A Jack of All Trades or a Master of One?

Robert K - January 26th, 2008 .

Is it possible to win at every sport you bet?

Are you better off specializing in one sport and devoting 100% of your energy to beating the market in your specialty? Or, are there “big picture” strategies that can be applied profitably across a wide spectrum of sports?

How a gambler answers these questions can have a big effect on his financial bottom line. If he spreads himself too thin, he’s throwing money away that could have been put to better use. If he’s not betting edges that exist, he’s leaving money on the table.

There is no doubt that the two distinct approaches both have their own advantages. In depth knowledge and information about a sport or league is a good way to exploit even a highly efficient market for an individual handicapper. However if you truly have an edge, could or should you be able to transfer your skills to other markets?

How do you find what’s right for you?

*Chart your results. You might be surprised how many winning sports gamblers keep very comprehensive records of every bet they make. They know when and where they made it. They know why. And, they know how it turned out. That makes it very easy to chart your record in each sport that you bet, and on the kinds of propositions you like to play. You could very well find a “specialty” that you didn’t know existed because you weren’t playing close enough attention (over/unders, underdogs, in-game propositions). You’ll also find areas of weakness you didn’t realize existed too.

*Think about the handicapping strategies you employ. Are they “general” strategies that focus on strengths and weaknesses which could apply to all sports? Maybe you have a preference for teams that play great defence. Maybe you like betting against the public because “the public is usually wrong.” Those approaches can work in any sport. On the other hand, if your expertise is more isolated in terms of individual player matchups, or schedule sequences, they may not carry over very well. For example, “fatigue” edges that show up in sports that play multiple games per week don’t exist in sports that only play one game per week. Having a knack for recognizing when teams get tired won’t serve you in sports where they don’t!

*Think about your personal time constraints. If betting is just a part time hobby for you, then you have no business trying to spread yourself thin in a variety of sports. Focus on what you know best and try to make the most of it. If you’re hoping to make this a full time career, you may HAVE to win consistently in a variety of sports to find success.

Frankly, there’s no single right answer.

Some gamblers are well suited to attacking a variety of sports because of the nature of their handicapping. Others may have spent much of their lives following one particular sport very closely. They’re better served trying to make the most out of this one sport when it’s in season.

You don’t want to throw money away you could be keeping. You don’t want to leave money on the table either. Frankly, most wagerers are doing BOTH because they haven’t thought about today’s topic very clearly. They’re making bad bets in sports they shouldn’t be betting, and they’re passing opportunities in their best sports that shouldn’t have been missed!

Fix those leaks in your game and you’ll notice increased profits very quickly.

 

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