Sources of Stress in Betting Part 3

If you dream about becoming a sports bettor for a living, part of your motivation may be to transition out of a stressful 9-to-5 job into a career where you get to call more of the shots. Betting itself however can be quite stressful, and that is a reality you need to be prepared for. In the series, I’ll delve into some of the different types of stressors you will encounter on your journey toward full-time sports betting. Be sure to check out Sources of Stress in Betting Part 1 and Sources of Stress in Betting Part 2 if you haven't already.  Let’s press on.

1. Low income

One of the hardest things about getting into a career like sports betting is dealing with the fact that in the beginning, you're not going to be making much money at all. Most of us do not have huge bankrolls ready for us to use to jumpstart a new career. Most of your money is probably going towards paying your bills and getting by. You cannot use that money for sports betting, even though this is a serious business. You can only use money that you can afford to lose.

This is probably the single biggest reason aside from the challenges of coming up with a reliable method that it takes so long to become successful at betting. Most people become impatient with the situation, and may even despair. If you are not mindful of your stress, it can translate into irresponsible decision making. Some desperate punters begin wagering vast sums of money in the hopes that they can take a shortcut. Every time the result is the same. These bettors blow all their money. Others may simply drop out completely.

How can you cope with the stress? The best thing really is just to be aware of it before you get started. Know that it is going to slow you down, and most likely what you think will take months will actually take years. And what you think will take years will take more of them. Stress is always worse when you are not prepared for it.

2. Waiting

Ironically, betting on sports also involves a lot of waiting. This is particularly difficult because you already feel like you are in a hurry to progress forward and are not moving toward your goals fast enough. But you will only slow yourself down if you are not willing to wait when you need to. That may mean passing up opportunities now and again. But it is worth it to make sure that you are only taking bets that you feel really confident about. Remember, successful punters who manage to turn this into a career are doing so with a pretty modest win percentage. You really cannot afford to do anything that is going to pull that percentage downwards if you can avoid it.

Dealing with this and developing the patience you need is not easy. But one thing that helps is realising that if you are not willing to wait for the best bets, you'll end up paying for it in terms of both money and time. And then you will have to develop even more patience to try and make up for it. And that will mean a lot more waiting.

3. Poor support

Another source of stress in betting is the fact that you have to do all of this in something of a vacuum. Yes, it can be nice to embark on an occupation where you do not need to deal with coworkers or bosses, but it can also be difficult when you do not have an immediate support network. You may know people who bet on sports casually, but odds are that not a whole lot of people in your circles bet seriously. In fact you may actually find that you relate less to the people you used to wager with than ever.

You can do something about this type of stress by getting online and talking to your fellow serious sports bettors on forums. Even there, though, you may struggle to find people who are willing to help you out when you need it. They do exist, so keep looking and avoid the urge to isolate yourself.

Hopefully this advice helps you to cope with stress while you are betting. Be sure to read Sources of Stress in Betting Part 4 for even more perspective!