It’s easy for any newcomer to online sports betting to feel overwhelmed. Yes, betting on sports online does come with a steep learning curve, after all, it’s a large market that includes an assortment of amateur and professional leagues or sports organizations from around the world. This can be enough to intimidate anyone interest in placing their first bet. All hope is not lost though, if you’re just dipping your toes into the water, there are a few tips to get you prepared for the world of online sports betting.
Start with Simple Bets
It can be tempting to be willing to jump right in and try your luck with more complex wagers, but you’ll learn the basics better by sticking with simple bets. Keep your focus on outcomes for games and teams your familiar with so you have a better idea of what to wager and which teams/games to pick. Then place a few bets to get a better feel for the process involved with the platform or booking site you’re using.
Bet What You Know
Some who place bets on sports are gamblers first and sports fans second. While there’s nothing wrong this approach to betting, it’s less stressful for most newcomers to build on their knowledge of a particular sport. If you’ve followed college football for many years, for example, place bets on college football games before expanding to professional leagues.
Set and Follow a Budget
Sure, it’s wonderful to think about what your return on investment could be with sports betting, however, there will be times when outcomes aren’t in your favor. So, before you start betting, know how much you can afford to lose. Some experts on this topic suggest betting no more than five percent of your entire gambling budget on a single game, others recommend not exceeding ten percent. The 5-10 percent “rule” can be a good guideline to follow if you’re just getting started. As for your overall budget, commit to sticking to it to avoid unintended financial issues, and nobody wants to try and budget when you’re broke.
Bet with Your Mind, Not Your Heart
If you’re a diehard sports fan, it’s safe to assume you’ve got some favorite teams you root for no matter what the odds-makers are saying, but with online sports betting, you actually want to pay attention to things like odds and other stats that come into play when considering the likelihood of your team beating their designated opponent. It may be difficult to get into the habit of ignoring your allegiance to certain teams, but you’ll better off if you do so, at least for sports betting purposes.
Give yourself time to learn more about the various entertaining betting options available. It’s perfectly fine to start small with options you feel most comfortable with before diving deeper into other types of wagers. Once you get used to the ebb and flow of online sports betting, you should reach a point where you develop more confidence. It can also be helpful to check out sports betting message boards and forums to get some more specific tips from those a little more seasoned.