The diminishing value of sports betting (at least full games)

Someone else said that fully legalized gambling will give us more liquidity. What it will really do is start some competition between the offshore books - for that matter, between all books. I have a local who makes way more profit on the smaller players vs the larger ones. The bigger players usually know what they're doing. When the weekend players can send and receive funds without any hassles, you'll see more opportunities for the people here willing to do a little work (research). I hope that day isn't too far off.

Making some coin [QUOTE=anthony;38356]It's somewhere in the middle for many and it can absolutely be done on the high end by the best. But you've just made my point for most who are on this board. If a $25-$200 bettor has enough outs, pays attention, and devotes some effort, the "pot of gold" lies beyond WA, which is why I don't like the emphasis that's always put on it.[/QUOTE] Understand your thoughts completely Anthony but I believe that Sean's main point is there are far more lucrative endeavours for one's time than sports betting. Hard to imagine that one could make a nice living betting $25-200 per game. It is impossible for most of us squares because as Sean said it is VERY difficult to game the system of non-WA lines for any serious money. Also we don't have the time to do the in-depth handicapping required to pick 55%+ winners. Thus, it makes far more economic sense to make money in a different arena. That's why most are looking for the "easy" way out, which is to follow an expert. No different than a person investing in a mutual fund or with an advisor or just watching Cramer. But as Cramer says get ideas from him and do your own homework. I use this site in much the same way. I can make FAR more money in my chosen field than I ever could sports betting but I enjoy the games. And since I am going to be betting anyway I try to get as educated as possible in the field and maximize my chance of success while not spending a disproportionate amount of time doing it. If the markets were "looser" it may well be different. Just my personal 2 cents. :)

The focus on WA is about tracking purposes. Everybody has known forever that you want to bet the best number available. It's not like if Pinnacle lines were required for posted plays that followers wouldn't take 1/2 a point better from their local. It's assumed if you win "X" amount vs WA posted plays, you can win "Y" amount more depending on shopping and outs. It's completely unknown how much anyone wins when the best line on the board from 20 minutes ago is posted for plays.

"Understand your thoughts completely Anthony but I believe that Sean's main point is there are far more lucrative endeavours for one's time than sports betting." That's what I'm saying and I could not say that 5-10 years ago. 5-10 years ago between bonuses, neteller, correlated parlays (including soccer), if bets they should not have taken, +100 NFL teasers, 10 cents to buy off the 3, hockey parlays before overtime, and lines that were different at every book, anyone competent could print money. Not so anymore. 5-10 years ago I can't think of anything more lucrative to do than online wagering even an hour per night. Now of days it seems there are many things unless you want to dedicate all your time to wagering. The other thing I'll say is back then you could place Fezzik's bets or Yosh's (he was hot) or RAS a day after they posted them and often .5 a point better. Now of days, you have about 5 minutes with Fezz and 3-4 seconds with RAS before EVERY book that you want to keep money in has moved the line. I'm a firm believer at this point in time you must be an originator which is a full time job. Before you could follow and just play good mathematical situations (Almost all of which have dissapeared with internet discussion) Sean