Imagine playing 1 on 1 against an NBA player with one hand tied behind your back. Or maybe hitting against an MLB pitcher, but using only 1 eye. Could you make an open field tackle against an NFL tailback while hopping on one leg? 99.9% of people on this earth couldn't do any of those just like 99.9% of people cannot beat the books.

Sports betting is similar in that you're not only challenging professionals who earn their living by being the best cappers, but also agreeing to spot them a huge advantage. So how would one accomplish any of the above? Top 5:

1) Talent. Be a math and statistics savant. This takes raw brainpower that most will never have (like running a 4.4 40 that most of us will also never do), but is the domain of the pro capper. Only hamburgers like us bet based on inherently flawed human emotion.

2) Practice. 10,000 hours minimum. Focused, purpose driven practice.

3) Creativity. Being good at math and practicing a lot is useless if you can't find new ways to develop an edge over the books. Books will shut down edges as fast as they discover them, so beating them requires constant adaptation.

4) Tolerance for risk and inevitable variance. The best poker pros go through swings that would drive most of us to blow our brains out. How cool are you going to be after months of losing +EV bets?

5) Money Management. We all know that one.