There Is No Holy Grail of Betting

I spend a lot of time telling readers on this site how important it is that they come up with some kind of a betting system, or that they adopt one created by someone else.  A betting method is absolutely necessary if you want to win consistently and regularly.  Without one, you are leaving your results entirely up to chance, and without that edge, you will eventually blow your bankroll; it is only a matter of time.

Deciding to get a great betting system is a huge step forward for a lot of punters.  But there is a common trap here that you should be aware of before you get too far in that search, and that is the belief that somewhere out there, a perfect system is waiting for you.  This is a system that will never fail; oh, you might lose money with it now and again, but it will deliver the same amazing statistical performance over the years or decades to come without deviating.  Changes in the real world will not affect it.  It will perfectly predict all those changes for the rest of time.  It is the Holy Grail.

The search for the Holy Grail of betting is not just limited to the sports wagering world either.  This is a common mistake by stock traders, Forex traders, and others who invest as well.  That is another world where people make money by searching for an edge which they can use to navigate the seas of uncertainty. 

The truth is, you can waste years of your life on this impossible quest.  If you ask around, you will probably meet numerous punters who have done just that.  These bettors get discouraged whenever they have a system that does not perform to their expectations one day.  They suddenly feel it is necessary to go back to square one (quite often because they do not understand how their system works (link to:  Know Why Your System Works).

It does not help that if you are searching online for betting strategies to use, you will see systems promoted regularly which, according to their creators, “never fail.”  It is time for a reality check, though.  If there were truly a betting system which never failed, wouldn’t everyone use it?  How would sports betting even work?  Wouldn’t it all fall apart since there would be no losers? 

No one truly knows the future, and no matter how statistically sound a system is, it will not deliver sterling results 100% of the time.  And when there are major changes on the field or with team structures, systems will sometimes need to be adjusted.  That is just a reality that you have to accept as a sports bettor.  Now and again, you will have to revise your strategy.  If you do have a system which works most of the time, you are off to a great start.  Learn why your strategy works, and you will be better positioned to adjust it when necessary.  There is no Holy Grail of betting and never will be, and that is okay.