How to Bet Without Emotions and Stay in Control

Sports betting can cause a range of emotions within a person, from pure ecstasy after winning a bet to sheer disappointment when a “banker” lets you down. These emotions are normal and are all part of the fun of gambling as long as you don’t allow them to impact the way you bet.

All sports betting should be done using reasoning, research, and knowledge. Not emotion.

How to Bet Without Emotions

The problem with a lot of gamblers, especially those who are inexperienced or possibly developing a problem, is that they allow emotion to take over.

Happiness from winning a bet may cause a sense of security and invincibility, leading to silly bets being placed. Disappointment and frustration at losing may lead to bigger bets as the losing punter attempts to “chase their money”.

This is when sports betting becomes less fun and can cost the emotion-fuelled gambler a lot of money.

Analytical thinking and knowing when to stop are just two things that can help with eliminating emotion from betting. However, the person must also recognise the signs and be able to deal with their emotions in order to remain level-headed and sensible.

How to Deal with your Emotions

First things first, never gamble whilst angry or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. All of these factors will cause you to make mistakes and lose money you would not of lost otherwise.

When winning a bet, take the time to appreciate it. Make a mental note of how you picked the selections in that successful bet. What did you do right this time? If it was luck, thank your lucky stars and collect your winnings.

If losing, and looking to chase your money, taking a step back is needed. Log out of your betting app, turn off the device you gamble from, go for a walk to calm yourself down and just allow yourself time to prevent these negative emotions from spiralling out of control.

Eliminate Emotions by Remaining Analytical

When placing a bet, if you really want to do it successfully, you will have carried out research and gained knowledge into what you are betting on.

Many people who bet using emotions find themselves betting on sports they know nothing about in countries they may never even have heard of. This is when emotion has taken over and the person has lost their head. Leading to nonsensical bets in the hope of getting lucky.

Our advice is to remain analytical and here are a few tips to how to do it:

• Study Form: Mainly for football, cricket, rugby, and other team sports, form plays a key factor in determining the outcome of a match. Studying recent form, head to head records etc, can give you an edge in predicting the outcome and placing a successful bet.
• Question your Knowledge: How much do you know about the sport you are betting on, the competitors, and even the type of bet you are looking to place? Because lack of knowledge will lead to bets you have no clue about.
• Research: Studying form is all well and good but there is other research to be done as well, such as studying team news and any other circumstances that could lead to a sure thing becoming a not so sure thing.
• Make a List: Write things down, make a list of certain factors, such as form, difference in level of competitors etc. and then make another list of the top betting possibilities for that particular day.
• Take a Step Back: Allow yourself the time to take a step back before placing a bet. Do not quickly and randomly add selections two minutes before the start of an event. Choose your selections with plenty of time to spare, take a step back and then go over all of the factors you previously considered. If doubts have crept in, do not place the bet.
• Follow your Head (Not your Heart): A big problem for some gamblers is betting on the team or competitor they prefer, even if all research suggests otherwise. This is nonsensical and should never be done. It is best to avoid even placing a bet on matches/events that cause these emotions.
• Do not Celebrate or Berate: Winning a bet can cause jubilation, but it is just one bet. Do not allow this to give you a false sense of security. And, also, do not beat yourself up after suffering a loss or not placing a bet that would have “come in”. There are always other opportunities to allow analytical thinking to guide you to winning bets.