SPORTS HANDICAPPERS
What about all those advertisements claiming 70 – 80 percent victories you ask? Only one thing can be said about them…THEY ARE LYING TO YOU IN ORDER TO STEAL YOUR MONEY. We will discuss these thieves and their practices in Rule #6 Don’t trust 99% of Sports Handicappers. Many people are surprised when they are told that in order to break even with pointspread wagers, they must only win 52.4 percent of their wagers. This may not seem like a difficult task but let me assure you that it is not simple either. Even the most successful sports handicappers can only manage to win between 55 - 62 percent of their games.
The majority of you have seen or at least heard advertisements for sports handicapping services. Their ads are plastered in the morning paper’s sports section, magazines such as SPORTSFORM and all over the internet. Phrases such as “83% speaks for itself” or “documented 79% winners” tend to catch people’s attention. Have you ever wondered why there are so many handicapping services out there? The answer is that most gamblers, especially those who have not been too successful by wagering alone will pay, “professional” handicappers for their picks. We’ve all heard the expression “there’s a sucker born every minute” and none of us like to think that we’re the sucker. The fact of the matter is that there has never been an industry that relies so heavily on ‘suckers’ than sports handicapping. I can tell you right now that 99.9% of sports handicapping services are scams.
To further illustrate my point, let me ask you to pick up a USA Today or any other sports gambling magazine and call a few of the 1800 #’s that these guys have advertised. Many will try to generate calls by offering their first week free or they may offer you deals such as “pay after you win”. Usually, some guy with a sleazy voice will answer the phone and will immediately try to take control of the conversation. Almost invariably, the man on the phone will ask that you leave him your phone number and he will go on to tell you that one of their representatives will be calling you right back. Why do you think they do this? Once they have your phone number on file and you have shown interest in their service, they will continue to call you with their “lock of the year” or their “insider information games”. They will tell you that these games can’t miss and that you should free up as much money as you can to place on the game. Once they are through with you, they will sell your phone number to as many other sleazebags that they possibly can. Leaving your phone number with just one of these characters guys may result in dozens of unwanted phone calls. Most of these guys realize that they will eventually be discovered for the fraud that they are and will try to squeeze their customers for as much money as they possibly can right off the bat. They will use lines such as “normally such a game sells for 500$ but in good faith I will offer it to you today for a mere 250$” - “To prove myself”. They will try to make callers believe that this is such a golden opportunity that you would be crazy to pass it up. They will try to get you to bet over your head without any concern for the consequences when their games lose. These guys are professional con men who prey on the weakness and vulnerability of gamblers. They know that most of their callers have been unable to succeed at sports wagering by themself. Therefore, it is easy for them to make it seem like it is impossible to win without their help. When doing your “call around test” notice how they will never tell you the price of their service right up front. They will almost always ask a question such as “how much do you normally move on a game?” or “how much would you be able to get down on a very big game?” Don’t be fooled. These are specially designed questions that help them determine how much to try to fleece you for. There are many types of gamblers out there, ranging from those who average 25$ a game to those who average 25 000$ a game. If you tell them that you are normally a small player, they will adjust their price accordingly. If you reveal that you are a big time player, their price will skyrocket. They will NEVER tell you what they have to offer up front and what it will cost. It’s simple really… why would someone who can pick 70 to 80 percent winners need to call you over and over again to sell you their “Monday night lock of the year”?
We are not trying to say that every tout service out there is dishonest or that we at SportSavant are the only honest people in the business. We are, however, trying to give our clients a warning about how callous and malicious this industry can be. Remember, if someone is offering you something that sounds too good to be true then it probably IS! Again, it never ceases to amaze me how people will gamble with such reckless abandon, even though they are normally very intelligent and wise in everyday life. If someone was to call your house and offer you ridiculous income opportunities, what would you do? You would probably hang up on them and curse them for disturbing your peace. Why should things be any different in the sports handicapping or tout industry? It shouldn’t. Most people cannot accept the fact that to be successful in this industry takes hard work and dedication just like any other industry. Those who focus on the fast buck will always end up behind.
