Poker Vs Betting on Sports - Which is More Profitable?

This is not a new discussion point. The discussion has been held more times that i can remember as to whether poker or sports betting is more profitable. And it's not an easy question to answer. It also depends on who you ask. As a sports better and they will probably side with their methods, whereas a poker player will likely favor their game of choice.

Poker is full of swings. As part of the game is down to luck, just as with sports betting, players will experience variance, meaning that sometimes the cards just won't fall their way even though they play the cards perfectly. Many players prefer poker as they like to be in control and even if the cards don't fall the right way, they are the ones making the decisions, win or lose.

Sports betters are also no strangers to variance - sometimes the teams that should almost certainly have won don't. Sometimes one after another. Whether poker of betting on sports, bankroll management is key to surviving these swings. In poker the stakes a player is playing should determine how much of a bankroll they have. In a no limit cash game you should have at least 20 times the buy in, although some players prefer up to 40 or 50 times. So if you sit down at a table with a minimum buy in of $5, then you should at least have $100 (or $200 if going to x40).

For Sports betting, you shouldn't be betting more than 2% of your bankroll - so if you have $100 in your account, you should not bet more than $2. Exceeding this is likely to result in failure on the back of a downswing.

It's also been an age old discussion around whether poker is considered gambling. Many argue that if the odds aren't 50/50, then it's not gambling. I am not entirely sure i agree with the logic. Betting on roulette isn't 50/50 but i would still consider it gambling, even if i can adopt strategies that give me the best chance of winning. What i can agree on is that gambling is based on pure luck. Successful poker players and sports betters utilize their knowledge and skills to maximise their returns. There is still an element of luck, but you have many opportunities to strategize to improve the chances of winning.

A team of experts founded Betenemy.com with the goal of helping newbies learn more about betting strategies. It offers an in-depth guide on online gaming overall, including how to bet on various sports and choose the right platform. Their bookmaker reviews help select the most suitable bookie, and an entire section dedicated to strategies can help you identify the right approach to maximize the profit Here are some of the available tactics to consider.

As many poekr players like a wager, there are some things you can do to maximise your returns.

Focus on a Single Team or Competition

Online bookmakers offer a vast range of sports and competition to bet on, but you may benefit from focusing on a single team or tournament. The easiest option is to narrow your betting choices to only one team. The goal of this strategy is to know as much as possible about that team, which will allow you to make the most informed bet possible. The limitations are clear – one team cannot play more than three or four games per week, and that doesn’t bring a lot of excitement however sticking to what you know best will deliver the best results.
The alternative can be to focus on a particular competition. Some football fans only stick to the English Premier League while basketball lovers focus on NBA. That involves closely following all teams involved in the competition and identifying the right wagering choices to bet based on the latest news and information you have about the teams.

Go with or against the Statistics

Statistic based betting can be a good approach if you understand what you are doing. Whilst we can consider certain things that should influence the way we bet, such as:

• A team’s current winning or losing streak
• The number of goals they score per match
• Do they often lose away from home?
• Is anyone injured or on a good or bad run of form
• What will the weather be like and does that usually work for or against a team
• What is at stake to win

Whilst you can look at a series of results, such as the fact a team has a winning run of 5 games, as an indicator that they are probably more likely to win - this shouldn't be the sole reason to back a team. There is a huge amount of information out there and as in any poker game - the more information we have, the more likely we are to make the right decisions.

Invest a Small Part of Your Betting Budget

As in poker, your bankroll should be treated as an investment. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. If you spoke to a financial adviser, he wouldn't tell you to risk everything on penny stocks. He would get you to invest smaller chunks across a range or investments. That way, if one doesn't come off, it doesn't wipe you out. The same is true in betting. Whilst the chance of making a big score is a BIG temptation, this approach will 100% result in wiping out your bankroll.

By betting 2-3% of your bankroll, you remove the bad decision making that we can make when we are desperate. That way your subconscious won’t worry about losing the entire sum and you can be more certain in your decisions.

Conclusion

This guide illustrates the importance of control. We need to control our bankroll whether we are playing poker or betting on sports. Working out a winning strategy can take a good amount of trial and error. The most important thing to remember. If you are losing constantly - .i.e. each month you are in the red, you need to stop and change what you are doing. Simply repeating your losing ways is only going to cost you money. Yes gambling can be fun but the goal is to make money. It is a lot more fun when the bank balance is boosted month on month. Finding the right winning strategy is the key element that will determine your success or demise.