"Hello fellow degens.
I was going through a post about losing and how gambling should strictly be for entertainment. You treat it as such and you cannot get too hurt gambling. It is great advice and I will not argue against it, especially if you do not care about winning and just want to pass time or bet on your team. However, for me if I didn't think I could profit I wouldn't do it because losing isn't fun. And I mean that strictly from a long-term perspective. Of course you cannot win everyday but weeks, months, or years of losing should make any sane person quit.
I wanted to think about things I've done which have made me lose at gambling. Here is my list:
Winners Demand an Edge: That was a quote from a poker book I once read called 'The Psychology of Poker'. If you want to win, playing casino games with a house edge is a big no-no. In sports betting, it means getting the best of the number by having multiple books. In poker, it means finding soft games you can beat. Ultimately it means if you are putting yourself into a position where losing is inevitable, don't do it! Also you need to maximize your EV whenever possible.
Bankroll Management: I think a conservative bankroll to have is 50X and bet between 1-2 units. If you lose say half, in poker you move down a level. In sports betting, you lower your bets. Also, you cannot build it up if you are constantly taking money out of it. I have definitely broken this rule a million times.
Bridge-Jumping: In horse betting this is a term for betting on a heavy favorite to show and collecting your 5% (say you bet $200, it returns $210). It works well until your horse doesn't hit the board and you need to win the next 20 to break-even. I tried this strategy to clear bonuses and it blew up in my face. In sports betting it means betting heavy ML favorites for a small return. Don't do it!
Parlays: Parlays are money makers for casinos. If you are trying to win, don't do them. Even with correlated parlays, I would argue they should only be done infrequently and for .5 unit or less. You are still introducing variance into your bankroll, which means you need a bigger bankroll for the inevitable swings. Not doing any parlays I think is the best advice.
Betting for Action: Not every event is profitable so you need to pick your spots. I love the Blazers but I will not bet them if I don't think the bet is +EV. Only bet after you have done your research and feel it is a good bet. Don't bet just because something is on.
Chasing losses: This is the worst one for me personally. When I lose, I tilt (goes for poker too). You cannot win chasing losses where you bet because you are pissed and want to get your money back. You can get your money back but it might take a couple days or even a week. The old cliche is true, this is a marathon and not a sprint. Don't tilt.
Betting Locks: This breaks rule #2 which inevitably leads to rule #6. You see something you think is a lock so you bet some stupid amount like half your bankroll. It loses, you tilt and bet the remainder on something you only feel lukewarm about and it loses. And you are down to zero, having to sell HJs on the corner to rebuild your bankroll. Okay, that last part isn't true...right? But seriously, if you stick to good bankroll management, one bet losing shouldn't piss you off or winning one bet should not make you extremely happy.
I appreciate any comments and please let me know if you can add anything else that makes us lose."
this was posted on
reddit by
u/jmotrain.
I agree with everything he says and thought it would be very helpful for fellow degens here. Thoughts?