You might already know someone bragging that they picked 9 out of ten NFL games last week or managed to take a three-way parlay to the bank or engineered wins in both the daily double and trifecta at the track. Wow, what a good day that gambler had! Quite simply, ask them how they did the rest of the year.

The very fact is that anyone can hit on a bet every once in a while, but in sports betting, where the top pros are right 60 to 65% of the time, it takes more than one day of luck to turn a true profit. Sports betting might not be a science, quality online football casino but it’s a discipline and it does involve research, analysis and skill. If you want to be a successful sports bettor, here are five tips that can start you and keep you on the right track.

Successful handicappers are experts in 1 or 2 sports. To begin with, do not bet soccer or the horses in the event that you don’t follow soccer or the horses. You need to know the guidelines, strategies, players, coaches, trainers, venues and even more of the sport on which you’re going to wager. That implies reading previews, keeping abreast of daily developments and engaging in detailed analysis. You should often be open to learning something new and taking your understanding to another level. Become an expert and then a guru.

If you really want to make money on a weekly basis, then you have to treat sports betting like it’s a business. Why? Because it is a business. Sports betting isn’t about hunches, it’s about weighing evidence, which includes stats, injuries, depth analysis and much more. Keep files on teams, your wagers, your successes and failures and analyze your performance. For anybody who is constantly losing, you have to figure out why. In the event that you don’t, you run the risk of going broke, going nuts or going to jail. Sports betting is a business and should be treated as such.

It is exceedingly crucial that you track almost every wager, including simply how much you bet, just how much you won or lost and also your resulting balance. Be cautious in deciding simply how much you are going bet. Should you have a $500 bankroll and you are making $50 wagers, that grubstake will be eaten up quickly. Make small wagers and if you win, then loosen up the bankroll a bit. But don’t go overboard and don’t start making desperation wagers as a way to make up for losses.

By crazy bets, I mean the following-exotics including parlays, futures, mixed parlays and various props. If the odds are long, then you should steer clear from them. Focus on making single wagers on specific games in one sport. Moneyline, point spread and over/under wagers are all sensible and winnable. You won’t make a killing on anyone of these wagers, but when gambling on sports, they may be your very best bet. If you make some solid cash then designate 5 to 10% of your winnings (not your bankroll) for long shot wagers.

Say this as if it were a prayer, it could save your gambling life. Never bet whenever you are desperate, drunk, high on drugs, depressed, tired, angry, stressed or under-informed. Never do that. Never.

If as a sports bettor you are looking to have a few laughs and drop some money on a game or two, then do so. Have a ball. You can win a number of bucks and after that lose a couple of or lose much more. But don’t expect to earn consistent cash through your efforts. In order to do that, you will need to be a true student of the game and an astute businessman, managing your hard earned money, making sensible decisions and keeping your emotions in check.