HOW, Exactly, Did YOU Become a Sports Bettor?

[ritehook]

Watching this boring Pitt/Jax game - no bet on it, I'm 3-0 for NFL Sunday, that's it for me.

But after reading Nicky's and JJ's post about their gambling agony, watching games, relationships, the whole addiction thing .......... most bettors are not addicted like that, but it's interesting.

(You guys prob don't read lit, but if you can get a copy of the great writer Dostoyefsky's short story, "The Gambler." You'll see yourelves in the story.

(The guy he writes about - it was himself, in fact - was an addicted casino gambler, but it's all basically the same. Best story by far on the agony of the gambler, his broken family and romantic relationships, etc. If Dostoyefsky was alive today he'd be posting here, and exchanging PMs with JJ and friends,.)

I was wondering: HOW exactly did YOU get into sports (or horse) betting? Interested in it enough to post about it on forums?

Introduced to it by a friend? Found it accidentally thru a fun trip to Vegas? A bookie at the neighborhood bar? Said one day to yourself, 'Damn, I really know this game, I have to find a bookie and make some money?' Started as a small hobby in high school and it became major later on?

Tell us your story. [Um, true story - you can't outdo Dostoyefsky!]

[BeatTheJerk]

"

[flyingillini]

As a little kid growing up I went to Superbowl parties and my dad always would be betting on the squares......My dad has season tickets for the St. Louis Cardinals and I grew up going to about 30 games per year and he would always have money on the games..... I kind of just picked it up from him....

[jtuck]

Saw on sportscenter that LSU was only favored by 3.5 in last year's NCAA title game and BetUS had been sending me mailers for a few months, I put two and two together and thought that it was pretty cool to double a paycheck on one game so i decided to keep trying

[SlickFazzer]

I remember reading an article in SPORT magazine about point spreads and what they are. I think I was about 13 at the time. The "line" has intrigued me ever since.

[accuscoresucks]

i always liked math guess its that simple

---benefits---
-you are your own boss
-sky is the limit
-where else you going to get a 7% return on your money overnight[-vs- stock market,cd's,something illegal]

[ritehook]

My introduction to sports (horse) betting was a little out of the ordinary, not via the usual stuff.

I had worked as a teen during the summer helping a contracter relative paint houses, and thought, Damn, i don't wnt to do this sh1t the rest of my life.

So i read this article in one of the men's magazaines of the time about how to win money betting on horse racing.

Always like solving puzzles, so said, damn, tht's for me!

That started me off. I once posted my experience of my first day at the track at age 16 or so, so won't repeat it.

Of course, it wasn't quite as easy as the guy wrote about,making money betting horses LOL.

But it was challenging, And when I found sports betting it was even more challeging, and less an insider's game. And often, with discipline, profitable some years.

Curiously, some years after I read the article on winning money betting on horse racing, I did for a while write the same kind of articles for men's and gamblling magazine. Dod a couple also for the old Gambling Times magazine - anyone remember that one?

[Bread]

It was cold outside and I really needed the money...

[ritehook]

I remember reading an article in SPORT magazine about point spreads and what they are. I think I was about 13 at the time. The "line" has intrigued me ever since.

Basically my introduction, tho with horses.

[mmike032]

Seen the UGA/ SC spread a few weeks ago and decided I could make some money.
well, that turned out to be a push
put a few more wagers that weekend and won a few.
havent stopped yet and I have come to the conclusion I suck at NFL wagers. Evrything i win Saturday i lose on Sunday
this week being no exception

[ritehook]

Interesting stuff, guys

Anyone else?

[gm2022]

Did my parents office pools for NFL, NCAA Baksetball Tourney. Got into poker than introduced into sports betting online, everything else went from there!

[accuscoresucks]

i started as a poker pro but that my freinds is way to many hours of my time..lol and more stressfull to boot

so one day at binnions i was introduced to it by those hockey guys i always knew it was around but never realized how much less work for the same $

i have found heaven with sports investing
can i get legally married to it?? where is the pr-nump??

[Justin7]

I had never gambled in my life until 7 years ago. A classmate of mine from law-school tells me that he makes money counting cards, playing Blackjack. My natural response was "Bullshit". Every educated person knows that all gamblers lose eventually. But he persisted... So I decided I'd prove to him the ridiculousness of his claims. I wrote a blackjack similator - it could (and still does) play over 1 million hands a second. Put in any betting or counting strategy you want, you'll lose. Well, until I tested it. I was like "Holy shit! This counting stuff really works?!?" So I learned to count cards.

About a year later, I was talking to a friend of mine. He had a PhD in statistics from Notre Dame, and he was ripping on me for "wasting my time" on Blackjack. He was convinced that you could beat sports betting with math and statistics. Every educated person knows that you can't beat the books, but I humored him. I looked at his numbers and equations. I tried to poke holes in it, challenge his data, assumptions and results. When all was said and done, I was like "Holy shit!" You really could make money that way. We attacked NFL using Sagarin ratings. We doubled our money in 3 months. Bored with no more NFL, I tried to use math to beat Arena football. Back in 2002, you could hit over 55% betting every dog... we crushed Arena, and I never looked back.

[accuscoresucks]

j7
lol arena football

i love that sport

[onthewhat]

justin7 is the only guy on sbr im jealous of

he is the sharpest guy ive ever seen on a forum

[pavyracer]

I needed something to sharpen my mind. I can design a skyscraper in a few weeks but nothing beats taking the books to the cleaners by making calculated sportbets in various sports. I like learning from the best cappers and I use the knowledge I gain to make even more money.

[ritehook]

. . . . and I never looked back.

Interesting.

Lots of varied responses, as I'd expected.

It takes a certain mindset to get into it in more than a casual way.

Indepedence of mind a sine qua non, in amost all cases. Enjoy the challenge of seeking answers. Not accepting of conventional wisdom.

I was a little surprised in the recent poll here on bail out ran over 2-1 against it in any form, But I guess I shouldn't have been.

[TheLock]

I got into Sportsbetting while I was staying at Mandalay Bay back in 2001.

I stumbled upon the book there and made a real small wager.

I was so fvcking pumped that you could make a bet on a baseball game that I couldn't sleep that night.

I won the bet.

[ritehook]

I got into Sportsbetting while I was staying at Mandalay Bay back in 2001.

I stumbled upon the book there and made a real small wager.

I was so fvcking pumped that you could make a bet on a baseball game that I couldn't sleep that night.

I won the bet.

I have a feeling that casual, fun visits to Vegas have created more than a few sports bettors. It's why Vegas will cash tickets by mail - but your game in future, go home, and mail in winning ticket. Nice rush.,

[ChuteBoxe]

In my industry it's odd if you don't gamble. So, sitting at lunch, bullsh*tting with the degenerates day after day, and being a huge sports fan already since I was a little kid, I got sucked in to making a wager. Started out with locals, then started my online career with BoS.

[daggerkobe]

Saw an ad for an online book in the newspaper and decided to give it a shot. My first bet was on the Super Bowl which won and was hooked. Have no recollection of the name of the book or how I got my money.... this was like 1997.

[ryanXL977]

bored out of my mind working from home so need a way to lose all the money back i earn

plus the gf is a stewardess and gone all the time

[jtuck]

I got into Sportsbetting while I was staying at Mandalay Bay back in 2001.

I stumbled upon the book there and made a real small wager.

I was so fvcking pumped that you could make a bet on a baseball game that I couldn't sleep that night.

I won the bet.

This brings up another question, how many people here lost their first bet but stayed at it? Personally i think that if i would have lost i would have gone back to just playing poker.

[Tsoprano]

Would go home and cant wait for the NBA games to start as I loved sports. I was mostly right about who would win each game. I started to bet a couple kids at school, but got frustrated because all they ever wanted to risk was $20, or $30. Than my dad gave me my own credit line locally, we always kept it a secret from my Mom. But I was earning great for a kid, making more than the teachers. Would go to school and think so lowly of it (always hated school). As they're teaching me who was a president and when, im thinking if the bulls will cover the spread or what the lines will be that night.

Won my first 4 bets (all NBA)

[ritehook]

What's interesting to me is that two candidates from president have admitted to smoking weed. (Clinton and Obama - and Bush "couldn't remmeber" if he ever used cocaine in his youth.)

This activity is illegal in all 50 states.

I wonder if any presidential candicate ever admitted to - or did - make a sports bet. It is at least legal in one state.

Strange that these guys feel safe in acknowleging that they smoked grass but not that they ever laid down a bet on the Razorbacks or Bears.

Conclusion is that using an illegal narcotic is more socially acceptible than betting a game, even tho it's legal in one of our states (two if you count Oregon).

[ryanXL977]

i used to run a lil $5 pool in high school. then i got caught and got out of school suspension for 3 days. parents didnt even care.

during said suspension i played basketball and super nintendo

not a bad deal

street fighter 2 rules

[ritehook]

In my industry it's odd if you don't gamble. So, sitting at lunch, bullsh*tting with the degenerates day after day, and being a huge sports fan already since I was a little kid, I got sucked in to making a wager. Started out with locals, then started my online career with BoS.

And if you're stil here after getting speared by BoS (as did I, but only for a nickel) you show your dedication/determination.

[Tsoprano]

I was in trouble for so many things, but the teachers knew I was smart, just wanted to learn my own things on my own turf (and not gambling).

[jjgold]

I grew up in it and was betting with a book by about 12 years old betting 2x, sports bettors are idolized in Newark especially the big players. I mean the big timers to this day are stopped in the street and asked for plays and people shake hands with them, I was one of them years ago and the feeling was unreal. Can you imagine regular people in the street coming up to you and shaking your hand after a big win? So many times way back I walked into a night club and people all turned their heads and said "there he is" meaning a big time bettor and people always bugging me for my plays and asking how much I had on games. The more you bet back then and today the more respect and attention you get/got. I want to get back their someday, now I am down and out though and no one wants to touch me and think I am a junkie because i bet small.

[ritehook]

Saw an ad for an online book in the newspaper and decided to give it a shot. My first bet was on the Super Bowl which won and was hooked. Have no recollection of the name of the book or how I got my money.... this was like 1997.

1997 - that was still more or less Wild West in the offshore books.

If your first bet was with English Sports Betting (crooked brothers operating out of Pittsburgh) you likely would not have gotten paid

[Brady2Moss]

I started by playing SportsAction (still do)

[flyingillini]

I grew up in it and was betting with a book by about 12 years old betting 2x, sports bettors are idolized in Newark especially the big players. I mean the big timers to this day are stopped in the street and asked for plays and people shake hands with them, I was one of them years ago and the feeling was unreal. Can you imagine regular people in the street coming up to you and shaking your hand after a big win? So many times way back I walked into a night club and people all turned their heads and said "there he is" meaning a big time bettor and people always bugging me for my plays and asking how much I had on games. The more you bet back then and today the more respect and attention you get/got. I want to get back their someday, now I am down and out though and no one wants to touch me and think I am a junkie because i bet small.

JJ... How many Mink coats did you own in your prime?

Over 3.5 -540
Under 3.5 + 460

[ritehook]

JJ, what bars and restauarants in Newark were the big bookie places? (Don't mention them if they're still in biz and still a bookie's hangout)

I know that at one time int he New York/New Jersey metro area a lot of local barbarshops were bookie places, phones operating in the back room. The books were mostly Mafia operations, and most barber shops back there were run by Italians, so it figures . . .

[Masu485]

When I was 18, I just wanted a lazy way to make money while in school. Started out doing Lottery once per week with a friend. Made no money.

So then I dove deeper into the government lotteries, and another friend showed me the shiity government parlay sports betting. I remember my best win was on a $3 6team parlay, winning me $700 and I was so pumped and ran around telling everyone. It's the most anyone I've known has ever made, which looking back, is very sad.

Since I hated getting up so early sometimes to travel to the store to do that, I started searching for some places online. Gamebookers was the first place (and at the time I thought the ONLY place). Couldn't place a deposit, because credit card didn't work, so gave up.

After like 2 years of waiting, Instadebit became available on a ton of sites. Found this site, led me to pinnacle, and made my first deposit using Instadebit. Paid for a capper's picks and turned $500 into 20k in less than two months, then lost it all...

Anyway, the point is that I never really had an interst in sports, and I still don't unless I have a play on them. I could care less who wins the AFC North or the World Series unless I have money on them. It's just an investment for me. And if there were a better way to make money online, I'd definitely stop sports betting to do that.