Memorial Day has officially passed. You’ve dug deep into the armoire to pull out summer whites, pastels, and boat shoes you sport maybe three months of the year. For most, summer is a time filled with vacations, family, and drinking (not necessarily in that order). However, for the sports bettor in all of us it can be nightmare inducing once the last vestiges of peak betting season wrap upon crowning a NBA and Stanley Cup Champion (apologies to fellow NASCAR bettors for failing to include you but we do represent a minority). Fear not, Bet the Board is here to help get you through the summer doldrums with a proper game plan poised to put you at the top of your game once football season rolls around in August.
- Assess Bankroll
For a lot of sports bettors their “fiscal year” starts with football season and concludes after the last of the four major sports crown their champions. Regardless of how you see the gambling calendar the traditionally slower period during summer is the perfect window to do some bankroll introspection (avid baseball bettors please ignore). Begin to take this time devising a plan for the fall built on exactly how many dollars you’re going to allocate towards the recreational pursuit most call betting football. Whether it’s $100, $1,000, $10,000, or $100,000 bettors at all levels need to prepare accordingly or doom themselves to failure before a single touchdown is scored. I know it’s a cliché but not preparing is preparing to fail and that always resonates with those not equipped to properly manage their bankroll. First things first; throw away the idea of flat betting. The notion that every game you bet has the same expected value erodes your bankroll faster than ties lose parlay cards. Instead, look to use a modified approach like Kelly Criterion betting anywhere from 2.5% to 5% of your bankroll on a given game. This sliding scale lets you increase bet sizes when running well or downsize during the lean periods to maximize gains and minimize losses. Every bettor, no matter the ability level, is constantly tinkering with his or her amounts year over year to maximize ROI in the betting markets. I’m not here to tell you doing this is easy, but it’s a requirement for those looking to take gambling more seriously and those seeking to extract as much entertainment as they can from finite funds.
- Prep for Football
There isn’t a red-blooded American currently calling themselves a gambler that does so without betting football games in some capacity. Whether it’s the NFL or NCAA that gets your juices going, spend the proverbial off-season reading anything and everything you can get your hands on in anticipation of the season. With incredibly aggressive bookmakers, both offshore and in Vegas, Week 1 numbers are already out at BetOnline.AG accompanied by win totals to give you a glimpse of how oddsmakers see the field. Nevertheless, don’t use win totals and early numbers as your primary drivers just as a reference point. If you convince yourself that Michigan State is going 12-0 this year but their win total opens at 6.5 it might raise a few red flags. Little to say you either found yourself a hidden gem or you’re clearly overlooking some very important information not lost on those tasked with hanging numbers. When it comes to identifying valuable sources of information we always suggest a variety of materials allowing you to get a breadth of opinions. Don’t just focus on gambling driven articles or publications knowing public perception plays a big role in early season pricing, so diversify your lists from Phil Steel to Athlon to your favorite beat writers. Develop that voracious appetite for research, just make sure you pace yourself and realize there’s a good chance all that preparation needs an overhaul by Week 3.
- Enjoy gambling for gambling’s sake
There’s a little bit of degenerate in all of us. Even the most disciplined sports bettors get off track periodically chasing the dragon to a game they normally wouldn’t bet. Unless you’re betting sports as an occupation have fun with betting games during the slow periods albeit for much smaller stakes. Plunk down a small wager on the ponies, dabble on a Sunday NASCAR race, or even dip your toes into the international soccer pool with a Confederations Cup wager in a few weeks. Too often recreational bettors take their hobby more seriously than they should (I can relate having thrown many a golf club in frustration despite knowing I’m the world’s worst golfer). Put aside those expectations that keep us laser focused during the fall, winter, and spring to enjoy a friendly wager or two. Don’t misconstrue the message as condoning reckless wagering, instead as a means to try something new because you never know if a bet in passing on Australian Rules Football sparks a new interest.
- Take Time Off to relax
Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, should be gambling 7 days a week 365 days a year if they’re a one-man show. The grind is absolutely brutal and without time off to refresh you’ll be destined for early burn out. Whether it’s a week, a month, or the entire season, mental health breaks go a long way for sports bettors to stay engaged. I’m as guilty as anyone of combing through stats, articles, and figures every day of my life to keep my fingers on the pulse of every sport, and it’s not ideal. If you feel you’ll miss the rush of gambling too much then pick up a book on the topic to learn something new or watch one of the classic gambling movies we’ve all come to celebrate. There are other ways to enjoy sports betting and its subculture than by having your bankroll in action every single day of the year. From time on the beach to recreational travel, take those days to soak up everything else around you and forget about the games. Trust me when I say there will always be another bet to make, and all of us here at Bet the Board are here to help you make those more informed wagering choices when opportunity presents itself.
