What's the ideal starting bank for trading?

[MickyG]

Hi I am thinking about trading the horses to make a few pounds on each tick, so that I can green up before each race for a guaranteed payout whoever wins. But what would be the ideal start bank for this to bring back profittable returns? I have been dabbling using £2 stakes just to get a feel for trading and feel more confident in using higher stakes now. I must admit I still felt the rush even using £2 stakes, as money is money after all - and no-one likes to lose money :lol Also if you were laying first, then backing; am I correct in saying that you would need double the amount in your bank to cover the liability before the back bet is put on? Or is the back bet derived from your potential return from the lay? (hope that makes sense) Also what range of odds do you favour or do you stick with the favourites? Any help/advice would be greatly received. For anyone starting I can recommend the software BetGizmo as they let you use the ladder interface for free (not sure for how long), but it helps get a feel for the tool. Also I started n the US horse racing as the markets were less volatile helping me learn the swings of the weight of money.