You lost the bet. Then you lost another. And then another.
Suddenly online sports betting isn’t so fun anymore.
A losing streak doesn’t have to mean the risk of debt or the end of all sports betting.
This guide will discuss tips to bounce back from a losing streak, how to keep your cool when it happens.
What Counts as a Losing Streak for You?
Sports betting is fun. It’s communal, winning could lead to an increase in dopamine, and it’s a fun way to test your knowledge of the sport.
And while you don’t always win, the possibility can be exciting. But sometimes a losing streak can suck all the fun out of it.
Losing streaks can mean different things to different people.
Let’s take Roy for example.
Roy has placed bets on the last three NBA games and lost all of them.
- He knows the game well,
- Has been placing bets on NBA games for a while,
- And knows how to pace himself.
This losing streak isn’t going to break his bank because the amounts that he bet and the research he put into it made it so his losses weren’t too high.
Adrian took a different approach.
He has a habit of hitting the bottle and making grandiose declarations that this is the one. This is the football team that will beat the odds and gives him that big win he’s been looking for. But it was, in fact, not the one. Again and again.
And he doesn’t even watch the NFL regularly.
You can probably see where this is going. They both might have experienced a losing streak, but the risks to one are much greater than the risks to the other.
In 2017, Americans who made bets with:
- gaming,
- lotteries,
- and offshore regulated betting firms
That’s why it’s important to us at ZenSports that your betting experience is transparent and safe. ZenSports gives you the freedom you need to make or take the bets you want anonymously with anyone in the world.
Learn How to Strategically Break a Losing Streak in Sports Betting With These 9 Tips
Tip #1: Ignore the Outcome (We Know it Sounds Crazy) and Focus on the Process
Of course, the outcome matters. But focusing on the process is more likely to get you the outcome you want.
Your betting strategy is like a puzzle. If one piece of the puzzle is too large, too small, or just doesn’t fit in at all, you’ll find yourself losing more often than not.
Or to look at it a different way, let’s say that you got food poisoning. That result sucks, but the important part is going through your day identifying everything that you ate and identifying the culprit. Then not eating whatever that was again.
It’s hard to focus on the process when others around you are winning big. It’s especially difficult because when we win, we tend to be loud about it.
Luck has its place in sports betting. But she can be a fickle mistress.
These things matter more:
- Carrying out the research
- Putting thought into all of your betting decisions
- Doing your due diligence
- Having the resilience to ride out a losing streak
Tip #2: Rewind. What Went Wrong?
If you have just lost a game, a good coach will focus on the whole picture.
- What went wrong?
- What can we learn from it?
- What strengths can we build upon to prevent losing again?
A bad coach will berate you into the ground, hounding on all your failures until that’s all you can see. But focusing on solutions and your strengths is how you improve.
Like a good coach, take a look at the big picture, not just the money that was lost, even though losing can stink big time.
Tip #3: Only Bet on the Sports You Know Well
Focusing on your strengths by sticking to the sports that you know, is a far better strategy than blindly choosing another sport that you know little about.
As fun as it may seem to suddenly bet on a curling tournament in Toronto, it would not be wise to place a bet without knowing the lingo sport.
When you bet on sports you know, there are more elements in your control. You’ll have more knowledge about how different elements of the game affect each other, and how that influences your bet.
This is a proactive step to breaking your losing streak.
If you can target your favorite markets, you’re focusing on your strengths. This does more than help you win, this can help you regain your confidence.
This may be just the thing to get you back into the groove again.
Tip #4: Dial it Back
If you keep nailing winning bets, and you’re watching your wallet get fatter, the urge to keep going is like a siren song. That taste of success can be a temptation.
Oddly enough, going through a losing streak sometimes inspires the same urge to bet bigger and more often than winning does.
If you’re trying to break a losing streak, try focusing on a smaller number of bets.
You may be tempted to spread out the action across several wagers in the hope that you nail one of them. The problem with that approach is unless you beat the odds in a big way to cash the bulk of your bets, you’ll simply wind up breaking even at best.
Try slimming down your daily number of bets to one or two wagers at most.
Tip #5: Keep Calm and Don’t Blame the World (or a Player)
The losses are stacking up, and your panic is building.
That player you’ve been researching for months, the one who you are confident is going to nail this game, is, to your surprise, human. That prop bet you placed feels like a sure thing. But that player bombs.
Athletes have off days just like anyone else.
Your meticulously planned wagers may just fall through because of human error or chance.
Hate the game, not the player.
But what if you feel you’re starting to give in to that urgency to do something and do something now about your losses?
First step? Breathe.
Let’s dip a toe into psychology here. Bringing your brain back to a state of regulated calm means you:
- Make more rational decisions
- Are less likely to let that feeling of urgency overwhelm you during a losing streak
- May just reach Enlightenment. Just kidding. That’s level 100. Focusing on your breath is level 1.
Tip #6: Accept Losing Streaks as Part of the Process
Here’s a secret: losing streaks happen to everybody.
When you’re looking at the long game, losing streaks are bound to happen. But focusing only on those losing streaks might make you go a bit mad.
In a perfect world the most knowledgeable, the most intelligent person, the person with the most insight or knowledge will never lose money on a bet.
Learn.
Grow.
Change and get better.
Tip #7: Follow Online Sports Betting Tipsters
Many talented tipsters are just starting out with a few successful tips, while others have had consistent profits over the years.
The sheer amount of betting blogs, websites, and influencers in the online sports betting world is long.
Let’s say you’re specifically interested in cricket in the UK. Or perhaps you want a more well-rounded site with tons of options to choose from. You’ll find a tipster for you.
There’s a long list of professional tipsters out there. Sometimes they provide their tips for free, but often you pay a fee.
A sports betting tipster’s goal is to find an edge. They don’t only want to predict who will win, but they want to predict more accurately than the bookmaker.
They do a lot of the research so you don’t have to. The best tipsters follow a lot of the same advice it takes to be a good bettor.
But they’re human too. So it’s still important to do your own research. But hey, someone else doing that research for you sounds pretty nice, so you’ll find no judgment here.
Tip #8: Take a Break When Needed
Maybe you need to take a step back for a while, regroup, and jump back in the game when you’re ready. Your wallet and your mental health will thank you.
Taking a few days off allows you the time to get a different perspective, and may prevent you from making bad decisions.
It can be hard to take a break when you feel like you need to be winning bets. but this may be just the thing you need to reset and begin again fresh.
Tip #9: Bet Smarter, Not Harder
There are different ways to take the guesswork out of placing wagers.
With ZenSports, you can choose to make or take the bets you want without the need for a bookmaker. You have the control.
How To Break a Losing Streak in Online Sports Betting: 3 Big Don’ts
#1: Don’t Attempt to Make up the Loss all at Once
Don’t jump into a big bet thinking it will solve all your problems. Because more likely, it won’t.
Take a step back, reevaluate your strategy, and then try to make up your losses one win at a time.
Shooting for five small wins is a better risk to take than one large wager that could do more damage than you’re willing or able to take on.
#2: Don’t Let a Losing Streak Scare You Away From Online Betting
Use the tips we’ve been talking about and take a break when you need to. Seek professional help when needed too, but remember that losing streaks are normal and happen to anyone and everyone.
#3: Don’t Drink and Bet
Gambling can be addictive. Adding another addictive substance will only fuel the addiction. Stay sober while you place your bets, and your wallet (and liver) will thank you.
Remember Adrian of the drink and bet? Don’t be like Adrian.
How to Break a Losing Streak With ZenSports
You have taken a breather and you’re ready to get back to wagering on the sports you love.
ZenSports is there for you.
Because we eliminate the bookmaker, ZenSports is a true marketplace of choice.
Without the need for a middleman, ZenSports can charge 50 to 90% less than other sportsbooks in the sports betting industry.
With those savings, a losing streak may seem a little less devastating.
