1. #1
    subs
    subs's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 04-30-10
    Posts: 1,412
    Betpoints: 969

    are futures better for noobs?

    if we accept that the vast majority of players are losers (making -EV plays) shouldn't the best advice for a noob/loser be to play futures combined with extensive line shopping? i mean you tie up a big part of your role (so you can't lose it) and you get to be happy when the fav wins.

    i mean it is pretty easy to win some cash here (or not to lose too much if you had to hedge late in the season). am i wrong? ok not too much cash here but better than losing.

    any1 tell me what i am missing here and if it is good advice or not? obviously this is not going to work for the gotta have action type junkie but they are screwed anyway.

    i'm just asking this because many people have been asking me to take their money and invest it - i keep refusing because i try to explain that i am a square who is just learning. but it would be easy to give advice about futures for friends.

    any advice about this or about managing for others is appreciated - thanks.

  2. #2
    jds07v
    jds07v's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 10-19-09
    Posts: 1,335
    Betpoints: 388

    I manage for my brother. Play the same plays I do, just for less money. I am ok at this, but I am by no means a mathematical expert. I flat bet, because I honestly do not like changing my stake, I have done it before on "stronger plays" when I did not accurately calculate my edge. I think a game is a game, and for any recreational or new bettor, that seems the way to go. It minimized volatility which is a good thing because we all go through cold and hot streaks.

    I think its best for new bettors to find a niche. I have not been good at NBA or NFL, but am doing very well prop betting. I know the college sports inside and out, and that is where I make my money when baseball season is over. If you don't know it, don't bet it.

  3. #3
    trixtrix
    trixtrix's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 04-13-06
    Posts: 1,897

    best advice for -ev players are to not bet

  4. #4
    subs
    subs's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 04-30-10
    Posts: 1,412
    Betpoints: 969

    Quote Originally Posted by trixtrix View Post
    best advice for -ev players are to not bet
    they are not gamblers - just folk who need the money. prolly never bet on anything except a sweep stake at work.

    thanks jds07v - good luck buddy.

  5. #5
    Flight
    Update your status
    Flight's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 01-27-09
    Posts: 1,979

    Sports betting futures generally have larger vigorish than standard bets and therefore worse -EV.

    In sports, you are investing in a -4.5% market.

    I recommend stock market investing right now. An average investor will make +5%. Some investors will see returns above 10%.

    My advice: invest their money in any balanced market fund, wait 12 months, cash out, and tell your friends you were betting sports the entire time. You will look both sexy and smart.

  6. #6
    Flight
    Update your status
    Flight's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 01-27-09
    Posts: 1,979

    Quote Originally Posted by subs View Post
    they are not gamblers - just folk who need the money.
    If they need money, gambling is the last thing they should do. Not trying to be pessimistic, just trying to give you realistic expectations. If you gamble, you should expect to lose your money.

  7. #7
    subs
    subs's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 04-30-10
    Posts: 1,412
    Betpoints: 969

    Quote Originally Posted by Flight View Post
    My advice: invest their money in any balanced market fund, wait 12 months, cash out, and tell your friends you were betting sports the entire time. You will look both sexy and smart.


    I recommend stock market investing right now. An average investor will make +5%. Some investors will see returns above 10%
    ok listen closely, i am about to give valuable info.


    banks in Australia are paying 6.25% (paid monthly) on an on-line saver with no strings, no minimum amount and access anytime with no penalties.
    if you can get 1 then get an HSBC premier account. then open an AUD account and get free currency exchange to AUD (at the spot rate!). then phone an australian bank and they will give you an account. + they are some of the safest banks in the world cos they are very well regulated. if all you are getting is 5% - 10% with risk, you are in the wrong place. especially as the fed is gonna print more money soon.

    but yea, thanks for this advice about expecting to lose. apart from sign up bonuses (for which they think i am sexy and smart already and are now buying nice christmas presents for their kids) i have decided only to explain the basics of futures betting, as i understand them, and leave everything to them. it is too easy to break up good friendships.

    BOL every1
    Last edited by subs; 11-17-10 at 07:08 PM.

  8. #8
    goucla
    goucla's Avatar SBR PRO
    Join Date: 09-11-10
    Posts: 1,262
    Betpoints: 618

    lol vwry funny

  9. #9
    goucla
    goucla's Avatar SBR PRO
    Join Date: 09-11-10
    Posts: 1,262
    Betpoints: 618

    i would say start with dogs

  10. #10
    OMGRandyJackson
    OMGRandyJackson's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 02-07-10
    Posts: 1,680
    Betpoints: 4054

    Did i read this wrong? Banks in AUS are offering 6.something% interest per month to bank account holders? wtf?

  11. #11
    subs
    subs's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 04-30-10
    Posts: 1,412
    Betpoints: 969

    ^^^ no per year but it is calculated and paid monthly. what's the rate in the US now?

    the trick is not lose too much on the exchange but IMO the $ is going down again so it may be worth the exchange. HSBC premier gives you free exchange because you can open an account in USD and AUD and transfer between the 2. just trying to say forget the stock market for 5%.

  12. #12
    Wrecktangle
    Wrecktangle's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 03-01-09
    Posts: 1,524
    Betpoints: 3209

    Quote Originally Posted by subs View Post


    ok listen closely, i am about to give valuable info.


    banks in Australia are paying 6.25% (paid monthly) on an on-line saver with no strings, no minimum amount and access anytime with no penalties.
    if you can get 1 then get an HSBC premier account. then open an AUD account and get free currency exchange to AUD (at the spot rate!). then phone an australian bank and they will give you an account. + they are some of the safest banks in the world cos they are very well regulated. if all you are getting is 5% - 10% with risk, you are in the wrong place. especially as the fed is gonna print more money soon.

    but yea, thanks for this advice about expecting to lose. apart from sign up bonuses (for which they think i am sexy and smart already and are now buying nice christmas presents for their kids) i have decided only to explain the basics of futures betting, as i understand them, and leave everything to them. it is too easy to break up good friendships.

    BOL every1
    Right.

    Now you are into exchange rates, in a currency and economy you do not understand (Aussie). Most of these guys don't understand what is happening with their own currency, much less the what's happening in Kanga-land.

  13. #13
    subs
    subs's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 04-30-10
    Posts: 1,412
    Betpoints: 969

    i live in kanga land - lol

    the economy here is kicking ass. Australia lives and dies on mining and china is spending much of the $ it takes from the states here. it is really buying up all the natural resources with the failing US$ before it is worth less and less.

    just my take.

    really smart and funny vid about the fed.


  14. #14
    subs
    subs's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 04-30-10
    Posts: 1,412
    Betpoints: 969

    i moved to kanga land about a year ago. probably the best choice i ever made.

    the economy here is kicking. oz lives on natural resources and mining and china is using all its USD buying up all the resources it can slowly but steadily. billions and billions of your USD is flowing here. while over there you print money and devalue your currency further.

    this a fantastic vid very funny


  15. #15
    Wrecktangle
    Wrecktangle's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 03-01-09
    Posts: 1,524
    Betpoints: 3209

    Subs, one post of the vid is enough for most of us here in the Tank.

    Great vid, tho.

  16. #16
    Wrecktangle
    Wrecktangle's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 03-01-09
    Posts: 1,524
    Betpoints: 3209

    One other point. When I was in Europe, I did a fair amount of currently trading because of the way I was paid (paid in US Dollars, while stationed in Europe). At first it was a massive pain since I seemed to get screwed in virtually every swing of the dollar, but once I started to chart currency moves and trending them, I managed to walk away with another $100,000+ in profit from playing both markets. But my point is, I had to become very involved in economic trends in both the US and The German economy (we had the German D-Mark, then the dominant currency at the time; the Euro is a different animal these days).

    Admittedly these guys in the Tank are smarter than the average punter, certainly considering the sheep we have here at SBR, but they will not be able to do this unless they start reading Kanga Newspapers every day and trying to learn the currency market.

  17. #17
    JustinBieber
    JustinBieber's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 05-16-10
    Posts: 324
    Betpoints: 149

    If you can beat Forex then why are you wasting your time with sports betting?

  18. #18
    subs
    subs's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 04-30-10
    Posts: 1,412
    Betpoints: 969

    sorry bout the double post thing.

    day trading Forex is tough but long term buying or selling i been doing ok. if your going to sit on it for a while then i think its probably safe to sell a currency that is being printed and probably mismanaged. anyway probably time to get this stuff out of the tank.

  19. #19
    Pokerjoe
    Pokerjoe's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 04-17-09
    Posts: 704
    Betpoints: 307

    The vid is not good. QE is exactly what the US should be doing right now, only even more so that we have been. The idea that it's for banana republics is ignorant. Our debt is denominated in our own currency. That means we have the power. It's like playing poker with a wild card. That's a great, great advantage. We just need to have the balls to play it. We can snap our fingers and have our national deficit erased, all the while strenthening the dollar for exports and job creations. The losers? People invested, not in the economy, but in Treasuries. The winners? Everyone unemployed. The breakevens? Everyone invested in stocks, real estate, etc. Don't complain about QE; buy gold, sit tight, be happy.

    As to OP: yes, futures bets are great for rec players. Perfect, in fact. They can get a season of rooting interest at very little cost. To those who point out the large vig of futures bets, understand that, without the weekly churn, the wagers are actually excellent. Including the fun of gambling as having value, the wagers can be +EV. To say otherwise is to say that all entertainment expenditures are -EV.

  20. #20
    JOHON8
    gambling fallacy
    JOHON8's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 01-28-10
    Posts: 7,712
    Betpoints: 338

    Take a team youfind value in, bet on them then hedge the hell out of them to make it impossible for you to lose anything if that team does well.

    Otherwise if you are -ev, just stick to other ways of making money, we know you like the thrill of betting on sports, but think about realistically making money.

  21. #21
    subs
    subs's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 04-30-10
    Posts: 1,412
    Betpoints: 969

    Hi Pokerjoe - i think that you are right about some things. the US needs to devalue and start actually making things that it can sell. the days of just collecting tribute from around the empire for its corporations and hoping for some trickle down are winding down.

    Printing money is fine but the people of the US should not be paying the fed for money (which is mostly a giant ponzi scheme). created on a computer this money does not exist but is paid for in full by US citizens + interest. the private fed bank should be abolished and the control of money should not be for profit.

    the corruption of wasting money to goldman sachs etc. and how both sides of the political scene do not mind perpetuating this for decades. in recent history only JFK spoke out against this.

    "If the American people knew tonight, exactly how the monetary and banking system worked, there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning."
    - Abraham Lincoln

    Kennedy apparently reasoned that by returning to the Constitution, which states that only Congress shall coin and regulate money, the soaring national debt could be reduced by not paying interest to the bankers of the Federal Reserve System, who print paper money then loan it to the government at interest. a bigger scam has never been perpetrated.

  22. #22
    subs
    subs's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 04-30-10
    Posts: 1,412
    Betpoints: 969

    JOHN8 - i can go to almost any league and pick the top 4 teams line shop for the best prices. and be looking at 15 -30%. then if i absolutely have to i will hedge out for break even-ish (never had to yet). good strategy for noobs and can get it all done in an afternoon.

    what am i missing here? must be something.

  23. #23
    Prof Bungletree
    Prof Bungletree's Avatar Become A Pro!
    Join Date: 11-19-10
    Posts: 57
    Betpoints: 4128

    I think they may be a decent idea for new players for a slightly different reason. Of all the people I know who have lost considerable money at this (including myself at one point) it was less about -EV plays, and more about chasing, star systems, and other bizarre and painful money management techniques.

    Having money locked up in a long term play gives you something to watch, without being sucked into being an action junkie at the outset. The Forex / Day Trading v. Standard Stock Investing analogy is apt, though frankly following a team for a season for one wager isn't as much fun!

Top