3 Reasons Why Betting on Your Team is Stupid

I’m here because I love Tottenham Hotspur, you’re here because you love the Spurs, it’s a thing. Sometimes the team feels like more than your family, even if they do make stupider decisions than your father-in-law at Christmas after too many whiskeys sometimes.

But me, I’d like to think that I make less stupid decisions than I used to. And one of those decisions is making the choice not to bet on the Spurs. At all.

Sure, I used to bet on them when I just knew they were going to have a win, but now I’ve given it up entirely.

Why, you ask?

I’ll give you three hot damn good reasons why.  

Don’t bet stupid

1. It’s thinking with your heart, not your head

Even when you’re betting based on some seriously good odds of your team winning, your heart’s still coming into play – and thinking with your heart will get you in trouble. It certainly got me into trouble more than a few times, especially when it comes to that good old-fashioned team spirit.

Thinking with your heart will see you betting on the boys, even when the odds are against them, because you’ve got that belief that they might just get over the line with this or that team this time.

When they lose, and you lose the bet, then you’ll be doubly disappointed. If you ask me, I’m disappointed with a loss enough as it is, thank you very much. I don’t need to disappointment of losing my hard earned along with the loss.

And another thing while I’m at it, too: if you can’t bet against your team, don’t bet on the game at all. 

2. It toys with your emotions

When you’re betting on your boys, then it’s a much more difficult relationship to unpack than if you’re betting on some old nag at the track that you couldn’t give two hoots about. 

For me, it kind of cheapens my love for the team a bit. Don’t ask me why, it just does. I want to love them purely, without any reward for my support – other than a win on the field of course. I want to be a fan just because I am a fan, not because it’s going to pay me some dividends. I want to jump around like an idiot after a win just because they won, not for any selfish reasons. Although I do like to rub a win in a mate’s face just for selfish reasons, but that’s something else entirely…

There’s also the case that you feel like you’ve let yourself down if you bet on your team and they lose. Like, “Why did I ever think this was the match I was going to win big on!” Which then, you automatically feel like it’s your fault for being too invested in the team.

Being too invested in your team is fine. Be a mad supporter with all the gear, at every match, and know all the players stats. Just don’t get financially involved.

3. There are plenty more things to bet on!

Emotions will only decrease your chances of winning money, what will increase your chances is picking right place to gamble. In the United Kingdom there are so many options where you can gamble, so make sure you pick the right one.

You can bet on the horses. The dogs. Tennis, gridiron, Australian rules football, football in other countries, netball, hey, probably even bowling. The sports betting scene is freaking huge and diverse, so forget about the Spurs and the league for a minute, eh?

And of course, it’s not just sports, poker’s a fun game, as is blackjack, you might prefer roulette or having a go on the fruit machines or the slots. 

Plus, you don’t even have to go down to the local, you can do it all from your phone.

Don’t be an idiot

Betting on your team is stupid. Even if you win you cheapen your team spirit in my opinion, plus you’re more likely to lose because you have too much confidence in the boys!

Yes, I did it for a while, but that’s my take on the matter and what I learned from it. If you have a different opinion, feel free to change my mind in the comments.