I started out with a $20,000 bankroll and now I’m making an average of $400K per year betting on sports. Let’s find out how I did it.
The Basics
I’ve always been a big fan of sports and it wasn’t until recently that I decided to give it a try for monetary gain. I chose to bet on the NBA because I thought it was the safest choice and I figured with my $20,000 bankroll, it wouldn’t be hard to make some decent money. The more I read and the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I enjoyed it. It didn’t take me very long to realize the potential I had in sports betting.
Where Do I Bet?
I generally bet on the NBA, NHL, and MLB. The first two make up the majority of my earnings and the last one is where I spend the most of my time. I’ve made a killing in NBA betting the last two seasons, mostly due to the overabundance of games that are either college or pro basketball games. For the 2019-20 season, I’m making the same wagers as last year but with a few variations. I’m keeping my money on the Under in most cases because I figure it’s the safest choice. The Over is usually my second choice, but it’s not always the case. I’m also looking at money management a lot more closely this season, which you’ll learn more about in a bit.
What Are My Favorite Betting Patterns?
There are a few betting patterns I like to employ, but I don’t always use them. It really depends on the sport and the matchup. A fun fact about me is I don’t really care for chalk talk before a football game. I figure it’s better to just show up and get the game started. If you’re curious, here are my favorite betting patterns:
- Amber Alert! – I’ll lay money that the next three or four points scored by the opposition will be accompanied by an Amber Alert.
- Over/Under – For soccer matches, I’ll often bet over and under the total amount of goals. Sometimes I’ll even bet on whether the under or over, because I figure there’s a good chance the total amount of goals could be scored.
- Parity – I’ll bet on whether the favorite or underdog will win the total amount of pennies or nickels being wagered on the game. If you’re unfamiliar, there’s a good chance you’ll hear people speaking British English talking about “parity betting.”
- Pick ’em – I’ll lay money that two teams that I predict will score the same amount of points will win the game. This is called a “push” and it’s pretty popular in college football. People might call me a “pundit” because I generally enjoy being right about most things.
- Field / Corner – For American football games, I’ll generally bet on whether the field goal or an interception will be scored. I also like to wager on which corner the pick will come from. If you’ve ever watched an NBA game and seen the corner assignments, that’s what this is called. Just watch out for the injuries that occur during these types of plays because they’re always physical.
- Heads – For college basketball games, I’ll often bet on whether the team with the most wins at the end of the season will be victorious. If you’ve ever played poker, this is also called a “live bet” because I’m constantly changing my mind about the outcome of a game. For example, if I’m at a table with three other people and one of them bets $10, I might call that person a “heads-up” and then bet $15 or $20 on the game without even thinking about it. I love live betting because it adds an extra layer of excitement to the game. Some people might even think my constant changing of my mind is a fluke, but it’s not! I actually make a lot of money doing it.
- Money Line – This is the simplest bet to understand. For horse race games, I’ll bet on the “money line,” which means whether the first-place or second-place finisher will win. For example, if I’m at a race track and see that the favorite is 3-to-1 odds, while the other contenders are each at 50-to-1, I might throw down ten dollars on the favorite. This is also how I make most of my profit during sporting events because there’s usually more than one game going on at a time and I can bet on several different outcomes simultaneously. If you’re doing it right, it’s all about the math. I read a lot about sports betting, specifically the mathematical probabilities of various outcomes, and use that information to my advantage. If you have a good feel for math, it’s not that difficult to be successful at sports betting. You’ll enjoy it too much to stop doing it any time soon.
What About Gaming?
I also like to gamble a little bit on games, but it’s mostly for fun. I don’t get much money from it, especially since I don’t live in a state where gaming is legal. It’s also a very expensive habit to maintain, so I don’t do it that often. One of my favorite pastimes is to play roulette at various casinos. It’s a simple game to learn and it’s easy to understand even if you’ve never played it before. Just remember that the house always wins, so you’re essentially putting your money on the table to lose. It’s not really a wise choice if you want to make money, but it’s such a fun game that I can’t seem to stop myself from playing it. Plus, I find that the more I play, the more I seem to win. It’s probably due to the fact that the more I play, the more I understand the game and therefore have a better chance of winning.
How Do I Manage My Bankroll?
This is something you need to watch out for if you want to make money at sports. There are several ways to win, but there’s only one way to lose. As I mentioned above, I don’t like to bet on sports if I don’t have to. I’m a firm believer in being able to control your betting, which is why I try to avoid placing bets that have large point spreads. If you start to notice, a lot of my NBA picks are within two points the whole season. When I have a large bankroll, which I generally do, I’ll stick to making small bets with large point spreads. The advantage to this is if I do end up losing the bet, I won’t feel that bad about it. Two points isn’t that much when you’re talking about an 82-game season.
Why Do I Stay Away From Sports Outside Of The United States?
There are a few reasons why I stay away from sports outside of the US. First off, a lot of the sportsbooks don’t offer a good deal to American customers, so it doesn’t cost me that much to stay away. Second, a lot of bookmakers don’t want to deal with the enforcement of the various betting regulations. Third, a lot of the major sports in other countries don’t generate the same kind of interest that they do in the US. Fourth, a lot of the sportsbooks don’t offer a good return on investment for American customers, which also makes it unappealing to wager outside of the US. However, all of these points aside, I still believe it’s a viable option for individuals looking to bet on sports. Just make sure you’re aware of the regulations pertaining to online gambling and ensure you’re compliant with them. It’s not that difficult, but it’s still a pain in the ass. Hopefully, one day, the whole world will be able to enjoy the games and the money that are associated with them.