Gambling dates back to the Paleolithic period, before written history. In Mesopotamia the earliest six-sided dice date to about 3000 BC. However, they were based on astragali dating back thousands of years earlier. In China, gambling houses were widespread in the first millennium BC, and betting on fighting animals was common. Plan your attack. As with any new travel venue, you’ll get the most out of your Vegas vacation when you familiarize yourself with your surroundings first. After you check in, take a walk around your hotel and casino, and note where the vending machines, restaurants, restrooms and seating areas are. Be sure to join the players clubs at the casino(s) and use it every time. Some of the casinos had winchips years back - do a search, maybe some still do. I think you got 10-15 in non-negotiable chipos for about half price - buy at the players club. This was for first-timers, i know palace station and texas station had them - but as i said many years ago.

Ever walk into a casino sports book and feel like you’re looking at the mission control of an alien spaceship? It can be an overwhelming experience as a first-time bettor, especially if you don’t know what the numbers on the digital boards mean. All you know is that you’re confident this team is going to beat that team and you’d like to lay down some money on it.

Well, that’s called betting the moneyline.

Like any hobby, sports betting is one of those activities with its own language, set of best practices, and house rules. Rookies have to learn what all of this entails, often from a friend who is already confident in their knowledge. Once you learn a handful of sports betting tips for beginners, you’ll feel confident placing a bet on a legal sports gambling app like the one from BetMGM or strolling up to a cashier to wager on a game or team you like.

Similar to our guide to NFL betting tips, we wanted to put together a little piece that explains some of the basic things you need to know about sports betting before putting your hard earned cash on a game.

How does a spread work?

In games like football and basketball you’ll see two teams listed. For example, on opening night of the NFL season this year, the Kansas City Chiefs are -9.5 vs the Houston Texans. What this means, is that if you want to bet the Chiefs, they need to beat the Texans by 10 points or more in order for you to win. If the Chiefs win by 7, then you didn’t “cover the spread” and that would be a loss. On the opposite side, you can bet the Texans +9.5, which means you would win if the Texans lose by 9 points or less, or win the game outright.

What’s a moneyline bet?

In baseball, you will see bets like this: New York Yankees -200 vs Toronto Blue Jays +175. What this means is that you are betting the moneyline, which is just betting a team to straight up win. However, the more likely a team is to win, the more expensive the bet is. In this example, you need to put up $200 to win $100 on the Yankees. But if you bet $100 on the Blue Jays in this bet, and they win, you will win $175. Betting favorites on the moneyline can be expensive!

What is the “juice”?

When you bet a game with a spread, you’ll notice that most of your bets will say -110 or -120. That means that you need to risk $110 in order to win $100. This is called the “juice” or the “vig”. This is essentially how the casinos make their money.

What’s a parlay bet?

A parlay is a bet where you group together a bunch of bets, but must win all of them in order to cash the ticket. These bets can be fun, and depending how many bets you put in, can offer a huge payoff with very little cash to risk. Below is a table that shows general odds on parlays if you are betting regular -110 spreads. This chart is based on risking $100. Remember though, while four teams may hit for you in your five team parlay, that one loss makes the entire bet a loser. So choose carefully!

Have multiple places to bet

The odds on bets are not necessarily the same from sportsbook to sportsbook. The Chiefs in the example above may be a 9.5 point favorite on one book, but only a 9 point favorite on the other. That’s a pretty important thing, as if you bet the Chiefs -9.5 and they win by 9, you lose your bet. But if you bet them at the other book at -9, then you would have pushed, and gotten your money back. Always look at multiple sites and get the best line possible!

Stay within your means

We are betting on these games to be entertained. If you go on a losing streak, it happens to everyone. Don’t get out of control and start doubling up, trying to get your losses back. Bet the games to have some extra fun, but don’t go over your head!

Where should I bet?

Find reputable books to bet on, ones that are approved by your state. The great thing about these books, is they are always looking to get new customers, and offer some great promotions – like this $600 risk free bet from BetMGM! Before signing up, make sure you do a quick google search on that specific site, there are usually some great deposit bonuses available that will get you some extra money to place on some bets

—

The BroBible team writes about products and services that we think you want. Occasionally, we write about items that are a part of one of our affiliate partnerships and we will get a percentage of the revenue from sales.

By Ray Wallin

Whether you are a casual horseplayer or you make your living playing the races, we’ve all been there. At some point you were a beginner horseplayer too.

Some of us were more fortunate than others to have someone introduce us the sport and to help us understand the wagering and handicapping sides of the game. I had my Uncle Dutch who gave me a great foundation to become the handicapper I am today during that misspent summer on the apron of the Monmouth Park grandstand.

Many people aren’t so lucky. Going to the track without understanding how the betting works and having no clue what anything means can be an overwhelming experience. After all, you are not playing with Monopoly money, you are playing with your hard earned money.

Yet, there is no need to feel overwhelmed and terrified of going to the track. If you take the time to follow a couple simple tips, you’ll feel more confident going in and need a wheelbarrow to haul your winnings back out.

A decade ago I made friends with the dad of one of my kid’s friends. Over a couple of beers at his son’s birthday barbecue the entire group of dad’s started chatting about hobbies and interests. As I was explaining how I enjoy handicapping and gambling his ears perked up. I knew he was hooked. It turns out that his dad had been a bookie in Brooklyn and made sure that his kids never got into gambling. As the evening wound down and cake was served, he pulled me aside and said “take me with you.”

At first I thought he was exhausted and wanted to get away from the huge mess the dozen or so kids had left after being pumped up on sugar and soda. The perplexed look on my face caused him to add, “… to the track, I want to know more.”

Relieved that I wouldn’t need to babysit a grown man that was half in the bag, I agreed. A couple weeks later First-Time Frank and I set off down to Monmouth Park for his first trip to the track. On the ride down he had a million questions. Since I was driving I handed him my past performances and all my notes. His eyes widened as he said “I thought you just went down and picked a horse?”

As we sat in the usual Route 36 traffic I told First-Time Frank that is was a bit more complicated than that. He responded with a “teach me o’ wise one,” and offered to buy the beer that day. That was an easy sell.

Through the course of the day I showed him what I looked at and what I looked for in both the past performances and the paddock. I could tell he was overwhelmed. I reminded him to write things down and that over time it would come much more naturally. At the end of our day his bankroll was hurting. So I gave him an assignment that consisted of five items.

1. Handicap Often

Author Malcolm Gladwell coined the 10,000-hour rule. He claimed that doing anything for 10,000 hours would make you an expert. While this has been defended, debated, and debunked by some, it isn’t totally without merit. If you don’t take the time to handicap the races, how will you ever learn more and improve upon what you are doing?

I told First-Time Frank that I would send him a track a day for the next couple of weeks. I wanted him to handicap each card. See what worked and what didn’t work. Write down how he did.

Eventually when you handicap enough races, you start to see the same scenarios unfold. It could be lone early speed or a one dimensional frontrunner. It could be a field of first time starters or maidens that are all trying something new. The only way to get more comfortable with your handicapping process and the characteristics of each type of scenario is to handicap a number of them and learn from each race.

2. Read And Emulate Others

Beg, borrow, or steal books on handicapping from friends, family, or the library. Play with the ideas and concepts of Ainslie, Beyer, Quinn, Quirin, Cramer, and Pizzolla, to name a few. I guarantee that you will find at least one great takeaway from every handicapping book or article you read. Read the obscure authors as well like Pandolfo, Vaccaro, Klein, and Stich. Some of my best ideas have come from books by lesser name authors.

Collect these thoughts. Write them down. Add them to your handicapping arsenal.

Slot Gambling Tips

3. Show Your Picks To Others

I told First-Time Frank to join a couple of online message boards or to post his picks on social media in horseracing groups. Start a conversation or thread on a particular race or card. When you start adding analysis to your picks others will chime in either for or against your selections. This will force you to see different perspective and traits or qualities you may have missed in your own handicapping.

Take it one step further. Record yourself giving analysis, pretending to be like Track Handicapper Travis between races. Try to use the same words as they do and talk about class, pace, and connections. Put it on YouTube for the world, or your four closest friends, to see.

You’ll be surprised at what you can learn when you are “talking the talk.”

4. Level Up

Gambling Tips For Beginners

When you lose, get angry with your performance. Don’t beat yourself up, but get angry that you didn’t handicap the race successfully. When you are angry with your performance, it shows that you care about your results. When you are angry with your performance, it means that you care.

Know that you will fail a lot before you find success. Make mistakes and learn from them. Get angry at failure and work your butt off to find what your best way to win is.

5. Make Sure You Have Fun

This is the most important assignment I gave First-Time Frank. When you have a passion for the races you will find it more interesting, when you think of it like a chore you won’t enjoy it.

Embrace the day. The pomp and circumstance of the paddock, the characters you’ll meet like Rail Guy, the specialty food and drinks – take in the entire experience and appreciate every minute that you get to be at the track and in the presence of so many amazing, majestic animals.

Gambling Times Magazine

When First-Time Frank and I returned to the track towards the end of the summer, he was a different man. He had built a good handicapping foundation. He understood the conditions of the races, how to wager, and most of all he had a plan when he arrived at the track. First-Time Frank was confident in his selections and we enjoyed talking about our views of the races on that lazy August Friday afternoon card at Monmouth Park. This time, I offered to buy the beer since First-Time Frank was busy checking out the horses in the paddock and Rail Guy had somehow caught his ear.

First Time Casino Tips

I am sure you have heard the expression that “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and the same holds true for handicappers. By exposing yourself to the game and other handicappers you can overcome the beginner’s fears and be successful at the track.