Think like investors, not gamblers.

[Finestream]

I’ve been reading about how the few people who actually win long-term in sports betting don’t really act like gamblers - they think more like investors.

They don’t just bet because they “feel” something about a team, they look for value, meaning odds that are slightly mispriced compared to the true probability. They use data, manage their bankroll carefully, and focus on long-term profit instead of instant wins. It’s kind of the same mindset you see in trading or business, small edges, consistency, and discipline. No chasing losses, no betting on emotion, just pure math and patience.

It makes me wonder, can an average bettor really reach that kind of discipline, or in the end will the house edge and variance still be too strong to beat?

[DaNNy001]

Even though gambling can't be taken as an investment there's a way you can change how you think and also how you approach gambling...if you focus more on long term gains, that's winning at the end of the week or month gambling activities would seem very different to you...an investor thinks about being in profit at the long run and as a gambler you can apply the same thing in gambling if you understand risk management

[alegotardo]

I agree with you, but I think the main point here is goes beyond that... it is not just thinking like an investor but also approaching the risk of gambling differently... because, while the average gambler primarily play with emotion and reacts to the outcome, the investor plays purely with statistics and works with probabilities.

That is why I think the guys who really make money in the long run treat each bet as if it were a portfolio position. They know they will lose several times, but that is not a problem because their focus is always on the long term.. at sum of good decisions and not on a single "big hit".

So... I do not think the problem is just thinking like an investor, because most gamblers simply dont have the patience for it.... people are terrible at dealing with small, consistent losses. Most want quick results and then when a bad streak hits, they change their approach, double their stake and make other bad decisions on impulse, without any strategy.

[Finestream]

Even though gambling can't be taken as an investment....

It can be, but it really depends on the person taking it.

If you don’t have a good game plan  like treating it as an investment  then it’s not for you, because you’ll probably end up regretting it. Better to just play for fun, so when you lose, you won’t feel too bad since you’re not risking serious money.

I agree with you, but I think the main point here is goes beyond that... it is not just thinking like an investor but also approaching the risk of gambling differently... because, while the average gambler primarily play with emotion and reacts to the outcome, the investor plays purely with statistics and works with probabilities.

Investors understand risk very well, because in any investment, you’re putting money on the line. It’s always about balancing risk and reward knowing what you’re getting into, but more importantly, having a calculated approach to every risk you take.

[maydna]

They can reach that kind of discipline. Not many gamblers can have that because gambling is tempting and makes them forget about everything and they only want to play. It is why more gamblers lose money in gambling without realize it.

Those types of gamblers existed but they don't show off their ability. But still, casinos don't want to see gamblers win much money. And the gamblers itself doesn't guarantee to win in the long term.

That is because gambling is not a source of income. If we can approaching the risk of gambling differently, we will not lose much. We can think about preventing the loss and think that gambling is for fun.

[woez]

I’ve been reading about how the few people who actually win long-term in sports betting don’t really act like gamblers - they think more like investors.

They don’t just bet because they “feel” something about a team, they look for value, meaning odds that are slightly mispriced compared to the true probability. They use data, manage their bankroll carefully, and focus on long-term profit instead of instant wins. It’s kind of the same mindset you see in trading or business, small edges, consistency, and discipline. No chasing losses, no betting on emotion, just pure math and patience.

It makes me wonder, can an average bettor really reach that kind of discipline, or in the end will the house edge and variance still be too strong to beat?

This review is very interesting. It means we can achieve this not only in the crypto world, but also in this world. I'll try to add to what others have said here: the opportunity is there, but never rely on luck in this game, especially if they rely on instinct they will lose badly. But if someone is able to separate their betting patterns from those for entertainment and bet on this style of risky play, there is still a chance. Another concept that needs to be balanced. In my opinion, don't get caught up in emotions, because emotions can destroy everything, and investor logic will immediately disappear when contaminated.

[nullama]

I’ve been reading about how the few people who actually win long-term in sports betting don’t really act like gamblers - they think more like investors.

They don’t just bet because they “feel” something about a team, they look for value, meaning odds that are slightly mispriced compared to the true probability. They use data, manage their bankroll carefully, and focus on long-term profit instead of instant wins. It’s kind of the same mindset you see in trading or business, small edges, consistency, and discipline. No chasing losses, no betting on emotion, just pure math and patience.

It makes me wonder, can an average bettor really reach that kind of discipline, or in the end will the house edge and variance still be too strong to beat?

Yes, the thing about that is that in the end, investing is quite different to gambling.

Gambling, by definition, has a random element to it.

In investing, there is uncertainty, but there is an expectation that the value will increase.

In gambling, this expectation is negative actually.

[Agbamoni]

At the end of the day, risk is involved, which is something the things you mentioned have in common (trading, investment, business , gambling etc).
Sports betting is not all about pure math. There are few things pure math can work. For example, business owners can use pure math to profit. But in gambling you need more than that. You need luck to win every game, while you need the analysis to keep you profiting in the long term.

[Pandu Geddon]

I’ve been reading about how the few people who actually win long-term in sports betting don’t really act like gamblers - they think more like investors.

If gamblers think of their bets as investments, wouldn't they also think about harvesting their investments in the future? Isn't that what sports betting offers? I don't think so. 
You can think of and place bets as if you are running a business; I'm sure you would be more careful in making bets. But when your discipline does not yield results, it can be very disappointing for you. 
Just enjoy gambling for what it is. You might even become addicted if you take gambling too seriously.

[Strongkored]

I don't understand how thinking of sports betting as an investment will improve our returns.
Sports betting is just another form of gambling, and the outcome can be the same as any other form of gambling, resulting in wins or losses. What matters is how we manage our bankroll.

[fullfitlarry]

I don't understand how thinking of sports betting as an investment will improve our returns.
Sports betting is just another form of gambling, and the outcome can be the same as any other form of gambling, resulting in wins or losses. What matters is how we manage our bankroll.

Or just totally ignore that comparison and just gamble as it is. Maybe with that kind of mindset, just playing regularly without any pressure or stress, that might be the time that you can win and later on you might see that you are in a net positive.

That's why we shouldn't complicate things in our end as gambler. There has been a lot of strategies and tips and now this kind of thoughts. But simple put, sports betting as you said is just another form of gambling that we can excel without thinking that much. Just go and bet which you think will win in the end, easy as that.

[Samlucky O]

I’ve been reading about how the few people who actually win long-term in sports betting don’t really act like gamblers - they think more like investors.

They don’t just bet because they “feel” something about a team, they look for value, meaning odds that are slightly mispriced compared to the true probability. They use data, manage their bankroll carefully, and focus on long-term profit instead of instant wins. It’s kind of the same mindset you see in trading or business, small edges, consistency, and discipline. No chasing losses, no betting on emotion, just pure math and patience.

It makes me wonder, can an average bettor really reach that kind of discipline, or in the end will the house edge and variance still be too strong to beat?

The fact is that whatever you take seriously and focus on it, you will do better than others in that same field. I have heard of people who gamble for a living and am sure that this people don't just gamble like ordinary Gamblers. Infact one of them in my area gamble huge and before he stakes he must have made alot of research and being nearly %90 confident before staking, if the game lose he doesn't care but he believes that he can not try such game in 3 conservative to 5 times without hitting one big win. And I am quite sure that to every 4 to 5 game he plays 1 or 2 must Play out after making a long term research. Sometimes if only 2 ticket plays he has covered the amount he used to stake the 5 tickets. I believe that this business gamblers exist but the truth of the matter is that the wining is not %100 certain or sure. But this people drag edge with the house in the sense that if the house wins twice the win 1, and if the house wins 5 times they win 2 times and trust me this wins are not just ordinary win but huge win. So from this experience I believe that the house is not too strong not to beat. And I think an average bettor can reach that decipline but it can only take Time and more practice.

[Mr. Magkaisa]

I’ve been reading about how the few people who actually win long-term in sports betting don’t really act like gamblers - they think more like investors.

They don’t just bet because they “feel” something about a team, they look for value, meaning odds that are slightly mispriced compared to the true probability. They use data, manage their bankroll carefully, and focus on long-term profit instead of instant wins. It’s kind of the same mindset you see in trading or business, small edges, consistency, and discipline. No chasing losses, no betting on emotion, just pure math and patience.

It makes me wonder, can an average bettor really reach that kind of discipline, or in the end will the house edge and variance still be too strong to beat?

Those people who keeps theiir data iin priivacy and make their bankroll,, rolling.
They are those people who has their control superb and their mind bright. They focus on sure wins despite of the ads,, they dont think of the day but the long term.
They keep on rollins small winnings and makng big at the end of their goal.

[Kelward]

I know that most regular bettors have the mindset of winning on the long term and they patiently continue betting believing that they will hit the big win one day. The strategy is ok as long as they are always using small amounts to place their bets because if they are using significant amounts they might go bankrupt before the big win can happen. I don't know how far I'm willing to accept the term 'investor' for gamblers because the risks in gambling is too much compared to the regular investments that you are sure of making profit within a timeframe. I think that it should just be called long term gambling for possible profit.

[asriloni]

Treating gambling like investing have no use especially when you're dealing with the slot that gives you wildly inconsistent return overtime. It's also purely based on your luck.

No game at casino can you send steady income to you like when you're investing in a bluechip stock asset. this sounds hilarious when you're acting like an investor when your target is gambling with your luck for 50% win and 50% lose.

[danherbias07]

I think yes, it can be done, but it requires hardcore discipline. It's a fact that a sports bettor can become a fan of one team, and that's when everything goes wrong, because we are emotionally attached to that team or player. Even if the bet is on the losing side, they will force it, and sometimes they go as far as taking the moneyline even though the spreads are at +10 or more.

I have been in this situation just because I am a fan of a player. Truly, what I did was a big mistake, but it was fun to support the player through bets.
Still, this is not how gambling should be, and it's difficult to win games if we think like that.

[adaseb]

I’ve been reading about how the few people who actually win long-term in sports betting don’t really act like gamblers - they think more like investors.

They don’t just bet because they “feel” something about a team, they look for value, meaning odds that are slightly mispriced compared to the true probability. They use data, manage their bankroll carefully, and focus on long-term profit instead of instant wins. It’s kind of the same mindset you see in trading or business, small edges, consistency, and discipline. No chasing losses, no betting on emotion, just pure math and patience.

It makes me wonder, can an average bettor really reach that kind of discipline, or in the end will the house edge and variance still be too strong to beat?

Well isnt this similar to what card counting is in a real casino. You look at all the cards which are dealt and you use your knowledge of card counting to predict if the chances of the next hand are going to be high cards or low cards.  They have a slightly better edge. There is discipline and you need consistency to be profitable.

So there are some games where you can use these techniques but not all of them. In Slots or dice or Roulette you are pretty much betting on chance, there is no way you can accurately predict what will happen next. Like in dice, you get 10 red losses in a row and the next roll can also be a loss. Rolls are independent of one another.

[ZeroVinsonN]

I'm not sure treating gambling like an investment will make any difference in how your game plays out, of course better analysis if the game I'm sports betting can increase your chances of winning but long term profit doesn't really seem likely, for investment long term profit involves continuous investment over a long time with hopes of hopes of your investment paying off, I don't see how you can apply this strategy to gambling, are you going to keep gambling over long periods of time even with losses piling up as you go?? What if you never hit your big win after all that time you would have spent on steady betting.

[Juicyhome]

Treating gambling like investing have no use especially when you're dealing with the slot that gives you wildly inconsistent return overtime. It's also purely based on your luck.

No game at casino can you send steady income to you like when you're investing in a bluechip stock asset. this sounds hilarious when you're acting like an investor when your target is gambling with your luck for 50% win and 50% lose.

Gambling isn't an investment because it's purely luck, that hit hard. But that's the fact. Any investment you need 50% luck is not a good investment it's a try your luck ventures. And that's how gamble works, calling it an investment doesn't really tally with income. In gambling you are not sure of your return of investment because your luck is much needed in it than your money.

The only similar thing gambling and investment have in common is  the risk that is involved, in gambling you have to reduce your risk, while in investment you have to also manage risk. Risky is part of the game, learn how to minimize your risk in both ventures is a safe heaven for you as a gambler and a inventor.  You have to learn risk management to be able to reduce lost and maximize profits.

[rbynxx]

It makes me wonder, can an average bettor really reach that kind of discipline, or in the end will the house edge and variance still be too strong to beat?

Well, the house always wins. I think it's the investment thinking that makes them a winner but I think it's embedded in them the discipline to win. You may think it's a value bet but I believe it may have a different outcome in the end considering you'll never know it, the house always has the edge and most of the times they will make you think it's a valuable odd/s to take.