2013 SPRING ISSUE | CHOICES 35 keep this in mind. You would never risk 100 percent of your retirement on something if you knew that when making your best bet there is a 60 percent chance of losing. Money management skills, or lack thereof, have been the downfall of most sports bettors. They allow their egos to get in their own way. Some think that because they have lost 4,5, or 6 bets in a row, it is not possible to lose the next bet. Yes, you can.( You can imagine how I know.) You have a memory of what has happened based on your streak of bad decisions but the teams involved don’ t. The betting proposition involving a point spread is to present a 50 / 50 chance of winning with the sports book taking 10 percent of the losses. If you have lost 6 bets in a row, bet number 7 proves like all the others a 50 / 50 proposition. It’ s the same in real life. If you are having a streak of bad financial luck based on bad decisions, it is time to do something differently.
Skill # 4 Shop for Key Numbers You can offset the house advantage by shopping and getting good numbers.
Why lay 3 points with the 49ers when across the street you can lay 2 ½? You might wonder, what is the big deal? It is only half a point. It is a big deal! A little advantage goes a long way. Fifteen percent of all pro football games are decided by 3 points. Last year it was18 percent. Just like in everyday life, there is a fine line between winning and tying, losing and tying, and winning and losing, Respect your money and it will respect you. The little things do count and the small amounts add up to big amounts. Watch your daily spending. Most unsuccessful sports bettors know just enough to get themselves into trouble. Arm yourself with knowledge and remember“ Before you BET it, make sure you GET it”.
By implementing the 4 skills of a professional sports bettor in your every day finances, you are already on your way to making more money.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Scott Pritchard has been a professional sports bettor for 30 years. He is the host of the weekly LIVE TV show The Odds Couple seen every Friday at noon PST.
He has been featured on ESPN radio, Fox sports, and most recently, the Huffington Post sharing sports betting information.
Check him out at: www. PritchardsPicks. com www. Vegasinsider. com