What It's Really Like to Be a Professional Sports Bettor

Ever wonder about the life of a professional sports bettor?

We see the constant tweets of guaranteed wins and text messages telling you to bet your money on this game tonight because “I have secret insider information.” We hear obnoxious radio segments and phone calls from random guys trying to sell you their picks.

Ever wonder what that secret information is? It’s nothing. Let me tell you how it really goes down.

In the Beginning ...

When I was a teenager, I followed a famous handicapper. I would always listen to him on the radio and go to his website to read about his picks. What he had to say fascinated me.

Eventually I came across a package he was selling that he said was guaranteed to dominate. It was the “underdog package” in MLB. It was 60 underdog picks that he claimed would easily go 50-10. Well, he went 25-35. This was the end of me believing the hype a handicapper would create just to get sales.

I never saw or heard of a handicapper that was for the people. I always wanted a handicapper that could teach me, answer my questions, be quick to respond and be honest and transparent.

Was that a lot to ask? I started thinking it was impossible for a handicapper to give great service AND make me a ton of money.

With trust and belief comes unrealistic expectations and irrationality. The educational system for the common sports bettor needs work and has been tarnished by handicappers who guarantee 70 percent winners.

I once was you. If you’re a person who likes to bet on sports casually here and there and have faced all the experiences a sports bettor faces, I get it.

When I started and knew little, I could not handle betting. I had mood swings left and right. My bets determined whether I had a good day. I didn’t hang out with friends when I was down from losing a lot of money.

It’s such a sick and twisted industry at times. You literally can go to work and have LESS money in your pocket than you started with that morning. You may ask why anyone would want that life. I wanted it because it was a challenge to beat Vegas and to be an expert.

Understanding What Success Is

It is just not sustainable long term to win 70 percent of bets. For a week? Sure. A couple of weeks? Sure. But the idea is to create an environment in which a bettor falls in love with winning 55 percent, which is beyond profitable over the long term depending on what you bet.

Streaks happen in sports betting. A lot. One day you are sky-high on wins and the next day you lose it all. Sound familiar? Did you ever feel that fake rush of a 5-0 day on your bets? The devastating failure of going 0-5? I have been there.

Just like the stock market, you’ll see similar graphs in sports betting that show huge ups and huge downs. It’s a part of the job and the industry.

Many people ask why I like to maintain my privacy? My answer? All it takes is one person who lost some money on your picks. This is the DOWN part of my job: Dealing with false expectations.

Sports betting is one of the few things that can allow you to spend $1,000 at the mall one day and then take out a loan the next day. Then you fall in love with the backup plan: The credit card advances. This is very basic, but there is something to be celebrated about simply sticking with a plan.

’Small Wins’ Help

It is easy to lose faith in sports betting. It is easy to lose hope in following the plan and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. These are the ups and downs of betting.

When there are bad streaks and bad beats for five straight days, I have to stay distracted. How do I deal with it? Get a massage, take a quick trip, work out extra hard at the gym, meditate or even simply get small wins. Small wins are what I like to call little mood boosters which have nothing to do with betting or sports.

If you are in a rut, go get some small wins: Have a good workout, do the laundry and fold everything right away, clean your house or do something nice for someone else. Just accomplish anything. Create good mojo and positivity in the dark times.

Yes, the great thing about sports betting is the hot runs. Sports betting can instantly change your perception of yourself and lead to hope.

The Best Advice I Can Give

So, here is my advice of dealing with the ups and downs of sports betting. This is a profitable mentality as well. Do not watch the games you bet on. Get outside and do not watch the box score all day. Treat it like a business. Place your wagers and go about your day. Do not let your bets be your day.

When you are in a slump, be open to going against what you like. It is crazy to continue losing the same way you always do. Make adjustments. Find out your biggest weaknesses and eliminate them. Ride streaks. Is the public on fire and you like to go against the public? Join the public’s hot run until it turns. Recognize the current streak. Who’s hot, the public or the pros?

Just from technical thinking, you can profit off of sports betting. My best advice on this is not to find out how you can succeed at betting the right teams or numbers. Rather, find out which situations you can take advantage of to beat the books.

Example: You know your best friend always chases after he has a big losing day. Chasing means more losing most the time. Why not think about going against that friend in that late chase game? Outsmart Vegas with situational and favorable odds. Think outside the box. Find odds in your favor any way possible.

When you deal daily with sports betting, have a long-term plan and manage it. If you go into sports betting with no plan and no proper bankroll, you will not succeed at staying neutral through all the chaos.

Notice I have not given you one piece of advice on what to bet on or how to make money off a specific pick. Notice, however, that when you use basic tools and behaviors, you can save a ton of money and profit off logical and healthy strategies outside of the actual placing of the bet.

Stay neutral at all times and remember that your bets do not determine who you are or how you act.