Originally posted on 12/01/2019:

Seriously guys. I've been betting sports for 51 years. Some were good years, some were bad. I even quit for a few after losing enough that it threatened disrupting my real life. Then came the online sports books at the same time that I retired. The first few years were great. Some of those books were easy. You could make money on arbs and middles. I even found one book that allowed parlays on the 1st half and full time on the same game. But over time they all tightened up (blame Don Best), and now those good times are gone. I once read an article that said there were only 4 games in a casino that could be beaten.


  1. Blackjack - if you counted cards.
  2. Video Poker - if you played perfectly and took advantage of the perks.
  3. Poker - if you were good enough to consistently beat the other players.
  4. Sports Betting - ah, there it is.


They all share some common traits. They all take a lot of work and a lot of time. The casinos have made it much harder to do over time. The actual returns are relatively small and quite inconsistent (there's that variance again).

So, what do I do? Since I don't like interacting with other people, I only played Video Poker at casinos. Unfortunately my health situation will more than likely keep me from ever going to a casino again (the end is near). That leaves me with this computer in bed and sports betting.

My advice to all you young ones. Forget about beating it. Work hard and try to minimize your losses. Bet recreationally. Don't bet so much that it affects your real life. Make it a fun hobby. But balance that with other fun things. Enjoy life, it's wonderful. But it will pass more quickly than you think.