DaRoots said:
I don't understand why everyone wants to be a pro. There is a ton of work involved with being a pro. If your picks are good enough to be a pro, you should be able to make a living playing your picks...you don't need to sell them! If you are so confident in your picks, don't waste your time with all the write-ups that you have to do to become pro. I follow about 3-4 forum posters that don't include write-ups with their picks. However, they do include their records. That's all that matters to most people. Make your picks and post your record. You will definitely develop a following if you are respectful to everyone. Good luck with your picks this season. I'm looking forward to see what you bring to the forum.
You make a lot of good points, but I completely disagree with one and everyone says it. "If you're so good, just bet your own picks." I don't think people realize how big a bankroll you need to have to live as a professional bettor. If you want to make 55K a year before taxes, you need a minimum 100k roll. There are probably lots of people who are very good handicappers, yet don't have 100K laying around, or haven't accumulated enough of a roll to bet for a living. That being said, even if you are not a "sell out" handicapper-which makes it almost impossible to turn a profit-it is waaaaay harder to win selling than betting on your own. There are so many ways to make money betting from props, to middles, to scalps, to all types of exotics. As a handicapper, you have too stick with the big sports, and generally only sides and totals, which are the toughest things in all sports betting to beat.