Having a background as a derivatives trader, as well as a professional poker player has been a seamless combination to transition into investing into sports. They require the same skill set and talents. Both require on the spot reasoning and deductions, drawing from an understanding of probability and game theory. Trading, sports betting, like online poker, is (or should be) computer-based and can be very fast. One has an extremely limited time frame to make successful decisions with imperfect information when seeking the best value or predicting line moves. Trading and sports betting involves making these same snappy decisions with the same imperfect information. Most importantly, trading also results in real-time profit/loss in small time frames. This reflects sports investing very closely, where short and long-term fluctuations are part of the game. A mastery of handling the variance is necessary to being successful in the long-run. Traders as well as sports investing, must produce a strong risk-management plan, and use the most stringent psychology to adhere to it. Both involve a zero-sum game where you must outwit competitors (bookies) and ensure you can stay ahead of the curve. Disciplined long-term winning poker players, sports betters, as well as traders, are accustomed to doing this on a day to day routine.
Our team has written algorithms for hedge funds and there High-frequency trading programs. He uses big data to find value and come up with a plethora of solid winners. We have a former MLB pitcher, who is now a statistics teacher at a local university, and a former JR. college baseball player of the year, analyzing the information that goes into our algorithm. They are looking for data that will produce winners this weekend, as well as over the long term. In MLB, we always take our algorithm into consideration, but in the NFL, this is where our years of experience and our sports handicapping knowledge sets us apart. We come up with big short term gains. We take into consideration steam moves, buy backs and middles. We keep tabs on what the syndicates are doing. Good old fashioned experience in handicapping will always be what sets the best apart in this business. We use our tailored intuition to carve out spots that others can't find. Even though computers are a big help, handicapping is still overall an art more than it is a science. Steve Millard CEO of Kognito, a big data analytic company the specializes in sports analytic and works with some of the biggest bookmakers in the industry, said...
"Oddsmaking is an old-school craft," Millard said. "You get some sports junkies together and read newspapers and understand variables in the game, prior tendencies, emotions. … Football is a gladiator sport, and odds-makers look at it with a human eye and human intuition. Machines can't make these decisions.
We believe we are a perfect mix of Wall Street investment algorithms and old school bookmaking intuition.
I have listed my background as a trader, to show what how these skills have served me well as a sports investor.....
I focused mainly on futures, but a large part of my portfolio was US equity options. I used cutting-edge technology and metrics to exploit market opportunities and improve my performance across all asset classes.I was required to understand the risk components that are inherit to large portfolios and a deep understanding of statistical analysis. I employed a quantitative trading focus and an extensive use of existing prop trading strategies such as....Risk Bids (Blind, GVWAP, GMOC, EFP's), ETF arbitrage strategies, Macro strategies, Event Driven strategies, fundamental strategies, statistical arbitrage strategies, and Volatility strategies were things I did everyday.
A few more job skills and requirements ...
•Performed standard deviation, variance, and risk of ruin calculations for risk analysis. (capital management)
•Performed data analysis to calculate which set ups and situations were the most profitable.
•I used tape reading to project statistical probabilities of the instruments actions to determine your own optimal action.
Always remember! Being right doesn't get you paid!