You may have often heard someone bragging that they picked 9 out of ten NFL games last week or managed to take a three-way parlay to the bank or engineered wins in both the daily double and trifecta at the track. Wow, what a great day that gambler had! Quite simply, ask them how they did the rest of the year.

The fact is the fact that anybody can hit on a bet every once in a while, but in sports betting, where the very best pros are right 60 to 65% of the time, it takes more than one day of luck to turn a true profit. Sports betting might not be a science, but it’s a discipline and it does involve research, analysis and skill. If you want to be a successful sports bettor, here are five tips that can start you and keep you on the proper track.

Successful handicappers are experts in 1 or 2 sports. For starters, do not bet soccer or even the horses should you not follow soccer or even the horses. You must know the rules, strategies, players, coaches, trainers, venues as well as more of the sport on which you are going to wager. That means reading previews, keeping abreast of daily developments and engaging in detailed analysis. You should often be open to learning something totally new and taking your understanding to another level. Be an expert and then a guru.

If you really want to earn money on a weekly basis, then you have to treat sports betting like it is a business. Why? Because it is a business. Sports betting is just not about hunches, it’s about weighing evidence, fantastic online casino which includes stats, injuries, depth analysis and even more. Keep files on teams, your wagers, your successes and failures and analyze your effort. For anybody who is constantly losing, you need to figure out why. Should you not, you run the risk of going broke, going nuts or going to jail. Sports betting is a business and should be treated as such.

It is exceedingly crucial that you track each and every wager, including simply how much you bet, simply how much you won or lost as well as your resulting balance. Be cautious in deciding the amount you’re going bet. If you have a $500 bankroll and you’re making $50 wagers, that grubstake will be eaten up quickly. Make small wagers and if you win, then loosen up the bankroll a bit. But don’t go overboard and don’t start making desperation wagers as a way to make up for losses.

By crazy bets, I mean the following-exotics including parlays, futures, mixed parlays and various props. In the event the odds are long, in which case you should steer clear of them. Focus on making single wagers on specific games in one sport. Moneyline, point spread and over/under wagers are all sensible and winnable. You will not make a killing on anyone of these wagers, but when gambling on sports, they can be your very best bet. If you make some solid cash then designate 5 to 10% of your winnings (not your bankroll) for long shot wagers.

Say this as if it were a prayer, it could save your gambling life. Never bet when you are desperate, drunk, high on drugs, depressed, tired, angry, stressed or under-informed. Never do that. Never.

If as a sports bettor you are looking to have a few laughs and drop some money on a game or two, then do so. Have a ball. You can win a few bucks and after that lose a few or lose much more. But do not expect to earn consistent cash from your efforts. To be able to do that, you need to become a true student of the game and an astute businessman, managing your hard earned money, making sensible decisions and keeping your emotions in check.