A new year signifies a fresh start for a lot of people. Some might have a resolution to lose a little weight, stop acting on their preferred vice, or just to be a better person in general. Not for me. Sure, I could stand to lose a few pounds and take a break from the liquor, but that’s not what I’m focused on this year. I choose something much more important than my health or the way I treat people – For my New Year’s resolutions, I’m going to focus on my bad sports gambling habits.
Let me be clear, I’m not going to stop sports betting – that would be ridiculous. I’m merely going to make smarter decisions when placing a wager. Though I could probably name about a million ways I could go about doing this, I will stick to the top three bad habits that are holding me back.
Stop Betting On The Goddamn Broncos
I admit it, I’m a complete homer. Okay, technically I’m not a true homer because I live in New York. But I am an unapologetic Denver fan. Like most out-of-state Broncos fans, we came to love the organization because of the back-to-back Super Bowls in the late ‘90s. Every week, I somehow talk myself into backing the Broncos. I head to DraftKings and see that juicy +500 moneyline against the Browns and I start to develop a Chubb myself. I need to realize the team that won Super Bowl 50 is long gone and that Drew Lock is anything but a true lock. One week he looks like John Elway and the next week, Brock Osweiler. It’s not a great feeling when your starting QB is as inconsistent week-to-week as your sex life. So what do I do about this conundrum? I think I will still bet on the Broncos but only on the spread or in the form of prop bets.
Stop Chasing Losses
When it comes to setting a gambling limit for myself, I have as much self-control as Josh Gordon when confronted with peer pressure. I just hate the feeling of being on a cold streak and seeing my bankroll negative at the end of the day. This usually results in me betting Saudi soccer at 3 AM in hopes to turn it around. This strategy never works out for the best. For one, I hate soccer. It’s the most frustrating sport to bet on, and it’s especially difficult to watch. It’s slow, boring, and the only thing worth watching is the ridiculous flopping.
Secondly, I am not sure I even understand all the rules in soccer. Does that stop me? No. I will still be lying there in bed with my dumbass face illuminated by the glow of my iPhone, live betting my bankroll into the ground. Just pathetic. But not anymore! New Year, new me. No more chasing losses and definitely no more betting on obscure sporting events in the middle of the night.
Stop Spreading Myself So Thin
I don’t think I am alone on this one. I tend to have way too many bets out there at once. This usually happens when I have a fresh deposit and there is a huge slate in store. I’m like that fat little German kid from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. I will start with some safe moneyline bets, and the next thing I know I have 30 different bets pending. There are a couple of reasons why this needs to stop. One being that it’s probably not smart to take the initial line on every game. If I actually gave it some time, I might be able to find value as the week goes on. It’s also probably not a great idea because it’s just so damn hard to keep track of everything. I swear, some days I could use a flow chart just to keep track of all the spreads, parlays, and teasers I have running all at once.
2020 was a year to forget. But at least we have a chance to start fresh. We might not be able to control a lot of things in life but we can at least look back and laugh at our stupidity when it comes to sports betting. Now that you know what idiotic gambling habits I engaged in last year, why don’t you share yours?
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