Introduction
To become a strong hitter in the sports betting market, you must start at the bottom and work your way up, earning respect and fine-tuning your betting strategies along the way. Once you've established yourself and can demonstrate a consistent winning % to your colleagues, you can shake the label of "square" and advance to "sharp." This transition, however, is not without difficulty. Everyone believes they are the next best gambler, but they are all "squares" betting high-priced favorites and parlaying four or five teams.
What is a Square?
A square is merely a novice player incapable of thinking beyond the box or outside his "square," in gambler jargon, especially in sports gambling terms. As a result, squares often lose money throughout the season. The most typical mistakes squares make include having an inconsistent betting style, modifying wagers based on feelings and hunches, and wagering at the last minute. Squares also ignore the need to follow data, keep their emotions in check, and fall for novelty bets meant to give the house an edge. Please remember that while there is no definitive definition of a square, most people would agree that most casual gamblers who gamble for fun are squares. Experience Bettors, particularly those who have made sports betting their major source of income, are generally referred to as "sharps."
Example
It's Sunday night, and John is on his way to his neighbor's house to watch Sunday Night Football. John has no desire to root for the game because he is a Packers fan, and the matchup includes the Bills heading to Foxborough to face the Patriots. John placed a wager on the over to add a rooting interest to his viewing experience since he knows they are both good teams that can score the football. Furthermore, John does not want to cheer for an ugly defensive game because high-scoring games are more entertaining to watch; thus, the over was an easy choice for him.
John's next-door neighbor is named Ian, and John had no idea that Ian was a skilled gambler. Ian has been lucrative in sports betting for over a decade and uses analytics, statistics, and knowledge to make smart wagers that he feels will give him a competitive advantage over the sportsbook. Ian tells John that he picked the under at 42.5 two days ago after reading the weather report for Foxborough, which predicted sleet, rain, and 30-40 MPH winds before kickoff. Ian has been betting on football for a long time and understands that both sides will be forced to run the ball for most of the game due to the inclement weather. When both teams attempt to run the ball, The clock is always ticking all night, limiting the amount of time each team has to score. The total had reduced to 39.5 at kickoff, providing Ian a huge advantage on his wager.
The game concludes with a final score of 14-10, falling far short of the total. John is a square bettor in this story, while Ian is a sharp bettor. Square gamblers often place wagers on popular teams, favorites, home teams, and totals. Square bettors are nearly never lucrative in the long run.
Square Betting Methods
Most square betting methods involve guesswork and hoping that things will be okay. You don’t need to be disciplined when using these methods. A square gambler can be enticed to bet on a game that is being broadcast on television, regardless of whether he has conducted a study to establish which side has value. Alternatively, a square may place a bet on a favorite at -7.5 even if other sportsbooks offer the odds at -7. And if a square wins $100 on his early afternoon play, he may risk twice as much on his next bet that evening in order to test his luck, even if he doesn't like the second gamble as much as the first. Surprisingly, the majority of sports gamblers are square. And bookies are more than glad to take advantage of these gamblers' lack of discipline. Below are some of the behaviors of squares.
Tempted by the Parlay Wager
Square bettors sometimes incur enormous risks. The parlay wager is a classic example. The payout on parlays is substantially higher than on single bets. The more bets you place on your betting line, the larger your payoff will be. As a result, a casual bettor takes this risk thinking they will make thousands of dollars. Any savvy gambler understands that parlays are risky wagers with terrible odds. They recognize that the opportunity to earn $1,000 by simply putting $100 on a four-team parlay is quite attractive. They also recognize that the genuine odds are 15-1, so clever bettors have an advantage because they stay away from parlays.
Super Bowl Squares
Square gamblers frequently like gambling on major athletic events such as the Super Bowl or March Madness. That is why we will refer to this set as the Super Bowl squares. They are not consistent bettors. Instead, they'll emerge from the shadows for the greatest events on television. As a result, the betting markets will see a tremendous inflow of new bettors during the NCAA football bowl season, NFL Playoffs, March Madness, the World Cup, and other events. Many individuals will open new accounts at internet sportsbooks; Las Vegas will be overrun with visitors; and even non-sports enthusiasts will join workplace pools. However, these squares lack the necessary information (which typically comes from experience) to provide an expert judgment on acceptable odds. Nonetheless, their money is treated the same as that of normal bettors. Sharps can frequently benefit from this when the flood of square money results in softer numbers.
Blinded by Fandom
Let's be honest most bettors have a favorite team that they all want to win. In actuality, though, your favorite team may face a higher-level opponent from time to time. Perhaps your favorite team is simply a victim of bad scheduling? For example, it may be playing its third consecutive road football game. You're still a huge admirer, and you're sure of their talents since your devotion has blinded you. Regardless of the scenario, square bettors will blindly support their team and gamble their hard-earned money on them. On the other hand, sharps will know better and will never be swayed by fanaticism. Sports betting isn't about rooting for your favorite team; it's about determining which team has the most value relative to the odds. Square bettors wager on uniforms, while sharp money wagers on numbers.
How Do Square Effects Sportsbooks?
Sportsbooks understand that square bettors account for a sizable portion of the sports betting business. They like this type of bettor since they bring in the greatest money. Professional bettors normally cost the sportsbooks money, but square bettors always bring in new money. The squares have a betting pattern that causes the bookies no worry or discomfort. They're easy to forecast (since they usually bet on favorites), and the bookies know that their lack of discipline will almost always result in them losing their money. To be honest, bookmakers don't pay much attention to square bettors. They are aware that anything they do is done with little thought. They understand that they can make a lot of money just by letting the square bettors do their thing. Some sportsbooks will, in fact, cater to squares or the recreational gambler market. Such bookmakers can make even more money by altering their odds to capitalize on a square's proclivity.
How to Transition from Square Bettor to Sharp Bettor?
The first thing you should do is evaluate your current gambling behavior. Once you understand your behavior, you can then improve the resources you have at your disposal. For instance, you can start by picking the right sportsbook and then use statistics when making betting decisions. You can also partner with professional bettors and win money without investing years learning how to handicap.
