You know that feeling you get when you drop big money on Aussie football lines and your pick plays out? If it’s happened to you, there’s no better feeling. But the truth about Aussie football betting—and any online sports betting for that matter—is that the house always wins.
When you bet on football, you’re laying down money on odds calculated by sports betting geniuses. These are guys who know how to move the lines perfectly to make sure they make a killing week after week after week. Yes, you can make money betting on Aussie football. Lots of people do. But the truth is that you need to hit above 54% of your bets to actually make money betting on sports—and the top Aussie football punters just barely hit that.
That’s why so many football bettors are turning to online poker as a means to not only make money, but also have fun. With sports betting, you drop your money down on a team or an outcome and wait for the final results. For poker players there’s action along the way. And best of all, you’re playing against other players, not the house.
Not quite ready to make the move? Intimated by how online poker works? There are actually a lot of similarities between Aussie football betting and Texas Hold’em. If you bring the right skills to the tables, you’ll find it really easy to come out ahead.
Bankroll management is key
You already know that the key to making money betting on Aussie football is to never blow your bankroll on a single bet. If you’ve got $1,000 to work with, it’s foolish to bet the farm on one team, hoping that pick comes through. If it doesn’t, and you’ve bet everything, you’re out of luck. And you’re out of money to bet again in the future.
That’s why you never wager more than 5% of your bankroll on a single game. You know that losing streaks happen, and falling victim to one stings way more when you’ve run out of betting power.
The same goes for playing poker online or live. Make sure you never play at stakes that are just too rich for your bankroll. As a rule of thumb, you need to have 20x the buy-in for No Limit Hold’em cash games and 40X the buy-in for Sit ‘n Go tournaments.
Know when the odds are not in your favour
Some Aussie football teams are just horrible. We’re not going to name names because we don’t want to offend fans of specific teams (and we have our allegiances, so even our version of horrible teams might not necessarily be yours). But here’s the deal. If an Aussie football team is on a 12-game losing streak, they’re dealing with sidelined players, and they’re playing an absolute powerhouse of a team, chances are you’re not going to pick them to win. And if you’re looking at the spread, you’re going to examine it closely to see if it’s worth looking at based on the teams’ past performances.
Poker is pretty much the same. But instead of dealing with specific teams and their stats, you’re looking at specific cards. Remember, in Texas Hold’em (the most popular version of poker) you’re dealt two hole cards. These are cards that no one else can see. Your job is to make the best 5-card hand using your two cards and the five face-up community cards that everyone else is eligible to use.
But here’s where it gets interesting. Every hand you’re dealt comes with certain odds of winning. This is true before the flop (when no cards are dealt face-up on the felt). And this is true after each card hits the table.
Some cards are better than others in specific situations, but there are definitely cards that you should toss away right off the bat, including 7-2. That’s actually the worst hand in poker, so if you’re ever dealt that hand, walk away—just like you would from that horrible Aussie football team.
Study every player
You don’t make your Aussie football picks blindly. You’re guided by team performance and how individual players have performed over the last few games. In poker, the same deal applies.
Whether you’re playing online or live, it’s important to study your opponent and take notice of his or her playing style. Are they aggressive? Do they fold most of their hands? The more information you have in your corner, the better decisions you’ll be able to make and the easier it will be to call someone’s bluff.
In online poker, you have the luxury of lurking around a table without even taking a seat or participating in the hand. This is a huge benefit if you want to gauge a player’s methodology, so take advantage.
Ready to play poker? Bet on the right site
If you already bet on football, there’s a chance your sportsbook offers online poker. This isn’t necessarily your best option. If you’re looking for a large pool of players to go to battle with and bigger guarantees, a dedicated poker site might be the better way to go. Read up about things like game selection, customer service, quality of software, stake levels to find the right one for you. Chances are you’ll find a site worth cheering for.
