Tips for the new sports bettor

[Performify]

I get asked this question by PM quite a bit, and thought that it wouldn't hurt to start a new thread on it, see if we can get some of the various veterans to pitch in and comment.

here are my quick thoughts from my latest PM answer. Post your own tips, or post your own questions even, and I'll pull this stuff together for inclusion in the FAQ.

Thanks in advance...

-P

two most important tips for getting started would be 1) buy Sharp Sports Betting 2) Read the forum's FAQ and all linked threads, if you haven't already.

Don't hesitate to ask questions. Especially if they're not clearly answered in the FAQ. But even if they are covered in the FAQ, you're not going to get your hand slapped, just your thread locked. Better to ask than sit in silence.

Betting even only $1-$2 a game will still give you a good introduction to sports betting and good feedback on your picks. And shouldn't break your heart if you lose $20 - $30 over a sports season. Even betting the $1 a game is the better way to go than just trying to track free picks, as it gives you an accurate record. People that don't keep acurate records often delude themselves to thinking that they're better than they are... and just that simple mechanism of betting $1 will make you appreciate the value of lineshopping, line moves, etc etc.

Don't try to bet too many games at once. Depending on the sport(s) you're handicapping, just pick a couple games a week / day and go with them. For example, a lot of people roll in to the NFL and then pick 6-8 games + totals. That's too many for someone just getting started. Concentrate on finding one, maybe two games a weekend in the NFL. Maybe 2-3 if you're in College Football, etc.

Post your picks publicly, and post a writeup on WHY you're picking that game. Discuss the merits of your picks, and other people's picks. You'll gain a lot more from this discussion process than you will from just making your picks and posting your record for the sake of "credibility".

Be better informed than Joe Public. Live, eat, breathe your sport. I believe I have a big edge in MMA because I'm a walking MMA encyclopedia and I stay current on all the news. its not just because I can break down a fight but its also because when I see a guy come in, I've seen all of his previous fights, likely multiple times, I know who he is, who he trains with, what he thinks, everything i can know about him. If you're going to handicap the NFL, or any other sport, you should be all over it the same way.

Keep your units small. if you have $100 to wager, bet $1 per game. Don't go to $2 a game until you have $200. Most people deposit $200 and wager $25 or $50 a game and go busto in a couple weeks. Start small, be smart, don't go broke. We're talking about small edges in sports betting, so you need a much better bankroll than a lot of other gambling games.

Start by creating your own lines every week before you check the next weeks' lines. i.e. in football every Sunday after the 4:00 games sit down with a blank NFL schedule for the following week and come up with what you think the spread should be for every game. Then the following week see how well you did. As you keep adjusting, this will provide you good feedback and will eventually help you identify lines that are out of whack.

Lineshopping is critical. If you only have a $100 bankroll you really can't afford to shop much, so you're going to have to pick a great book, but you could split your money across two top books to let you shop some. Mansion is nice if you're playing NFL teasers. Check the book recomendation thread in the FAQ, its probably going to be pinnacle as i think they let you bet $1 a game. Be sure and check on that too, obviously.