I think one of the problems when you come into this game is having unrealistic expectations. Like almost anything in life it takes a long time to become an expert in a chosen field (I am a big believer in the 10k hours stuff – certainly the general concept rather than the specifics).
I always think golf provides a good analogy. If you only play once a month and never practice you cannot expect to go out there, play well and shoot great scores. People have expectations that are completely unrealistic. The same applies to many walks of life including betting.
You will hear some stories where people have a big win early doors (maybe an acca, DFS big ticket event, scoop 6 or a big poker tournament). Even someone who has found an edge on something and capitalised on it and gone on an absolute tear.
However, these are not the norm. Your betting skills and everything that goes into it, tend to improve significantly with experience. It may simply be about being able to take advantage of the edge you have, in a much more sophisticated manner. You learn things to avoid.
I would love to have back some of the things I have done/been involved with over the years. I really didn’t capitalise on them in a way I think I would now. That’s all part of the learning curve though. You never stop learning in this game.
I see so many people say well I made £1k last week. So obviously I am going to make £50k+ this year. Should I turn pro? Completely missing the point that that was probably your best week of the year and completely unachievable week in week out.
You have to remember who you are up against at all times. Why would you be able to get better results than them? As always what is your edge over them? This game is tougher than it has ever been. Very few soft entries these days unlike previous eras.
That’s not to say don’t have big dreams. Just be realistic. Set expectations low in this game and you will be pleasantly surprised, if you do find that edge you are looking for and how the subsequent results play out.
ProPunting 