Re: Your evolution as a gambler.
Follow these rules.
1) Never refer to yourself as a 'gambler'. You are an investor. You don't gamble.
2) Stick with one specialty. The fact that you are 'hitting the tables' is a bad sign. If you are good enough to win betting NFL (for example) stick with that and bet nothing else. Don't spread yourself thin.
3) Work extremely hard on one sport. Not two sports, one sport. put all your energy, efforts and knowledge into capping one sport. If you can't win with your chosen specialty, pick another sport or stop investing altogether.
4) Don't bet 'angles' Angles are for suckers. Angles are for people who don't know who the better team is. If you are not sure who the more talented team is on THIS NIGHT, than you can or might resort to an angle. For example. If there was a horserace where there were two major contenders and i wasn't sure who the fastest contender is, i'll resort to an 'angle'. That angle has no bearing on who the fastest horse is of the 2 i previously mentioned. People resort to angles when they don't know who the faster animal (or better team) is. Figure out who the better team is and leave the angles to the less informed.
5) Never get too high when you win and never get too low when you lose. Keep in mind that every bet you make is a 'long run' wager. Its not a short run wager. Emotions don't matter in the long run. Emotions DO come into play in the short run. If you lose a bet you ask yourself a series of questions which mostly include trying to figure out if you made a bad bet, or you made a good bet that just happened to lose. Sometimes the right side will lose just because the right side can't always win. You need to know if your bet was the right side or not.
6) Bet less. Don't make bets every day. Make them FORCE you to wager.
7) Become really good at your chosen sport. Become SO good that your HEART knows you are great and are going to be a long run winner. Remember this, the best people in the world at their own specialty don't spread themselves thin doing other stuff. Tiger Woods isn't hanging out at the sportsbar drinking beer and yucking it up with friends...he's out somewhere hitting golf balls and working on his game. Same with a top tennis player, top bowler, top soccer player etc. The best in the world are not out jacking off, they are out working on their game. You need to work harder on your game if you want to be great.
8) Dream to be the best in the world at something. Don't settle for 2nd best. Will yourself to be the best at what you do and put everything in your life aside until you get to where you want to be. Ask yourself who is the best sports bettor (or whatever betting it is that you do) and say to yourself "why not me". Of course, its going to take a lifetime committment in order to even have a chance to achieve this.
9) Remember these 3 letters. P.R.O. Always be a Pro. Act like a pro in everything you do.
10) Believe it or not, you are a much better investor than you were 20 years ago. But, society has really gotten better also. Bettors are really sophisticated and sharp and in order to beat them, you are going to have to be a little bit better. Winning at gambling is very hard, but its possible. You just have to want it bad enough.
op: Great thread! Always keeping my eyes open so I can improve at my craft. Should be some good info in here I will think about it and post my reply later.
