How to Become a Sharp Sports Bettor?

In recent years, the sports betting market has witnessed tremendous growth globally as the major trend of the gambling industry. According to research, the global sports wagering market was worth about $67 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach a whopping $140 billion in 2028 with a CAGR of 10.1%. The primary driver behind this staggering growth is rapid technological advancement and digitalization, which has brought about the widespread availability of mobile devices such as phones, laptops, and tablets. With these devices and high-speed internet, such as the 5G, punters now have easy access to betting without having to leave their houses. The safety, anonymity and variety of options provided by online wagering coupled with the constant rise of various online bookies have given a significant boost to the global wagering market in the last few years.

Sports wagering has always been a fascinating topic in India as the country has always been known as a thriving ground for various sports. Among every sport in India, cricket holds a special place as the most loved and most popular in the country. People often say Cricket in India is more than just a sport; it has become a religion – followed by millions of highly devoted enthusiasts. Research shows that more than 90% of sports fans in India are pulled by cricket. Also, the Indian Premier League, which is India's major cricket league, is the most-watched cricket league and one of the biggest sports leagues globally. 

Since cricket has such high prominence in India, it is not surprising that its betting market has witnessed a massive boost compared to other sports in India. Although sports such as football, kabaddi, and horse racing have a significantly big betting market, cricket betting is entirely on another level – drawing in about 80% of the country's total sports wagers. The primary driver behind this is the advent of technology. Since India has the second-largest online presence globally, reports show that 40% of her citizens with internet access place wagers on sports on online sites. Even though there are grey areas surrounding the legality of sports betting in the country, people can easily wager on sports from the comfort of their homes using offshore bookies. For instance, there are various cricket betting apps presently in India from which people can wager on their favourite teams and players and earn a reasonable income.

Also known as ‘wise guys’ or ‘sharps,’ sharp sports punters are highly strategic sports wagering players deeply ingrained in the activity. While amateurs may wager on sports as a hobby or for mere entertainment purposes, sharp sports wagerers often live and breathe basically on wagering as a full-time activity and a primary source of income. Findings show the sharpest sports punters in the world win around 55-60% of their wagers. This is a huge percentage considering that wagering is a game of chance where many people lose their money.

Because they win a lot, a common misconception about sharp sports punters is that they have foolproof methods of winning or inside knowledge of games. This is false, as sharps do not have any unique resources than the average punter. However, they put a lot of research and discipline into their wagering craft, and as expected, they get extraordinary results.

In this article, we will explore ways by which you can move from being just an amateur punter to becoming a sharper sports bettor with a higher chance of winning.

Understand the game

When wagering, sharp sports punters do not just rely on guesswork or luck. They understand the concept of betting itself and every rudiment of the particular game they choose to wager on. Sharps understand how bookies operate, how odds are set, and how bookies make money – thus, they identify an edge over bookies before placing their wagers. Also, they are familiar with the terminologies used in the betting world, which average punters may not find necessary.

While an average punter may place wagers on the team perceived to be better in a match, sharp sports bettors shut off social media rackets and spend countless hours researching the matches, teams, and players before putting their money at stake. Since they take betting as a full-time job, they gather accurate data and statistics regarding the rankings, ratings, styles, and previous performances of teams, players, and even coaches. Therefore, sharp sports punters have more accurate predictions and higher chances of winning and command the respect of odd makers and sportsbooks.

Be fearless but disciplined

One major trait of sharp sports wagerers is that they have stringent policies regarding wagering. They don't wager unnecessarily and go along with their guts like an average punter would do. Instead, they only wager when they are sure that their chances of winning are far greater than that of losing. Also, they are incredibly prudent with their time and money. While a beginner punter may be discouraged by a losing streak and continue to lose money in the hope of winning a game by chance, a sharp bettor's decision is not affected either by winning or losing. They don't chase losses, place impulse wagers or get over-excited with winning. Instead, they stick to their well-planned strategy no matter what. 

Sharp punters also keep their betting records to keep track of their winnings and losses. Punters who do not keep these records are more likely to run into multiple losses quickly without notice. Studying your records in wagering will help you recognize strategies that work best for you and those that are not beneficial, thus allowing you to increase your chances of winning.

Wager only on trusted sites

It is all good to understand your game, map out great strategies, and be disciplined in sports wagering. However, all these can go down the drain, and you can still lose heavily if you choose the wrong betting website to wager. Since the sports wagering market has grown rapidly and many people are trooping into it, numerous sites keep rising every day with enticing promises of massive bonuses and promo offers. However, you must be sharp enough to avoid the traps of online bookies who have complicated methods or take advantage of punters and defraud them of their money. You must carry out thorough research on the processes of the site and read up reviews from other customers.

If you’re looking for a trustworthy bookie, then Parimatch is your answer. Parimatch is a licensed and global sports betting company with over 28 years of excellent service under its belt. Parimatch offers easy, convenient, and transparent deposit and withdrawal methods have responsive customer service, and also provides a wide range of wager options to select from.

Conclusion

The truth is that no one wants to lose money when they wager on sports. However, many people fail at betting because they rely solely on luck and do not put in the efforts and discipline required to become a successful punter. The tips mentioned above can help you increase the odds of winning your stakes and even make you a full-time bettor. Do not forget to visit Parimatch for an outstanding betting experience.