What Is The Best Approach to Becoming a Professional Gambler?

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When you consider professional gambling, what comes to mind? There are endless sports you could follow. Perhaps you want a little bit of horse racing, football, and the odd night at your local casino to play roulette. You may be new to gambling or a veteran who has been crafting their skills for a lifetime. In truth, the path of a professional gambler could come about in many ways. It may be your passion or something you just fell into such as a misspent youth. Personally, I can only tell you my story. 

For me, two-year-old horse racing has been my niche for about the last 30-years. I'm not sure if I should be pleased or disappointed but I am still learning. You'd think after three decades I'd be past all that hey. But to me, I have to try and incorporate learning into my subject to gamble well. That doesn't mean I am perfect. In fact, I often frustrate myself by making the same old mistakes. Most are to do with the process rather than the selections themselves. You wouldn't believe that getting the process wrong can be the difference between winning and losing. The process is just a working method, a set of rules and guidelines to help you follow a set path. You may wonder why you need these things. Why can't you just go 'freestyle'  and just 'Go with the flow'. 

If I said the best approach to gambling is akin to following the scientific method you may think I've lost the plot. It sounds far too standardised hey. Surely, you don't need to go to that extreme? 

It seems alien to most punters because even though they think they know something (and many do) the majority don't really know much at all. I'm not saying that to be a thorn in your side or to dampen your hopes of being a professional gambler. Most people do not have an understanding to gather their thoughts, knowledge and even categorise how they work. You may say: 'What does it matter?'  However, you think of the largest most successful companies in the world. They don't, generally, fly by the seat of their pants. They have a very simplistic model which they know works. They don't just change something for no good reason. They want to build on their past glories and understanding. It has taken a lot of time and money - investment. 

Being a successful professional gambler is the same. You don't want to chop and change your approach. It should be formed by success. 

As I often say: 'Knowledge comes before money.' 

Too many punters think making lots of money gambling is about having a lot of money to start with. In some respects you do need a decent betting bank. But money will never substitute knowledge. If you are lacking on that front you will get through unlimited money and you are unlikely to ever learn enough to change that tide. 

Your method and process to professional gambling should be refined. It is by all accounts about replication.You follow the same way of working to maximise your chance of winning. This is no easy feat. In fact, most gamblers will never come close to this level of understanding. Why? Because it takes unending work to gather your thoughts. To refine your skills. To appreciate why these skills are important and continue to nurture them throughout your gambling career. 

It is like climbing a mountain. You need to know 80% to appreciate how things work. And gaining that 80% is like a blind man making clay pot on a wheel. You need to be in tune with your subject matter. 

To be fair, it is difficult to even put into words. 

Now, I'm not saying that is the journey for every successful gambler. They may pay someone for their knowledge. They may have used data to find their edge. It could be anything and everything. But they know something more than most. They can beat the competition. That is a frightening task. You cannot see it. But if you could, you would realise you are David against the Goliath. You are a lone soul fighting the collective forces of layers who think they know more. 

That doesn't mean to say you can't or don't know more. 

You may well do. 

But gambling, in my opinion, is a lot more about testing hypothesis and replication than you may imagine. It is both quantitative and qualitative. But the best approaches are data driven. They have a process and use a method to keep them on the straight and narrow. 

I works that way for a reason. 

It is a way to compress a lot of knowledge into a small space. You have to simplify the endeavour as best you can. 

When you get to a certain part of your journey you will begin to understand these words. 

Good luck. 

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