Common Sports Betting Mistakes Part 1

You can spend all day talking about best practices for sports betting and still you will have a hard time getting better if you cannot pin down what you are doing wrong.  Sometimes all you need to take a huge leap forward is to recognise a mistake you have been making.  These are largely rookie errors, but even people who have been betting for a long time can make them, especially if betting is a casual pastime.  Even if you wager for fun, though, you want to win.  So ask yourself if you are making any of these mistakes. 

• Not shopping the the best odds.  From one UK betting site to the next, you are going to find variation in the betting odds offered on the same market.  Even when the lines are even half a point in your favour, you end up with a significant edge.  If you don’t take advantage of this, you can end up losing money (and bets) that you don’t have to.  There is no reason not to shop around; it is easy to join several different betting sites and simply check them all.

• That brings me to another common mistake, which is rushing it.  So many punters, especially rookies, decide to wager right around the start of a match.  They go in unprepared, which is a problem for two reasons.  First, if you have not done your analysis, you probably have no clue how to bet.  Second, being in a rush means you may make foolish mistakes (like not shopping around for the best betting odds).  You panic and end up making a decision that costs you instead of a decision that pays you.

• Betting more than you can afford.  Sometimes you will be tempted when you are really, really, really sure of your bet to just throw all your money on the line.  Why not, when it’s a sure win?  Because there is no such thing as a “sure win.”  A huge percentage of games end with a particular result because of some fluke on the field.  Flukes by definition are one-off events that you cannot predict and which will not repeat.  A fluke can cost you a huge amount of money, but it doesn’t have to.  Always manage your money conservatively, even when you feel sure. 

• Taking complicated bets.  It is a common misapprehension for rookies to think that when they become “advanced” punters, they will be ready for “advanced” complicated bets like accumulators.  These bet types are more complex, but complexity doesn’t necessarily mean that they are smarter or better or more likely to bring in money.  They actually usually are avoided by the sharps, who stick to simpler bets which have a far better shot at winning.

If you can avoid just these four common rookie mistakes, you have a much better chance at doing well as a sports punter.  Ready to learn more?  Be sure to read Common Sports Betting Mistakes, Part 2, for other pitfalls to steer clear of as you navigate your way to betting success!