Traits of a Professional Gambler

For people who like to have a flutter regularly, the idea of becoming a professional gambler is a dream job. Let’s know the Traits of a Professional Gambler.

Popular culture has been permeated by betting for a living thanks to movies like Motorhead’s classic song Ace of Spades, 21, and the luxurious lifestyle of James Bond.

You should know that reality is quite different if you think that betting is the life for you.

Steps To Becoming a Professional Gambler

Before you are ready to bet for a living, it will take experience, patience, and time. There is no use in sugar-coating it. This is what means to be a professional gambler.

You must do the same with betting as you would work at a regular “proper” job. These are the Traits of a Professional Gambler.

1. Learn the ropes of gambling

It is a never-ending process as it involves learning.

There is always another horse race or a soccer match to watch. You need to become the scholars of the games or sports that you bet on. You will be able to see where value bets lie once you equip yourself with as much knowledge as possible.

2. Be prepared for total commitment

Commitment goes hand in hand with knowing as much as you can. This is the Traits of a Professional Gambler.

After all, this is professional gambling we’re talking about. If you are half-hearted at it you cannot be successful in it at all.

3. Learn to leave emotions out of it

There must be cold and hard logic in your betting decisions.

Make sure to follow your head and the knowledge that drives and not your heart because there is no room for sentiment in successful gambling.

At the poker table, keeping calm and not letting your emotions show is particularly important. Bluffing is all you require in the card game. To make successful poker plays you have to give nothing away, hence, make sure you have control over your emotions with what you think is a winning hand. This is one of the Traits of a Professional Gambler.

The types of professional gambler

All professional gamblers are not the same.

You need to count cards and bluff well to succeed in the casino however, those qualities won’t help you if you like betting on sports.

Below are some rundown and key competencies for every:

1. Matched bettor

There is a sign-up offer or welcome bonus in every online gambling site that acts as an incentive for you to join their sportsbook.

This leads to the rise of matched bettors who are gamblers that make money with so-called “free bets”.

Anything made off them is pure profit as stakes aren’t returned from any wagers placed with free bets. A way of beating the bookies at their own game is to have a knack for picking out bets to have and not playing with any real money.

2. Horse bettor

Professional gamblers were seen on the racecourses around the world watching horses long before soccer (football) was the most popular betting sport.

Some of the basic that horse bettors must know right from the start is knowing if the stables doing well or the jockeys are riding out of their skin.

Handicapping is also quite important. This is because the majority of the horse races run are handicapped.

For most of the time statistics and trends played an obvious part in the betting strategies of many professional gamblers who bet on horses, however, now due to the exchanges, there are technology-driven systems.

3. Sports trader

The point about horse racing also applies to sports betting in general.

If you bet for or against sporting outcomes, it is quite similar to a financial trader playing all the angles on a stock market. You can sell the sports bets you don’t like by laying them not to happen and buying the ones that you like by backing them.

Exchanges allow you to supplement any bets you have had through fixed odds sportsbooks. This means you can smartly strategize your plan and cover all the bases.

4. Arb bettor

This brings us to arbitrage betting or arbing for short.

You may find differences in prices between different outcomes by betting across multiple platforms and sportsbooks. What everyone and professional gamblers want is to hunt down all those margins and create profit.

These gaps are exploited by the arb bettor to their fullest.

5. Card counter

In a casino, card games like blackjack are all about counting.

You need to know what cards are on the table and the ones that are yet to appear as each hand is dealt and played. You need to understand the odds and probabilities as well as keep track of which of the 52 cards have been played.

Casinos will also shut anyone they think is counting cards pretty quickly which is not quite illegal as it is a form of advantage play.

Pros and cons of being a professional gambler

There are ups and downs, benefits and drawbacks with any job which is also true for betting for a living.

Before embarking on a career filled with gambling you should consider these pros and cons:

Pros

It won’t feel like work if you enjoy sports or card games.

The satisfaction gained by beating the bookmakers.

Cons

Thrown out of the casino anytime and the risk of being shut down by the bookies.

Even though the marketplace has become smaller you can always take your business elsewhere.

Tips that all professional gamblers follow

There are many handy hints and advice you would do well to follow if you were to get started on the road to betting like a pro. These are the tips that every professional gambler has taken on board and learned from it all over these years.

1. Good bankroll management

Managing your betting bank balances across many platforms is wise even though there should be more profits than losses. This is one of the Traits of a Professional Gambler.

2. Look at the bigger picture

You need to look beyond the horse race, sporting event, or the football match you are betting on to see what else is going on. This is one of the Traits of a Professional Gambler.

3. Bet within your means

There is one golden rule even as a pro: never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Keep it within your betting limits and budget. Following these is quite important as it may be tempting to run down a loss on a day when you can’t beat the odds. Stick to your means by accepting it.