1) Why should I use a handicapper instead of betting myself?

This is probably the question I get asked the most by people who are thinking about investing: why should I use a handicapper. The answer is simple - because we are professionals. Gambling should be approached as an investment. If you were going to invest your money in the stock market would you try to go at it yourself or would you employ a broker that has experience, connections, a track record of success, and an in-depth knowledge of the industry?

Gambling is what we do. While you are spending time at your job, with your family, or doing what ever it is that you do, we are hard at work doing research and planning for the next opportunity. We're working the phones, scouring the Internet, crunching the numbers, tracking databases, and watching hours upon hours of television to get an inside edge. We do it so that you don't have to. You get to just sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labor!

I'm sure you are an avid sports fan. A lot of our clients are. Now just imagine how knowledgeable you would be if you spent 70 or 80 hours a week focusing on every aspect of the games. That is our life. But beyond just knowing sports we also understand the technical aspects of sports betting. We know what key numbers are. We have access to bizarre and profitable betting systems. We can spot a shady line or a reverse line movement. And we know how to win, and win often.

Again, this is what we do. You wouldn't assume that you know more about teaching than a teacher, or know more about the law than a cop or a lawyer. As a result, it only makes sense that the odds of consistently winning as a gambler are significantly better for a professional bettor who spends eight or 10 hours a day on his craft as opposed to a recreational bettor that may spend two or three hours a week looking at lines or matchups.

2) How do you rate and grade your plays?

Here at Sports Betting Solution we have a rating system that works on a 1- to 3-Unit scale. Some cappers like to do 10-Star Locks or $10,000 Top Plays, but we don't mess around with gimmicks or silly monikers.

Our rating system is simple:

Money management system 1

CF means confidence level

CF=1, risk 1% of your bankroll
CF=2, risk 1.5% of your bankroll
CF=3, risk 2% of your bankroll

Money management system 2

Single dime bet: $100
Double dime bet: $200

3) How much should I bet each game?

"How much should I bet each Unit" is probably the second most frequently asked question. The answer is that depends on your bankroll. For some of my clients, one Unit is equal to $1,000. For others, one Unit is equal to $10. It all depends on what you are working with.

The foundation for gambling success relies on solid money management. And as a general guideline, money management includes only betting around two to three percent of your total bankroll on any single game. If you adhered strictly to that guideline then a single Unit would be around 0.5 to one percent of your total roll.

For example, let's say you are starting with a bankroll of $1,000. That would mean that one percent of your roll would be $10 and that your average play - a 2- or 3-Unit Selection - would be somewhere around $20 to $30 per game. I suggest using that as a baseline for calculating your own personal situation.

Now, that may not seem like a lot to bet on a game. But when you consider that on a random Saturday in college basketball a capper may throw out 20 or 25 Units worth of picks that's nearly a quarter of your stack. Further, and this is critically important, you have to look at gambling as a long-term investment. Success doesn't happen overnight. The winners in this business are the ones who are patient, confident, and consistent. "Go big or go home" and "Let it ride" are the slogans of tourists and amateurs.

Finally, you have to consider that as you win more money and your bankroll grows the value of your plays will also grow. It's all about exponential profit. As you build up your bankroll two percent of your stack starts to grow and your wagers increase. But the only way to achieve that is by sticking to a system and betting the same percentage for each pick.

4) Which handicapper should I use?

It's trite, and almost trendy, to assume that all handicappers are alike. That would also be ridiculous. Every handicapper has his or her own unique style and it's important that you find someone that you feel comfortable with.

Some guys like to play a lot of favorites and undervalued public teams. Others like to stick primarily with strong underdogs. Some cappers work halftime lines, totals, and/or money lines into their arsenal while others just play sides. Further, some handicappers like to only play one or two games a day while others like to work more action. There are a number of different approaches and no one is any better than the other. It really is a matter of personal preference.

The short answer to this question is, "the one that wins". But here at Sports Betting Solution all five of our handicappers have managed tremendous profit in a wide variety of sports, despite utilizing a vast array of strategies. Again, there are a lot of differing styles out there. But as long as they turn a profit it shouldn't really matter. I would suggest taking some time to familiarize yourself with someone and get comfortable with your capper's style before you commit to a long-term investment.

5) Should I use more than one handicapper?

One tremendous benefit to using Sports Betting Solution's Services is that you have access to Seven of the top gambling minds in the industry. That isn't some kind of B.S. company line, either; our record speaks for itself. As a result, an overwhelming majority of our customers end up using a variety of handicappers.

One reason to use several handicappers is to get a variety of opinions on a sport. Cross-referencing plays through different handicappers alone can produce some serious profit. A second reason to use another capper is that some handicappers are better in certain sports than others or some may not cap certain sports. For example, you could use my college basketball selections but also want to play pro games and use Sports Betting Solution's NBA picks. Finally, the best reason to using multiple cappers is that in this business everyone goes through highs and lows. All cappers get hot and all cappers get cold. But by utilizing everyone in the group you can jump from one guy to the next so that you are always betting with a hot, winning capper.

6) Where can I bet legally on Sports?

You can bet legally at licensed Nevada Sports Books, and illegally with bookies in virtually every town. Most of the following describes the ins and outs of gambling at sports books. There are two points worth noting here. First, Nevada Sports Books can set up phone accounts, but will not accept wagers across state lines. Second, odds with illegal bookies are often worse than those one can get in Nevada.

Betting with offshore (international) sports books seems to be on the rise, and promises to spread from phone services to internet based online services. From the point of view of bets and odds offered, these books are similar to licensed Nevada Sports Books. The legality of these services is, at best, ambiguous. There are claims and opinions on all sides of the argument, but few legal precedents. In addition, some offshore books are run by old trustworthy firms, some are fly-by-night scams, and many are somewhere in between. Cavaet Bettor.

The last way (and other than in state Nevada betting the only other clearly legal way) to bet on sports in the US is the Oregon Lottery. This was described as follows in a rec.gambling post:

The Oregon lottery is alive and well as far as football betting. The game is called sports action. The line is set by Jim Feist. It is set and printed on Wednesday and does not change. This can work to the bettor's advantage due to changes in team lineups due to injuries and such. The minimum wager is $2.00 and the minimum number of games bet is 3. The payoffs for a three game win is $5.00 per dollar wagered. Four games gets $10.00 per dollar wagered. All other wagers are paid on a paramutual fashion. For example, a seven game winner usually pays around $160 to $350. The maximum number of games that can be bet have a winner. A week or two ago $14,000 carried over in the 14 pool. There are also some games that are called special play games with over/under total score. The line seems to be fairly consistent with the Vegas line on the Wednesday that it is set.

7) What is "the spread"?

The spread is a point advantage given to a weaker team that is expected to lose by X number of points. This is the odds makers way of making even bets possible for a Sports Book. Usually if you bet against the spread you make an 11-10 bet. This means that you win $10 if you bet $11 for a total of $21 if your team covers the spread.

A team covers the spread if it wins the game with the score modified by the spread. If Dallas and Washington are playing and the spread is (Dallas -7), then Dallas has to win by at least 8 points to cover. Half-point spreads are also possible.

8) Why do I have to bet $11 to win $10?

This is one of the many ways the Sports book makes its money. In an ideal situation, the same amount of money will be bet on both sides of the line and the Sports Book will take its 10% from the losing side. If $55000 ($50000 and an addition $5000 to make the bets) was bet on Washington and $55000 bet on Dallas, no matter who wins the game the SB will make $5000. In case of a tie, all money is refunded. This is a rather simplified version as the spread moves when one side becomes more heavily bet on.

9) What are all of the different types of bets?

A prop bet is a bet the SB offers at odds and conditions of its choosing. Prop bets can be exotic bets like which team will score the most touchdowns, which team will shoot the most three pointers, which running back will rush for the most yards, etc. Most prop bets are offered at 11-10 odds, but some of the exotics will be offered at better or worse odds, depending on the bet.

Money Line Bets

A money line bet is a bet on the straight up total of an event or the odds for a straight up prop bet. There are two totals given for either side on a money line bet. A negative and a plus side.

 Dallas -170
 Washington +150

What this means is that for every $17 you bet on Dallas, you win $10 if they win. For every $10 you bet on Washington, you win $15 if they win. This is the way SB's make money off games by not giving points.

Spread Bets

These are the standard bets to make. Basically a proposition bet at 11-10 odds where the conditions are you give or take points on the team you are betting on hoping that the modified total of your teams score beats the other teams straight score. Bets on the spread are often know as straight bets because they pay even money (minus the 10% vig).

 Tampa Bay +19 1/2
 Miami -19 1/2

This means that if you bet on Miami, Miami needs to score at least 20 more points than Tampa to cover. If you bet on Tampa, the score must be at least within 19 for you to win. The bottom team is almost always the home team.

Over/Under Bets

These are also 11-10 bets on what the total of the game will be. If the total posted on a game is 39 1/2 points, then you can wager that the total score of both teams added together will be either over or under the posted total. Betting the over is known as "betting on the ball", betting under is known as "betting on the clock".

 Chicago -5 1/2 -180 1:00 pm
 Atlanta +5 1/2 +150 42 1/2

This gives the money line, the point spread, and the total for the game. It also tells you that Atlanta is the home team, and the game starts at 1:00 pm. As far as I know, this is the standard posting at mosts Books.

Parlays

A parlay bet is betting on the outcome of two or more events, and getting higher odds than betting on the outcome of both events. The drawback is that the odds aren't right and that you must win all of the events to win the parlay.

 # of plays Standard Odds True Odds 
 ---------- ------------- ---------
 2 plays 13-5 3-1
 3 plays 6-1 7-1
 4 plays 10-1 15-1
 5 plays 20-1 31-1
 6 plays 40-1 63-1 
 7 plays 80-1 127-1

The more events parlayed the worse the odds shift in the casinos advantage. The advantage for the player for parlays lies in the fact that he can bet more on the same game (spread and over/under) and he can bet more on two teams who are playing at the same time.

In order to be competitive, some casinos offer ties-win parlay cards. This greatly helps the player. The Las Vegas Hilton SB is one of these.

Teasers

A teaser bet is a bet where you can move the spread by a set amount, but have to pay to do it. You must bet at least two teams like a parlay and win both. You can move the spread by on all the games by the set amount.

 # of teams 6 pts 6 1/2 pts 7 pts
 ---------- ----- --------- -----
 2 teams 11-10 5-6 5-7
 3 teams 8-5 3-2 6-5
 4 teams 5-2 2-1 9-5
 5 teams 4-1 7-2 3-1
 6 teams 6-1 5-1 4-1

 # of teams 4 pts 4 1/2 pts 5 pts
 ---------- ----- --------- -----
 2 teams 11-10 5-6 5-7
 3 teams 8-5 3-2 6-5
 4 teams 5-2 2-1 9-5
 5 teams 4-1 7-2 3-1
 6 teams 6-1 5-1 9-2

Buying a half point

You can shift the spread a half point in your favor by laying 6-5 odds instead of the standard 11-10. This is called buying a half point. You usually want to stay away from this bet except on three point spreads on football games. This is also know as "buying the hook".

10) Can I make a million dollars with one bet?

Sure. Bet $1,100,000 straight up. Or, alternatively, join Paul Hogan's Million Picks Program. Send an email to [email protected] for more information.

11) Who makes the odds?

Las Vegas Sports Consultants Inc., establishes the odds for about 75% of the licensed Sports Books in Nevada, as well as for the Oregon State Lottery. It is run by Michael 'Roxy' Roxborough. He also operates as a consultant on gaming strategies, management, marketing, and personnel. Most illegal books in and out of Nevada draw their odds from what is posted at the various casinos. Transmitting gambling information across state lines for the purpose of placing or taking bets is illegal. News items about point spreads and the like can be reported for informational and entertainment purposes only.

12) Do I have to be over 21 to bet on sports?

Yes, you have to.

13) What is the minimum bet that must be reported to the IRS?

Well all gambling wins and losses are supposed to be reported to the IRS at the end of the year, but if you bet more than $10,000 at once, you must fill out some IRS paperwork at the ticket counter. All money won must be reported to the IRS.

14) Are there any good books or articles on sports gambling topics?

Here are some sports gambling related books I've found to be useful, in suggested reading order for beginners. The obscure ones I've purchased from the Gamblers Book Club, although I don't know if they are still in print. I tend to like writers that are objective and more interested in your winning than being a fan.

Orkin, Mike. "Can You Win?", W.H.Freeman and Co., 1991. IBSN 0-7167-2155-4 (soft)

Presents a general overview of gambling presenting the real odds of various games. It only assumes a high school level of mathematics understanding. The 32 page section on sports betting doubles as a guide to the various betting options available, and there is also a 16 page section on horserace betting. A brief treatment on Kelly betting as applied to sports gambling is included.

An overview concentrating on the question posed by the title, the author concludes the sports section with the observation:

"If you're going to gamble, which games should you play? I recommend sports betting. There are two reasons for this: 1 - Unlike in roulette, craps, and keno, it's impossible to prove that you can't win in the long run. 2 - When you win, it's because you're smart, and when you lose, it's because somebody fumbled."

Sugar, Bert Randolph. "The Caesars Palace Sports Book of Betting", St. Martin's Press, 1992. IBSN 0-312-05058-5 (paper)

The author is a well known sports writer and Las Vegas insider. A good popular introduction to sports betting with equal amounts of information on betting terms, options, odds, and the like, various considerations for each major sport; advice on handicapping based on matchups, streaks, injuries and stat.s; history and color; and money management.

Manteris, Art, (with Rick Talley). "SuperBookie - Inside Las Vegas Sports Gambling", Contemporary Books, 1991. IBSN 0-8092-4430-6 (cloth) 0-8092-3845-4 (paper)

A good second book to read, after perhaps the Sugar or Orkin books as an introduction, Manteris shares his observations as the Director of the Hilton Race and Sports Organization...aka the SuperBook. Interesting stories about the early days, why the house doesn't always win, how point spreads are set and moved as a practical matter, how the house calculates its take, scams, mob involvement (now mostly not) and more.

Peter Asch and Richard E. Quandt. "Racetrack Betting - The Professors' Guide to Strategies", Praeger Publishers, 1986. IBSN 0-275-94103-5 (paper)

Written by 2 academics from Rutgers and Princeton, this book seems to be a trustworthy analysis of betting at the horseraces. Included is an overview and analysis of popular strategies, subjective and objective analysis of available information and statistics, utility functions as applied to the public and wagering behavior (important given the paramutual basis of the odds), and the bottom line on some complex systems by the authors, Ziemba, and Quandt which seem to actually work.

Bob Carrol, Pete Palmer, and John Thorn. "The Hidden Game of Football", Warner Books, 1988. IBSN 0-446-39091-7 (paper)

While addressing sports betting only in passing, this book concentrates on innovative methods for detailed sports statistics analysis leading to accurate predictions. "Scientific" handicappers will find this book very stimulating.

Miller, Colonel J.R. "How Professional Gamblers Beat the Pro Football Pointspread - a step by step textbook guide", Flying M Group, 1993. IBSN 0-9636500-0-9 (spiral bound)

This is a self published specialty book available from Gamblers Book Club or by mail order. While the quality of most spiral bound gambling editions are suspect, this book is reasonably good. It provides a detailed analysis of how a serious gambler factors in pointspreads, power ratings, injuries, motivations, weather, and statistics to win over the long haul. The section on money management should be taken with a grain of salt, as it proposes flat betting as almost optimal, a modified plateau system as even better, and the "Kelly system" as a formula for disaster, in a rather unqualified way.

Michael Roxborough and Mike Rhoden. "Race and Sports Book Management - a guide for the legal bookmaker", (publisher not noted) 1991. IBSN 0-31-53873-6 (spiral bound)

Written by "Roxy" Roxborough, the provider of the spread and other services to most major sports books in Nevada via his Las Vegas Sports Consultants Inc. This book covers in moderate detail the mechanics of running a legal sports book, including setting and moving the spread, various economic measures such as the handle and practical hold percentage, overlays, parlays, limits, the law and regulations.

Pascual, M. "Bankroll Control - the mathematics of money management", (publisher not noted) 1987. No IBSN noted.

While poorly published (xeroxed, white-out corrections, hand written corrections and page numbers) this odd and perhaps difficult to find spiral book is a treasure trove of practical analysis applying Kelly betting to sports and racing gambling. Theory is light and presented with (hand drawn) graphs where possible. The book presents a numerical recipe approach to even complicated betting scenarios such as simultaneous games, simultaneous single and multiple parlay plays, win-show-place betting, and more. Also included are some useful tables (variables include % of wins, number of teams, variations to include parlays or not) showing optimal bets, risk and expectancy. Also included are some program listings in BASIC for (now mostly obsolete) hand calculators that may be useful as pseudocode.

The cosmetics do not, however, inspire trust. It would be nice if a r.g math weenie would review it.

15) What internet resources and sports computer data services are available to those interested in sports gambling?

A:S11 (Philip Galanter)

Web Sites

http://www.conjelco.com/faq/sports.html

where sports information is kept within the rec.gambling FAQ. (The entire rec.gambling FAQ is at http://www.conjelco.com/faq/)

http://www.infi.net/jf/

where Jim Feist provides useful sports gambling information (intro, rules, lines, LV sports books) as well as ads for his tout services.

http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/sports/gridiron.html

a good "jump site" with links to all manner of football information, including betting info.

http://www.hal.com:80/users/markg/NFL/

used to manage an NFL Pool, but also has links to sports gambling information.

http://www.netgen.com/sis/sports.html

provides general sports information including schedules and team statistics some might find useful in handicapping.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/vernon/www/nfl.html

provides power ratings, statistics, and other information of interest to NFL handicappers.