Part 1: Old Habits and New Beginnings

How to Become a Winning Sports Bettor

Part I: Old Habits and New Beginnings

So, I am assuming you have tried your hand at betting sports and keep reverting back to the same mistakes all bettors make: some guys are simply too lazy for the grind that is betting sports; some guys are risk takers who love the thrills too much to study up or manage their bankroll properly; and some guys are trying to make money too fast and inevitably end up putting too much money on the line while trying to make it in this business. I have seen some of the smartest bettors come and go because of some really simple mistakes. The good news is that the mistakes that hinder most sports bettors are really easy to fix. Sometimes you just have to start over and take a good look at yourself before things will start to turn around. If you are not making money, then now is the time to do that.

First, a quick question: what is the biggest difference between winning and losing sports bettors? In my experience, this seemingly complicated question boils down to one thing: gamblers usually do not last in this business. If you got into betting for the thrills and ups-and-downs of diving head-first into the unknown, then you will usually lose your money in a quick, albeit dramatic, fashion. The ones that last seem to all be the guys (or gals) who loved sports more than the gambling part; they started gambling because they knew so much about sports that they felt they had an edge. A successful sports bettor is usually a combination of tons of sport’s knowledge (statistics, situations, injuries, players, etc) and proper bankroll management. Those two things minus the gambling mentality should be the goal for most all new bettors.

Your attitude and approach must also be subject to change at this point. You must be ruthless and determined to meet goal after goal if you want to bet professionally one day. You want to take all emotion out of it, including the highs of wins. If any one game is making you nervous or excited then you have bet too much on that game (more to come in the Bankroll Management Part of the series). You must realize that one bet is only a tiny speck in the elaborate process that is sports betting. No one bet can ever make or break you.

The top sports bettors I know take all of the emotion out of the game, because they are so emotional about winning at the end of the day. Studying situational stats or heavy trends may be boring to some people, but if you are focused on winning (and passionate about it) then it is all in a day’s work. Breaking down games (which I covered here) is actually the part I enjoy most; I love seeing how some teams play well in some spots and continuously underwhelm in other spots. I don’t know about you, but I also enjoy seeing hours of study turn into money in my account. Don’t be the emotional bettor who gets pissed off and bets way too much on a couple of games. Become the cold, calculated bettor who attacks any weakness in the lines; become sharp enough to win money betting sports and disciplined enough to hold on to it.

Next – Part 2: Signing up for Services

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