You could have 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 good day that gambler had! Fundamentally, ask them how they did the rest of the year.

The truth is that anybody can hit on a bet every once in a while, but in sports betting, where the top 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 really is a discipline and it does involve research, analysis and skill. If you want to be a successful sports bettor, here are five tips which will start you and keep you on the right track.

Successful handicappers are experts in a couple of sports. Foremost, don’t bet soccer or the horses if you don’t follow soccer or even the horses. You must know the rules, strategies, players, coaches, trainers, venues and even more associated with any sport on which you’re going to wager. That suggests reading previews, keeping abreast of daily developments and engaging in detailed analysis. You should often be open to learning something new and taking your understanding to another level. Become 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 not about hunches, it’s about weighing evidence, that includes stats, injuries, depth analysis and much more. Keep files on teams, your wagers, your successes and failures and analyze your effort. For anybody who is constantly losing, you should figure out why. In the event that you don’t, 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’s extremely important that you track each and every wager, including simply how much you bet, how much you won or lost and your resulting balance. Be mindful in deciding how much you’re going bet. Should 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 to be able to make up for losses.

By crazy bets, I mean the following-exotics including parlays, futures, mixed parlays and various props. Should the odds are long, then you should keep away from them. Focus on making single wagers on specific games in one sport. Moneyline, point spread and over/under wagers are sensible and winnable. You will not make a killing on anyone of these wagers, but when gambling on sports, they are your best soccer [his comment is here] 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’re looking to have a few laughs and drop some money on a game or two, then do so. Have a ball. You might win a few bucks and then lose a couple of or lose even more. But do not expect to earn consistent cash through your efforts. To be able to do that, it is important to be a true student of the game and an astute businessman, managing your money, making sensible decisions and keeping your emotions in check.