All of us in Scorum have one thing in common - our passion for sports. That passion translates to betting and gambling more often than not. Seeing people giving betting advice and showing off, I feel the need to bring us all back to the reality and tell the other side of betting. I am a gambler (I have it under control, tho) and I love it... until I hate it. If you cannot relate yet, you might want to read my series and avoid my experiences at all costs. If you can relate, well, isn't it great to be a gambler?
<grammarly-btn>Yes, it is pretty safe to assume that most of the betting tips you get here or anywhere else come from people who lose money on a constant basis. And there is nothing wrong with it. I mean, we always pay to get things that bring us joy. And anyone who has a gambling gene (is it a thing yet?) should know how much joy betting and gambling can provide. However, there is nothing sexy about spending all your money on it. Let's cut the crap - it is a freaking hell to lose all your money on sports betting. But let me start my story from the very beginning.
I think I was 18 when I placed my first bet. It was such a joyful moment because I was sure that I am a freaking pro at sports and those stupid bookies could never beat me. I lost. Then I placed another bet. I lost again. I placed one more bet. Lost it as well.
At this point, I've already reached my pre-set limits. I was a student with no stable income, so those limits were not the highest, but it still hurt. God damn, good times. Anyway, everyone who has no gambling gene would have stopped at this point and made an adequate conclusion that betting was a non-profitable waste of time.
I, however, raised my bets to win back what I lost previously. I guess it worked at first and I even made some money, but in no time, I was losing big time again. The saddest thing is that my journey down the hill started with some innocent bets which were perfectly sized and fun. However, now, many years later, I know that it is almost impossible for a gambling man such as me to control emotions and stick to the plan. Why? Well, mostly because human nature works like this:
Big win = carelessly wasting all the profit trying to hit the jackpot
Big loss = becoming an emotional wreck and losing it all for the sake of losing
And you know what the worst thing of all is? After losing, let's say, $500, I still walk out as a winner because my last bet won me $20. This phenomenon keeps so many gamblers fooled and thinking that they are doing way better than the actual reality. I used to be like "I don't want to check my bank account because hell knows how much I've lost, but it should not be more than x dollars." Of course, in the end, it was not x dollars but 10 times x dollars. What was my key to further success in failing?
I am a positive man, so I kept focusing on those few wins rather than on constant failures. Isn't that what all the motivational speakers try to teach us? So, I learned my lesson and kept gambling full power, thinking that this time luck will be on my side. And it was not. You know why? Because betting has nothing to do with luck.
I can assure you that I'm good at maths (wanna see my finance degree?). Of course, it doesn't take a genius to calculate that bookies are raking 10-15% from every bet, making it almost impossible for normies without an extremely strict set of rules to make any money on the long term. And you can bet my ass that I was not someone who could follow strict rules. I chose to follow my gut instinct and emotions. And I burned big time. Sadly, I was already hooked. There was something about that feeling when I gambled that made me want to do it more and more even though I perfectly knew that I would end up losing.
So, guys, I started gambling and betting without actually analyzing myself. The hell broke loose and I was standing right next to the gate. I did not know my own strengths and weaknesses, so I just kept throwing money everywhere and expected for some miracle to happen. That was so naive, but the power of the gambling gene is too strong to fight alone, especially when you are in your teen years.
And that's how I started my betting career. What first seemed so innocent and fun, ended up being my kryptonite. And also, all the friends who placed those small bets with me stopped betting right away after they lost. I was left alone in the dark, but there was no stopping at that point, so I kept going deeper.
I guess it's obvious, but this is not a motivational article to make everyone fall in love with betting. Actually, I wish fewer people did that even though it is so exciting. I end my story here for today and leave you with one of the main lessons I learned through my long-lasting failures:
"I control myself and will stop when x or y will happen" is one of the ugliest lies that addicted human-beings say to themselves. Most of the time, when x or y happens, it is too late to stop already.
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