' and 'units' exactly the same thing?
In most UK betting contexts they are used interchangeably. Occasionally a tipster may define them differently within their own system, so always check their staking guide or the proofing service's methodology before following.
Why do some tipsters use fractions like 0.5pts?
Fractional point stakes let tipsters reflect varying confidence levels or manage exposure on higher-risk bets, such as each-way selections at long odds, without abandoning the standardised point scale entirely.
More staking terms: Arbitrage (Arbing), Bankroll, Dutching