For sports bettors the summer is definitely the quiet period. There is still lots to bet on – baseball, golf, tennis, car racing, and so on – but with football, basketball and hockey all on hiatus the big sports aren’t there for a lot of bettors. Many of those bettors will find other things to bet on during the summer, and there is nothing wrong with that. There is a real argument to be made for another approach, though. Unless you are a big baseball bettor the summer is a good time to take a break from sports betting to refresh and recharge for next season. Players do it, and so should you. Here are five good reasons why people who bet on sports need a break:
Rest – Sports betting can be grueling. There are few breaks during the season regardless of the sport. If you primarily bet football then you have to spend all week looking at stats and matchup s and deciding when to bet to maximize value. If you bet basketball or hockey then there are games every day and you almost never get a break. Betting on sports isn’t physically tough, but it can be very mentally challenging. You have to crunch a lot of numbers, analyze a lot of stats, and look at matchups until you almost go blind. You also have to deal with the stress of the inevitable losing streaks, and the frustration of losing games you should have won or being let down by idiot players doing moronic things. That’s hard on you, and taking some time away from that stress is always a good thing. You may not even realize that you are tired, stressed, and operating below optimal levels, but if you haven’t taken a break for a long time then you probably are. It doesn’t have to be a long break. Even a week or two without being obsessed with sports and picking winners can make a huge difference. Try it once.
Forget about the losses – I don’t know about you, but when I look back over the course of a week or a month of plays I don’t remember the wins or the successes. I remember the frustrating losses – the late blown leads, the bad mistakes, the referee mistakes, and the other games that ripped the money from my pockets. Particularly bad or frustrating losses can be hard to shake, and they. That’s not a good thing, but that’s how it is for me. Taking some time away from making bets let that frustration fade away and lets me focus on what really matters. That summer break is the key to my success. It could work for you, too.
Learn – When you are immersed in making bets and handicapping games every day you don’t have a lot of time and energy for other things. When you take a break you have the time to do the reading and learning that will make you a better bettor. There are a few very good sports betting books out there that will help you get better in a hurry. Several websites offer a wealth of information, insight, and new approaches. There are some podcasts worth listening to. When you aren’t worried about making bets every day you have the chance to learn new information, test new theories and be ready to be even more successful the next time you start chasing the action.
Get hungry again – If you have been betting for too long without a break then the fire in your belly may not be burning at full heat. You are at your best as a sports bettor when you are desperate for success and you will do whatever it takes to get it. If your intensity is waning the you won’t work quite as hard, your decisions won’t be quite as good, and you won’t grow your bankroll as quickly. The difference between a wildly successful bettor and a losing one really isn’t that big in terms of winning percentage, so a lack of hunger can have a big impact. If you take a step back and give yourself a break then that hunger will build up again and you’ll be ready to attack the games with vigor again.
Discover insights – You know how sometimes you just can’t figure something out no matter how much time you spend on it? Finally you give up and go to bed, and when you wake up the answer is staring at you like it is the most obvious thing ever. That same thing can happen with your sports betting. If you are immersed in making picks every day then you can make the same mistakes over and over again and not even realize it. Even if you do realize it you may not know what to do about it. If you take a step back and relax, though, chances are good that you’ll be struck by an insight that will help you enjoy better results as a sports handicapper.
