How to Bet
Understand the fixed-odd, money-line bets., Understand the point-spread betting system., Ignore parlays, teasers, and other betting shortcuts., Find the smart money bet., Consider the intangibles., Find a bookmaker and place your bet., Pick a hard...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand the fixed-odd
Fixed-odd bets are the simplest to play and learn.
For any given event or game, a win-loss outcome is given a probability, which you can bet for or against.
Sometimes they're portrayed as a fraction or a decimal, which will be multiplied by the amount of money you put down as a bet to result in the payout.
Say the Bears are playing the Sharks, and the probability is listed as Bears +400.
That means the bookie's odds are 4/1 that the Bears will win.
If you bet $100, your payout would be $400 if the Bears won and and if they lost, you'd lose your $100.
This would be a likely odds if the Sharks were heavily favored to win.
If the odds were 1/4, or
-400 on the same outcome, and you placed a bet of $100, you'd only win $25 if the Bears won and would lose your entire $100 if they lost. -
Step 2: money-line bets.
The point-spread system is used by handicappers and bookers to generate interest in putting money on the game by providing a range of possible outcomes to even the action.
It's not an indicator of the odds, and isn't always indicative of the smartest bet.
Rather, it's meant to generate bets for teams that are unlikely to win.
The point-spread system is used to ensure that enough bets will be placed for either team to cover the betting.
Say a spread of 10 is given in the Bears-Sharks game, and the Sharks are favored to win.
If the Bears score plus the spread ends up with a total number of points greater than the points the Sharks scored in the game, bets against the spread would win, while bets with the spread would lose. , Bookmakers, in an attempt to extort as much money as possible from betters with incredible-looking odds but extremely low-probability outcomes, have invented all sorts of exotic-play bets that are to your advantage to ignore completely.
The odds are simply not in your favor.
If it seems to good to be true, that's because it is.
If you're interested in side or additional bets to make the action more interesting, consider placing total bets.
Total bets are usually placed as side bets additional to a spread or fixed-odd bet, in which you bet on the total number of points scored.
These are common panel-features of sports talk shows and can offer compelling action., A smart-money bet is the opposite of what the bookies want you to make.
Professional sports bettors, also known as "sharps" will often make smart money bets by calculating their own odds and consolidating a variety of bookmakers numbers from different sources to create a composite odd from which they place bets.
For you, that might mean looking at several bookmakers numbers and making the most-informed choice.Smart money betting usually involves placing your bet at the correct time, before enough people jump on your side of the bandwagon to change the odds and make it a worse bet.
When you've decided how you're going to bet, make it quickly and lock in the odds at that point, don't wait until conventional wisdom changes the odds out of your favor. , What are the weather conditions set to be like for the game? Who seems to have the most momentum? Who feels right in your gut? There's more to betting on a game than tangible statistics.
If you're a fan of and very familiar with the sport you're betting on, go with your gut.
Consider the intangible, unquantifiable factors that can affect the result of a game.
Often, intangibles are also taken into account when bookies make the odds.
If a player is out with injury or in the middle of a slump, these things are factored into the odds-making.
But there's also a more difficult to qualify aspect to wins and losses that you can only get by watching lots of sports and making educated picks.
Don't just bet on your favorite teams.
A classic rookie mistake is making uninformed bets on the teams that you like because you think that'll make the game more interesting.
It won't.
You have rosy-tinted glasses when it comes to your home team, and the game's already exciting for you since you're a fan.
Only bet on teams with good odds that feel right. , Many online and Vegas-based bookmakers are available for you to place bets with in a regulated and semi-legal form.
In-person bookmaking is illegal, but online venues based primarily in Las Vegas operate in a semi-legal gray area, making it a popular choice for sports bettors.
In the UK and elsewhere, online bookies operate similar operations that you can take advantage of for the same events, generally speaking. , Placing bets on sports can suddenly make a game between two teams in the basement of the standings seem like the Super Bowl.
It can be fun and add a little life into your regular sports-watching, but it can also be addictive and easy to get in over your head.
Select a reasonable amount of money you're willing to invest in a season, a game, a year, or a sport, and stick to that amount.
Never bet more than you're willing and able to lose, and only bet to keep the game interesting and fun.
It's not a sustainable way to make money consistently, and can become addictive.
Be careful.
If you suspect you might have a problem, get help immediately and stop gambling.
Gambling is a serious addiction that affects people all over the world, and it can be very difficult to quit alone.
Learn when you have a problem and take the necessary steps to kick your habit. -
Step 3: Understand the point-spread betting system.
-
Step 4: Ignore parlays
-
Step 5: teasers
-
Step 6: and other betting shortcuts.
-
Step 7: Find the smart money bet.
-
Step 8: Consider the intangibles.
-
Step 9: Find a bookmaker and place your bet.
-
Step 10: Pick a hard line and stick to it.
Detailed Guide
Fixed-odd bets are the simplest to play and learn.
For any given event or game, a win-loss outcome is given a probability, which you can bet for or against.
Sometimes they're portrayed as a fraction or a decimal, which will be multiplied by the amount of money you put down as a bet to result in the payout.
Say the Bears are playing the Sharks, and the probability is listed as Bears +400.
That means the bookie's odds are 4/1 that the Bears will win.
If you bet $100, your payout would be $400 if the Bears won and and if they lost, you'd lose your $100.
This would be a likely odds if the Sharks were heavily favored to win.
If the odds were 1/4, or
-400 on the same outcome, and you placed a bet of $100, you'd only win $25 if the Bears won and would lose your entire $100 if they lost.
The point-spread system is used by handicappers and bookers to generate interest in putting money on the game by providing a range of possible outcomes to even the action.
It's not an indicator of the odds, and isn't always indicative of the smartest bet.
Rather, it's meant to generate bets for teams that are unlikely to win.
The point-spread system is used to ensure that enough bets will be placed for either team to cover the betting.
Say a spread of 10 is given in the Bears-Sharks game, and the Sharks are favored to win.
If the Bears score plus the spread ends up with a total number of points greater than the points the Sharks scored in the game, bets against the spread would win, while bets with the spread would lose. , Bookmakers, in an attempt to extort as much money as possible from betters with incredible-looking odds but extremely low-probability outcomes, have invented all sorts of exotic-play bets that are to your advantage to ignore completely.
The odds are simply not in your favor.
If it seems to good to be true, that's because it is.
If you're interested in side or additional bets to make the action more interesting, consider placing total bets.
Total bets are usually placed as side bets additional to a spread or fixed-odd bet, in which you bet on the total number of points scored.
These are common panel-features of sports talk shows and can offer compelling action., A smart-money bet is the opposite of what the bookies want you to make.
Professional sports bettors, also known as "sharps" will often make smart money bets by calculating their own odds and consolidating a variety of bookmakers numbers from different sources to create a composite odd from which they place bets.
For you, that might mean looking at several bookmakers numbers and making the most-informed choice.Smart money betting usually involves placing your bet at the correct time, before enough people jump on your side of the bandwagon to change the odds and make it a worse bet.
When you've decided how you're going to bet, make it quickly and lock in the odds at that point, don't wait until conventional wisdom changes the odds out of your favor. , What are the weather conditions set to be like for the game? Who seems to have the most momentum? Who feels right in your gut? There's more to betting on a game than tangible statistics.
If you're a fan of and very familiar with the sport you're betting on, go with your gut.
Consider the intangible, unquantifiable factors that can affect the result of a game.
Often, intangibles are also taken into account when bookies make the odds.
If a player is out with injury or in the middle of a slump, these things are factored into the odds-making.
But there's also a more difficult to qualify aspect to wins and losses that you can only get by watching lots of sports and making educated picks.
Don't just bet on your favorite teams.
A classic rookie mistake is making uninformed bets on the teams that you like because you think that'll make the game more interesting.
It won't.
You have rosy-tinted glasses when it comes to your home team, and the game's already exciting for you since you're a fan.
Only bet on teams with good odds that feel right. , Many online and Vegas-based bookmakers are available for you to place bets with in a regulated and semi-legal form.
In-person bookmaking is illegal, but online venues based primarily in Las Vegas operate in a semi-legal gray area, making it a popular choice for sports bettors.
In the UK and elsewhere, online bookies operate similar operations that you can take advantage of for the same events, generally speaking. , Placing bets on sports can suddenly make a game between two teams in the basement of the standings seem like the Super Bowl.
It can be fun and add a little life into your regular sports-watching, but it can also be addictive and easy to get in over your head.
Select a reasonable amount of money you're willing to invest in a season, a game, a year, or a sport, and stick to that amount.
Never bet more than you're willing and able to lose, and only bet to keep the game interesting and fun.
It's not a sustainable way to make money consistently, and can become addictive.
Be careful.
If you suspect you might have a problem, get help immediately and stop gambling.
Gambling is a serious addiction that affects people all over the world, and it can be very difficult to quit alone.
Learn when you have a problem and take the necessary steps to kick your habit.
About the Author
Tyler Garcia
Tyler Garcia has dedicated 6 years to mastering sports and recreation. As a content creator, Tyler focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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