“Winners and losers have the same goals. If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead.”
-James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
In honor of a new NFL season starting this week I’d like to wish all of you sports bettors the best of luck this season.
Of course though, you can have all the luck in the world and you’ll still lose all of your money well before the season ends if you’re missing the most crucial thing: A disciplined betting system to control the size of your bets and manage your bankroll for the long run.
Now this part is really important. Don’t forget that betting on football is supposed to be fun and the point is to maximize your entertainment and enjoyment of the season.
What is not fun and will actually eliminate your enjoyment of the season is if you get wild and undisciplined with your bet sizes. You will lose all of your bankroll and it will ruin the season for you. Don’t do that.
If you stick to this system below you will have an exciting betting season and have a much better chance of winning money at the end of it.
- Set your bankroll. An amount you can afford to lose. For some that may be $1,000 and others that may be $100,000. It does not matter what your bankroll is for this system to work. This bankroll is for the entire season. There is no second bankroll or reloading. This is it and we need to preserve and grow it.
- Set your unit size. The amount you bet per game. With this system you bet 1-5% of your bankroll (1-5 units) per play depending on the confidence in the bet. So for example, if your bankroll is $1,000, the largest bet you will ever make in this system is 5% of that = $50.
- Don’t chase. The major reason most people lose money betting on sports is they either have no system or they stray from their system after losing bets. To be a successful sports gambler you must have unwavering discipline and always stick to the system. You need to accept having losing days and weeks. If you can’t do that, you shouldn’t be betting on sports. There is no “winning it all back” on the Monday Night rescue game in this system. Only bet games that you like. Never bet a game only because you’re on a losing streak and need a win. Time to walk away and resume next week.
- Adjusting your unit size efficiently. When your bankroll increases or decreases by 20% you will be able to maximize hot streaks and minimize skids by adjusting bet size within the system range. This is the way to long term profitability.
- Enjoy! There are easier ways to make money in life, so if you aren’t having fun and intrigued by the challenge of making money in sports gambling then you should find another place to invest your energy and time.
And remember, the greatest sports gamblers in the world still lose 40% of their bets.
Important Note: Never bet what you can’t afford to lose. Your bankroll should be money that will have no impact on your ability to pay your bills or support your family. If you don’t have the restraint to only bet with what you can afford to lose please call 1-800-Gambler or visit gamblersanonymous.org/ga/.