I see a lot of talk ... does anyone make any money?

[Matt24]

Waterproof-what about your other plays?

[jonog]

Hey. Can someome tell me what the "Rx" is? Is it another forum like this one? Cheers, Jono.

[Big Al]

I have gone over my background here before so I wont go into a lot of detail. I can tell you I have been betting sports for 16 years now. I work full time so I do it for extra money on the side. I was a break even player for 8 years (a loser because of the vig) and have had 7 straight winning years now. I am very selective in the games I play and the sports I bet in. As I said, I wont go into detail as I have already done this in the past. I bet a 2-3 games a week during the NFL season, the NBA playoffs and the NCAA tourney. Thats it, I do not bet on any other sports leagues. The games I bet I play heavy. I have gotten alot of toys thru the years from it. I do agree that most people lose in the long run. My personal feeling is they bet too many games and dont have some understanding of the psychology involved in looking at games and then factioring that in. I have developed a system that works for me after many years. I realize I am the exception to the rule. It is true, if it were that easy, everyone would be doing it and winning and thus there would be no places like Vegas or books to take action. Just my two cents...Big Al.

[lowroller]

8-2-1?? Big Fizz...

Your post proclaiming you are a "winner" because you have a winning record for HALF A SEASON shows you really have no idea what it takes to win. I don't care if you go undefeated the rest of the season...going 13-2-1 in 16 trials doesn't prove anything other than you caught the good end of the variance curve.

Did you consider yourself a winning poker player after your first 100 hands?

Betting sports is an even tougher grind than poker. Even more impossible if you are trying to do it all in every sport. The most successful sports bettor alive doesn't do it alone. He heads an entire syndicate of numbers guys who work the computers, moles who get the information, and beards who get the orders filled.

Even he specializes in certain areas of each sport.

[ihaterivers]

With that type of discipline I can see why you are a winner. I definitely think one can win long term betting on sports, but it takes serious discipline and bankroll management(2 things I lack. lol) One also needs to put in the time to handicap a game properly if one expects to be a winner. The vast majority of sports bettors lack one if not all of these qualities which spells doom over the long term, but I believe most sports bettors do it more for the fun and action rather than a way to make or supplement an income which makes for very happy bookies and sportsbooks.

[ODB72]

Simply, if you believe the sports betting market is efficient, then it is not beatable. If you believe that irrationality pervades in the sports betting market, then it is beatable.

Those that believe in the former accept that all possible information comes together through the masses of sports bettors to create an efficient line. A line that is truly a 50/50 proposition.

Those that believe in the latter assume that masses sometimes act irrationally, whether it be because of lack of information or misapplication of information. The irrationality creates an inefficient line where a small edge can be gained. The problem recently, as Ed Miller mentioned, is that the in the age of technology we live in, information is widely available. The wealth of accessible information ( I use "information" as a catchall for any type of sports betting knowledge) creates a truer line than ever before.

I, too, have been on both sides, that of the bettor and of the bookie. I have yet to come to any conclusion whether it is beatable. Although I have been successful to date at sports betting, I hesitate to attribute any success to anything but sheer luck.

[TimTimSalabim]

[ QUOTE ]
Those that believe in the latter assume that masses sometimes act irrationally, whether it be because of lack of information or misapplication of information.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wasn't that proven in the last election? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[shemp]

Lifetime, I suspect I may have become a small winner. After years of being a loser, I've had a good run for two years, and I suspect I've crossed over. I say that with hesitation, because I know that most people who say it are kidding themselves or outright lying. Anyway, I don't know, because I don't have lifetime records, but I do know that I was probably still a lifetime loser before the election and baseball postseason, in which my current trend continued on much bigger bets than I've laid in the past.

I think the NFL is practically unbeatable, despite evidence to the contrary. I think I could beat MLB, and I did quite well this year when I bet (early in the year and late). The problem for me, and why I didn't bet the whole season as I planned, is that it takes too much time.

I'd describe myself as a -EV sports bettor who bets for entertainment, and due to a recent lucky streak is running positive.

[Waterproof]

Matt24 - My other NFL plays have not been as good (8-2 is great), but I am still up nice this season. I don't post all my plays. I decided this during MLB. I tried to post a couple days, but its too hard to always get to a computer all the time (and I'm kinda lazy)... especially when you're adding plays 15 minutes before the game and no one is going to see them in time anyway. That's why I'm doing the one play a week for the NFL.

jonog - The RX is www.therx.com

lowroll - I can't claim that I am a winner because of my POW, but I claimed I was a winner far before that post. I have been winning for several years now... see my earlier posts.