There's a strange dichotomy between the complexity of high level sports handicapping and the amount of theoretical literature on the subject. While successful sports betting is a complex and difficult pursuit, there's very little that's been written on the subject from a serious theoretical angle. For that reason, it can be helpful to delve into the wealth of books available to the serious poker player for insights that can be applied to sports betting.
Poker literature is especially applicable to the sports handicapper because both can be very profitable for a knowledgeable, experienced and skillful pro. Poker expert Bob Caro has noted that while there are a number of professional gamblers specializing in poker and sports wagering there's not a single person who can honestly say they play roulette for a living.
The reason for that is that the house advantage in roulette is too high to overcome by any combination of skill, money management, strategy or discipline. To throw in another Caro concept, its a case where the decisions made by the roulette player simply don't have a role in overcoming the house advantage. Over the long haul whether you choose red or black, even or odd the house edge remains the same.
Caro argues that one of the poker players most valuable weapons is discipline at the table. The reason for this is that the average person goes into a casino for precisely the opposite reason"he wants to have some downtime away from the discipline and order that circumscribes the rest of his life. He wants to down a few cocktails, leer at some cocktail waitresses, and throw some money around for awhile. Hes not worried about theoretical return on investment, pot odds or other concepts of serious play. Casinos exist for the sole reason of providing him all of the escapism he wants while they slowly use their house advantage to make a profit off of him. Granted, poker operates differently in terms of the house advantage but the motivation that drives the recreational gambler to the poker table is no different than that which drives him to the slot machines or blackjack layout.
And the lesson that Caro gives to the would be expert poker player is the same lesson that Im going to give to you here. The first step toward becoming a successful sports gambler is to approach it with the same discipline that youd approach any other job. You must start to think about sports and sports wagering like a professional and not like a recreational gambler. The greater degree to which you can apply a regimented framework to the sports betting process, the greater degree to which you will be successful at it.
This isn't to say that there's anything wrong with being a recreational sports gambler. In fact, those of us who do this professionally *need* recreational players--they're the financial lifeblood of the casino and sportsbook industry. Handicapping sports would be pretty pointless without a bookmaker to take our bets.
If your goal is to bet recreationally, that's great. Unless you have the dedication, desire and discipline to approach it at a profession a recreational approach to gambling is ultimately better for most people. You might benefit from some greater money management discipline, but at the end of the day as long as you don't bet more than you can afford to lose it's really no big deal.
Ross Everett is a staff sports handicapper for Anatta Sports and is in charge of providing free sports picks to a variety of websites and broadcast media outlets. He is a widely published freelance writer specializing in sports handicapping, drag racing, clogging and falconry. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a wombat.
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