The sports gambling industry is growing at a rapid pace now that politicians have finally realized that whether they allow it or not, people will find a way to do it, so might as well make it legal and get some tax revenue off of it. I've jumped into the gambling fray, and taken some lumps as a newbie, as well as some pretty sweet wins. But there's one thing that even someone new to the game like me could tell right from the jump.
Nobody cares about how much money you gamble.
No, seriously, it just doesn't matter. People are there to win their own money, and hopefully not lose too many years off their lives while they sweat out if their team will cover. Whether it's $5 or $500, a win is a win, and a loss is a loss. The rest of it doesn't matter.
The most obvious thing about gambling is that it should be done responsibly; whether you're a millionaire or someone who got a bonus from work and that's the extent of your budget, stay within what you can afford. Gambling is meant to be fun, not something that makes you legitimately wonder if you can pay your bills each month. So whatever you consider to be your normal unit, that's ok. But if you're one of those people who wants to talk about how much money you're putting on each play, let me inform you of a few things that doesn't prove:
1. How much knowledge you have
2. How skilled you are as a gambler
3. That you're worth listening to
4. That your play is more likely to work out because you put more money on it.
By comparison, here's what talking a bunch of shit about how much you're betting does prove:
1. You have a fragile ego
2. You feel the need to manufacture validation from others
3. Your parents didn't hug you enough as a child
4. You're probably overcompensating for some shortcomings.
So the whole genesis of this post comes from a back and forth I had with someone who made themselves out to be this God of gambling and that he is the ultimate authority on what a good or bad play is. The whole issue I took with him was how he would denigrate and go after anyone who dared say something in opposition of what he was thinking. It didn't matter if it was directly aimed at him, or just a general comment, if you disagree with him, you were the scum of the earth; even if you were right.
Could I have let this go as just another internet troll who isn't worth the time? Yeah, probably. But I'm also the type who believes that opening your mouth doesn't exempt you from consequences. If someone celebrates a win and your an asshole about it, you should be called out for being a jerk. If you can't handle some light ribbing about taking a loss, it ruins the fun for everyone. If you're the person who has to be the loudest in the room, and always has to be right, you're the one most susceptible to developing an addiction problem in my mind. I hope that doesn't happen, but it doesn't inspire confidence.
So no, the amount of money you put on a bet doesn't matter. What matters is that you win more than you lose, make some money, enjoy yourself, and keep from developing bad habits. If you're worried about more than that, make life easy for the rest of us and shut the hell up.
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