10 Most Common Mistakes in Sports Betting

Sports betting appears to be quite alluring for everyone. Aren’t you tempted by the thought of hitting the jackpot and winning millions? I bet you are, and that’s quite natural, irrespective of the fact that only 5% of gamblers are successful in this arena. However cynical we have become, we still wait for a miracle to happen to us. Since there is no place for wonders in the so-called real world, we look for them at bookmakers’ offices or casinos.

The world of gambling seems to be too attractive to resist its charms, and you involuntarily fall into its web. In order to be successful at sports betting you need to avoid 10 most common betting mistakes which most novice punters make. Let’s review each of them in detail.

1. It’s kind of obvious that you shouldn’t bet on something you don’t quite understand. It goes without saying that you ought to have a deep insight into the sport you have focused on and chosen as your specialization. So if you are a man of sober judgment, you will pore over sports journals and magazines for hours in order to become more acquainted with the topic under consideration. Only this way you will have chances to succeed in this area.
2. Never take sports betting as a “get wealthy quick” scheme. It’s natural for you to yearn for winnings and long run success. However, sports betting is not that simple. It takes time to become an experienced punter, who is able of predicting the outcome of the game and consequently win a bet. Bettors who are interested firstly in becoming rich get discouraged very soon. They don’t have the needed patience in order to overcome all the difficulties on their way to success. Remember – a good punter is a patient punter; or you might also say “haste makes waste“.
3. Don’t get tempted to wager on teasers, parlays, props and other exotic stuff because the chances of hitting the jackpot in these particular cases are too small. Perhaps you are lured by the odds which promise to pay you out 10-to-1if you manage to hit the 4-teamer, but such miraculous winnings are exceptionally rare. Instead of betting on four teams at once, you should wager on these teams separately. So if the three or at least two bets turn out to be successful, you’ll walk away as a winner. It’s better than cursing the fourth team which didn’t let you win your combo. These exotic bets are very tricky and sometimes it seems like the bookies made them out intentionally, so they could get more profit. In fact, however alluring these bets appear to be, the chances of winning are about the same as your odds of becoming the next Patriarch of Rome.
4. Sports betting is a very serious occupation, and that’s why it would be silly of you to rely on tarot cards, astrology or any other ridiculous psychic nonsense, which will supposedly help you predict the outcome of the game. From time to time certain websites appear and offer the bettors “reliable” tips and talk profusely about their incredible percentage of winnings. Yep, the winnings are literally incredible, that is – not worth your credibility. Just think for a moment, if I were a good astrologist or had a kind of sixth sense that would tell me who’s going to win the next match, why on earth would I share this precious information with anybody else instead of winning consistently?!
5. Don’t ever place a bet on your favorite team! This point causes a great deal of heated discussions and pisses lots of bettors off; however, most of the professional punters prefer to comply with this rule. Certainly it takes away some fun of the betting process, but it is worth it. Truth be told, sports betting is all cold math and calculation. You should be unbiased and responsible when it comes to placing a bet. It seems to be impossible to handle the emotions in case of your favorite team. That’s why you’d better relax and enjoy the game without wagering on in. In the meantime, you can check the odds for some other sporting events that might bring you profit. It’s important to draw a line between amusement and serious business.
6. It is advisable not to bet at all if it happens that the odds have changed too much. Let’s imagine that you’ve been doing your usual research and decided to bet on a certain team, but you didn’t do it right away because you had some urgent matters to take care of. So when you checked the odds once again, you noticed that they have changed considerably. In this case you’d better stay away and look for some more appealing sporting events to bet on. The fact is that it’s no longer the bet you thought it was, so why waste your money on it?
7. You’d better not wager at all if it turns out that you have problems with gambling addiction. Never underestimate this issue, because otherwise you’ll end up without a family and a total bankrupt. Gambling addiction is a kind of mental disease which enslaves you and makes you think only about constant betting. You won’t be yourself anymore, and you’ll never become a person you wanted to be, because you will be totally absorbed by gambling. Don’t think twice before quitting sports betting if you feel like gambling has become the first thing in your priority list.
8. It is very impolite to brag about your winnings in front of the bettors, who turned out to be less lucky. Even if we set aside the ethical aspect of this issue, it is still inexcusable to gloat over your competitor’s failure. Don’t make people envious, otherwise you might face some additional problems and piss off the Betting Gods. This rule works the other way as well: if Fortune doesn’t favor you today and your bets didn’t bring you any profit, you shouldn’t cry about it on every street corner. Get a grip on yourself and get over it. You have to be accustomed to failure when it comes to sports betting, because luck won’t always be on your side.
9. You should never bet just for fun or thrill. Don’t be absorbed by the desire for constant “action”. When you focus exclusively on your burning thirst for betting, you forget that you are wagering with real money and your main purpose is making even more money. That’s why it is essential to make a step back if you don’t find any real betting value in any of the offered games.
10. Don’t let the so-called “insiders” mislead you! This rule is actually an addition to the fourth point because it has the same principle at its core. If you’re mingling in the gambling society, every now and then you will come across the so-called “insiders” who will be willing to give you reliable tip regarding the forthcoming match. But then again, why won’t they use this information for their own good? As to the trends, it would be very silly of you to follow them unquestionably. If they were so valuable, why would anyone post them on each and every web site related to sports betting? It just doesn’t make any sense, does it?