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After being a local bookmaker for 20 years, then spending more than 20 in the sports handicapping business, I am going to tell you what I believe is the biggest advantage bookmakers have over the general public.
It certainly is not the $110 to $100 advantage that books get laid on the money. When you consider the book has to make a good line on over 150 games a week, and the player gets to bet the two or three games where he may have made a mistake.
Also many times the public knows of an undisclosed injury before the books do. And when they do move a line a point or so they risk being sided or middlle’ed on the number.
Any player willing to do some homework, should be able to hit over the 52.8 percent necessary to show a profit.
The really huge advantage that books have over the general public is simply this. Most sports bettors are willing to lose much more than they are willing to win!
In my bookmaking days, I can’t tell you how many nickel players would have me stuck two or three thousand going into a Monday Night game. On Monday Night, I might not get a call from them at all, as they locked up a nice profit for the week, this guy was never going to beat me out of any serious money.
However, the next week, if I happened to get him down $3000, he would be willing to bet the whole $3000 or even more trying to get even. He was not scared to lose, he was just scared to win.
I had no fear at all for that kind of player, I knew in the end he could never hurt me. The player I feared was the guy who would bet $500, hit a winning streak and then bet it all! That’s a player that could make a big dent in my bankroll.
Be the toughest player you can be – I know you don’t feel like you are one of those guys, but my years of experience tells me you probably are.
Either develop a percentage of bankroll money management system and stick with it if you are winning or losing. Or at least be willing to make as big a bet when you are ahead as when you get stuck!
