One of the biggest killers of casual sportsbettors is "instant gratification". The casual player is only willing to look about 3 hours into the future, about as long as it takes to play a football game. The pro is able to look 3 years or more into the future, which is one of the major differences between a winner and a loser in this game.

The pro makes a wager, particularly in baseball, with the assumption that if he makes the very same wager several times over his career, he'll grind out a profit. The player seeking instant returns makes his wager with the only thing on his mind being whether or not he'll be a winner for that particular day.

The pro has no problem backing a +150 baseball dog if his numbers tell him to do so, as he's confident enough in his numbers to feel he'll hit that game over 40% of the time, which he needs to show a profit.

Instant gratification is why most players bet so many favorites.They're letting the price of the game dictate their actions.Their thinking is hell, the Yanks are -180 today, they've got a helluva chance to win, and more importantly, I've got a helluva chance to come out ahead today.

One common trait of the casual player is to always wager on an odd number of games. Why? Simple. If they play 5 games,they only have to win 3 to show a profit if they play the same amount on each game(football and hoops). You can see how ridiculous this is when you take into consideration thousands of wagers over a sportsbetting career, however it's just another example of instant gratification, or living for today.

This article is not meant to insult, rather to open some eyes with some very basic points. There's nothing written in stone that says a casual, recreational sportsbettor isn't allowed to play like a pro. It's not written anywhere that a casual player isn't allowed to win over the long haul, adding to the enjoyment of his hobby.

Lastly,don't let the size of your wagers influence your thinking. The size of ones wagers doesn't indicate the intelligence of ones wagers.I've met plenty of players who wager 5 dimes a game or more during football season, and have the smarts of my door knob. Likewise,I've met plenty of players who wager $100 or less and are consistent winners.