New to sports betting

[GussHanslson]

Hey i am new to sports betting this year, is there anyone out there who can give good advice on how to start and where to start!

[Jeff W]

Learn the math: Purchase and read Sharp Sports Betting by Stanford Wong.

[QuickLearner]

Here are a few ideas:

1) Find a reputable sports book that caters to new, small bettors. I mean one that will offer $1 or $2 online wagering and has friendly telephone support. I'd pick VIPSports.com. You might outgrow them someday but for beginners they're perfect.

2) Just because they offer a line on every game that's played today, you shouldn't be betting on all of them. Just because they offer a line on every sport that's played today, you shouldn't be betting on all of them.

3) Start VERY SMALL while you learn to handicap.

4) Read what other handicappers say if they explain the reasoning behind their selection. It's not enough to hear, "Bet the Yankees today." You want to see something like, "The Yanks at -140 is a good play because they should be able to reach the opponent's starter early enough to expose their shaky bullpen. Also, Mussina has an excellent record against this team and is coming off a great performance during his last start." You wnt to hear enough so that you begin thinking about what factors others feel are important. It's okay to disagree.

5) Its important to learn which teams are terrible. While you are learning, don't ask a terrible team to win for you.

6) Stay away from parlays while you learn. Stay away from teasers forever. Straight wagers are your bread and butter.

7) A successful handicapper, a really good one, will average between 55% and 57% winners over the long term. Underdog players can win while collecting less than 50% of their wagers, but that's not my point. If you read or hear an ad that says, "I'm a 82% DOCUMENTED winner so buy my picks," you are listening to a liar. I'd much rather see you at the Gamblers Bookshop website buying books to help you learn how to pick your own winners.

8) Have fun and don't lose too much while you learn. The stats are that over 90% of sports bettors lose (long-term). Those linesmakers are tough to beat and that's who you are playing against. Not Duke, or the Yankees, or the Dolphins, or the Lakers, or hopefully next year the Flyers.

[juggernaut]

Thanks for the post QuickLearner -- good info for a complete noob (me).

[sublime]

1) Find a reputable sports book that caters to new, small bettors. I mean one that will offer $1 or $2 online wagering and has friendly telephone support. I'd pick VIPSports.com. You might outgrow them someday but for beginners they're perfect.

good sportsbook

2) Just because they offer a line on every game that's played today, you shouldn't be betting on all of them. Just because they offer a line on every sport that's played today, you shouldn't be betting on all of them

of course /images/graemlins/smile.gif

3) Start VERY SMALL while you learn to handicap.

damn your smart /images/graemlins/smile.gif

one quick point. 'learning' to handicap isnt like learning to play poker. if you put in enough study time you should be able to become at least a small winner at poker. the same is not true for sports, as handicapping with +EV is very difficult.

5) Its important to learn which teams are terrible. While you are learning, don't ask a terrible team to win for you.

wrong on this one. the skill level of a team doesnt matter, its the price you are getting on them. for example if the hawks played the spurs in san antonio and a sportsbook offered you 35-1 odds on the hawks winning and you passed you are not cut out for this sort of thing.

6) Stay away from parlays while you learn. Stay away from teasers forever. Straight wagers are your bread and butter.

i have no use for parlays, but teasers are a GREAT way to make money in the NFL. given that of course you adhere to a few simple guidelines.

7) A successful handicapper, a really good one, will average between 55% and 57% winners over the long term.

i would be VERY happy with a handicapper that wins 54% of his plays. 57% and i will hang a poster of him over my wall.

8) Have fun and don't lose too much while you learn. The stats are that over 90% of sports bettors lose (long-term). Those linesmakers are tough to beat and that's who you are playing against. Not Duke, or the Yankees, or the Dolphins, or the Lakers, or hopefully next year the Flyers

probably closer to 99% than 90%, but thats just splitting hairs i suppose /images/graemlins/smile.gif

also, you are not up against the bookmaker and thats one of the biggest fallacys in sports betting. you are up against the fat guy who lives with his mom and swears he is a good handicapper and doesnt mind taking -8 when he can get -7.5 at another shop etc. remember that, you are not taking money from the sportsbooks, you are taking money off of people who are not as disciplind and prepared as you. they dont hunt for the best lines, they put in sucker bets "just for the fun of it". they tease the wrong lines, they dont understand how much a 1/2pt is worth in a given sport etc.

[sportypicks.com]

Sublime,

You are 100% correct!!! It is amazing the number of people who I've talked to over the years who just don't get it. I would love to talk handicapping with you anytime.

[mrbaseball]

[ QUOTE ]
wrong on this one. the skill level of a team doesnt matter, its the price you are getting on them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bingo! This is a mistake most guys make. It's all about the price. If you can figure if the price is correct or not you will be a winner.

If the line says team A should win 30% of the time but you figure they should win 38% of the time it's a bet even though they probably lose.

Conversely asking a team with a 65% chance to win to cover a line that says they should win 73% of the time is what makes most chalk chasers long term losers.

Learn how to figure what the price should be and you will stay ahead of the game.

It's not about picking the winner. It's about picking the side that is undervalued. Nobody knows who's gonna win. But you can make enough undervalued bets that will turn you into a long term winner.

And stick with a sport you know, like, and understand. I only bet baseball. Despite enjoying and being a fan of football and basketball I know I can't make money betting them. Baseball though I understand well enough to figure approximately what the price should be.

Stick with what you really know and like.

[sublime]

hey sporty-

i know next to nothing about handicapping. we could talk about hot chicks though /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[sportypicks.com]

Man,
Between you and Sublime these are some of the most knowledgeable conversations I've had with other "handicappers".

Mr.Baseball you can't imagine the time I have trying to explain to people EXACTLY what you said on your above statement. For example, when people ask me "Who do you like today?" in a game of TB vs NYY, I will say TB. Then someone else will ask me who do I think is going to win. I will answer NYY.

What most recreational bettors fail to realize is I don't think TB is going to win, but they are giving me enough of a price that my EV in the long run is positive with them. If the 2 teams play 1,000,000 times under those same circumstances the Yankees could win 600,000. But that's not enough to justify laying -250 with them.

Sublime,
You'd be surprised, but you know more than most already regarding sports betting.

[sublime]

winning at sportsbetting is boring. period. its more boring than playing winning poker IMO. however, it IS profitable, 'IF' you can be dedicated and disciplined. here is what i would do/have done/still do.

#1- figure out your bankroll. decide how much you are going to wager (1-2%, however you could up it to 2.5% by following the advice i will give)

#2- deposit money at 2-3 sportsbooks. ones with 20% or so cash bonuses and low rollover reqs. avoid ones that have 30 day locks on your money. your mission is to attack as much bonus money as you can, and believe me there is plenty of it being offered.

#3 meet the rollover reqs and withdraw immediatly. the redeposit at a new sportsbook. rinse and repeat.

#4 find a handicapper that you at least 'think' is a winner. at this stage of your sports betting life, having a long term proven winner isnt 'that' important as what you are after is basically volume. that being said, i know of a few trusted cappers at sharpsportsbetting that post year in and year out for free and have at l;east slightly winning records. (pythgoras in NBA is really solid, like 55% over 600 or so picks, and lawboy200 in NCAAB is ok i suppose) for baseball i would just make a post over there and see what people recommend and take it from there.

do this for 6 months and then report back to me. within a year you should have a big enough roll that you can afford to pay for picks that are worht the investment, or have enough knowledge of betting that maybe you can develop your own skills.

[sublime]

You'd be surprised, but you know more than most already regarding sports betting.

oh, i have no doubt that i knwo more about how sports betting works than 99% of the people who bet sports. what i dont know a lot about is actually handicapping a game. i pay for that infomation /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[sportypicks.com]

Sublime,

Handicapping is BORING I do agree. That is why we are on a poker forum correct? It is much more fun to see who you are actually trying to match wits with in poker. And there are definite odds inherent in poker.

With sportsbetting you can't tell who your opponent is. It seems easy to everyone until you get involved how truly hard it is to beat that vigorish.

To the original poster the question I have is....are you going to be able to come back and put in the work the next day after you have a bad day the day before? It can really bruise your ego, but if you hang around long enough you will become immune to the short term streaks.

[Rob Blackburn]

I used to play alot with Intertops, they can't seem to locate my account so I was looking for a new place for March Madness.

I looked at VIP they have a new deposit bonus that is 3x play through is that the standard? Or can I find ones with less?

Is it even worthwhile to go after that bonus if your only going to play, $10-$50 games during this time of year? Or is it something I should just keep in the back pocket not really thinking about and just let it clear slowly but surely. I just hate to leave cash just sitting there after March waiting on clearing the bonus before I cash out.

[QuickLearner]

I appreciate your response Sublime.
[ QUOTE ]

5) Its important to learn which teams are terrible. While you are learning, don't ask a terrible team to win for you.

wrong on this one. the skill level of a team doesnt matter, its the price you are getting on them. for example if the hawks played the spurs in san antonio and a sportsbook offered you 35-1 odds on the hawks winning and you passed you are not cut out for this sort of thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I still strongly feel that while he's learning he will get killed trying to find those opportunities. Your Hawks/Spurs example is confusing. You might get 2:1 ML on the Hawks, and at that price you'd get killed. Would you take the Hawks +11 at -110? By the way, you're right about me not being cut out for it. I think that the whole NBA is broken. I gave up betting NBA three years ago.

[ QUOTE ]

also, you are not up against the bookmaker and thats one of the biggest fallacys in sports betting. you are up against the fat guy who lives with his mom and swears he is a good handicapper and doesnt mind taking -8 when he can get -7.5 at another shop etc. remember that, you are not taking money from the sportsbooks, you are taking money off of people who are not as disciplind and prepared as you. they dont hunt for the best lines, they put in sucker bets "just for the fun of it". they tease the wrong lines, they dont understand how much a 1/2pt is worth in a given sport etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with all of your above statement except the point about me not taking money from the sportsbook. The rest of it doesn't much pertain to someone who is just starting out. My original idea for him was to have fun and bet small while learning.

Now, about who your emeny is... I don't bet steam, I don't middle or arb, and I don't bet the sports that the "fat guy" Joe Public loves to bet anymore. I only play hockey and baseball. For a bettor like me, who wants to have some fun and make a little money betting the sports he thinks he can win at, my enemy is the linesmaker.

I just don't care to watch the lines move all day. I do my handicapping the night before (west coast games in the morning). I bet my favorites early and my dogs at the last minute. I know enough to stay away from games where I can find no advantage, I have fun, and I make money every year. Not a lot, but it's a hobby.

[QuickLearner]

A 3X playthrough used to be standard; now I'll bet that it's excellent. The safer the book, the more stringent the bonus playthrough requirement. Beware the huge bonuses.

[craig r]

He will be fine at any of the VIP sites. Also, Bodog has a 3X rollover requirement. Both places are very safe (if you are a pro they get a little tricky, but they are still safe).

craig

[sublime]

I still strongly feel that while he's learning he will get killed trying to find those opportunities. Your Hawks/Spurs example is confusing. You might get 2:1 ML on the Hawks, and at that price you'd get killed. Would you take the Hawks +11 at -110?

i just made up the ridicolous money line number to illustrate a point. its not the team, its the price you are paying for them. if the hawks are +11 and the 'true' line is +10 then the hawks offer value. if the spurs are supposed to be -2 and they are -2 then there is no value, and hence, no bet.

once you stop looking at sportsbetting from a "team a will crush team b" and look at it as an active marketplace(its similarities to the stock market are huge) and constanly look for overpriced/underpriced teams things will make a lot more sense

For a bettor like me, who wants to have some fun and make a little money betting the sports he thinks he can win at, my enemy is the linesmaker.

sure, you can qualify them as your enemy, but the money you actually make comes from other bettors. at 'worst' a sportsbook may break even in a given sport long term (i even dount that), so the profit comes from other players.

[QuickLearner]

[ QUOTE ]

once you stop looking at sportsbetting from a "team a will crush team b" and look at it as an active marketplace(its similarities to the stock market are huge) and constanly look for overpriced/underpriced teams things will make a lot more sense


[/ QUOTE ]

We should be trying to learn from each other, not making condescending remarks like that one. I may have been doing this a lot longer than you. As you said to me earlier, damn you're smart.

[sublime]

i didnt think that there was anything condescending about my post. i like talking about this kind of stuff, but dont have all day to type out detailed example of the point i am trying to convey, hence the 'get to the point' approach that i usually use.

i am sorry if i came across like a jerk or something, but your fundamental argument that it is better to bet on stronger teams when the odds suggest otherwise is just flat out wrong.

ps
i meant it as a compliment when i said you were smart /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[20Five]

pythagoras rules /images/graemlins/grin.gif

great convo on this topic.. this site is nice because everynow and then there is useful discussion on here!

gl /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[tech]

[ QUOTE ]
everynow and then there is useful discussion on here!

[/ QUOTE ]

Questionable. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[20Five]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
everynow and then there is useful discussion on here!

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you sure? /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

no, but im drunk... that counts right /images/graemlins/tongue.gif /images/graemlins/smirk.gif /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[Brad F.]

[ QUOTE ]
Would you take the Hawks +11 at -110?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, for an absolute newbie, what do these numbers mean exactly?

Brad

[MarkL444]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Would you take the Hawks +11 at -110?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, for an absolute newbie, what do these numbers mean exactly?

Brad

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey Brad-

The +11 means that the hawks get 11 extra points. So even if they lose the game by 10, you still win your bet. If its a tie you get your money back.

The -110 are the odds for the bet, so to speak. It means you have to risk $110 to win 100, or 11 to win 10 and so on.

[Stupendous_Man]

Sublime, sportypicks.com, and mrbaseball.... appreciate the great discussion! I'm VERY new to this area and was looking for some good information. Been hesitant to post my picks, as I know it will show how green and how much of a n00b I am to this! /images/graemlins/blush.gif

I'm quickly learning, from this forum, that I have lots to learn. I took one of my $100 reload poker bonuses and funded an account at BGD just to see what this is like (was looking for a book that went as low as $1). So far, I've placed very small bets (usually a $1 or $2) on a number of different kinds of bets, just to get a better feeling/idea of the different options.

Anyway, I appreciate the great discussion, as it has helped me a lot. Also, found a couple of books to pick up and read.

[jedi]

Didn't want to start a new thread, but I'm new to this too.

What am I looking for in a sports betting site. What kind of bonuses are offered (and which are the best?) Can someone give me a list of sportsbooks to examine?

[calling all cars]

I'm not new, exactly, but I'm new to making sports gambling an everyday activity.

Mr. Baseball, et al, are there any books you'd recommend beyond Stan Sharp's?

I agree with the general sentiments, and, in fact find parallels with Dan Harrington's points in his poker book: don't try to think in terms of black and white: "the White Sox will win," or "his big raise means he has aces."

Instead, think of percentages and expected value: "the White Sox are priced generously," or "the chance he has aces is high but a call still has positive expectation in the long run."

Any help is appreciated.

[Iceman]

[ QUOTE ]
What am I looking for in a sports betting site. What kind of bonuses are offered (and which are the best?) Can someone give me a list of sportsbooks to examine?

[/ QUOTE ]

http://www.sportsbookreview.com/