Recognizing Patterns

By Sean Benhabib
8-19-06

One of the ways to take advantage of all the statistics available online these days and cash in on their potential is to recognize patterns. Knowing that the Chicago White Sox have not gone Over the total more than 3 times in a row at home this year or that the Grand Salami in the NHL has never soared over the total more than 4 times in a row during the 2005 – 2006 season is absolutey absurd information except if you are a gambler. Streaks always come to an end. Knowing when can be very profitable.

Patterns are everywhere. You get up at 7 every day, you go to bed at 10:30, Monday follows Tuesday, the NFL starts in September, intercourse is had on special occassions if not hump day weekly and twice on Tuesdays. Patterns are everywhere and professional sports teams streak, but when does that streak end? Short and long term statistical information is available all of over the place to find out when.

The Chicago White Sox have gone Over the total 3 straight times at home this season 4 times. That means that the final score has surpassed the near pick'em line no more than 3 straight times all season long at their place on the south side. If you know this, then betting on the Under in a situation where the Over has won 3 straight times at home for the White Sox could be a very valuable proposition. It's happened 4 times. That's 4 times in 5 months that a serious opportunity to double one's money has been presented.

Now say for instance you don't recognize the first opportunity because you don't know what the limit for this Over pattern is. Afterall, nobody knows initially what the length of the streak is going to be. However, once it happens the first time, and a second time, and then a third, the length of the pattern begins to get clearer. If it happens again, you know to bet on the Under, and at rates of -105, -110, -115, or even -120, nearly doubling your money is not totally out of the question. The secret to betting on patterns is patience.

Let me explain what kind of patience I am talking about. In hockey, there is a wager known as the Grand Salami. It is the total number of goals scored on any given night in the National Hockey League from all the teams. You can bet on the Over or the Under. Last season, the Over never took place more than 4 times in a row. This streak happened at the beginning of the season and twice at the end. Now if you take away the first time because you don't how long the initial streak is going to last, you're still left with 2 opportunities in a 9 month period to almost sure fire double your money at rates of -130 and -110.

Betting on patterns is not a daily opportunity, but rather a daily chore. You have to know who is streaking and what the more than likely limit for that streak is. This information is all over the place. Now, sometimes the streak grows exponentially meaning that it breaks the limit and sets a new precedent. This will rarely happen in the short term with a good sized streak. Sometimes the streak is so long that it is rarely ever duplicated. Sometimes keeping track of these streaks is a task really left up to an assistant, but they are everywhere; not only in wins and losses, Overs and Unders, but in totals, and the odds. The odds that a particular odd is going to happen can be greater or less depending on the odds' pattern.

For example, the Los Angeles Dodgers have played roughly 27 games with a line of 9 runs. Now in those 27 games, the Under has been the play roughly 10 times. However the Under has never occurred more than twice in a row, specifically at 9 runs. At 8 runs it's different, at 8.5 runs it's different, but at 9 runs specifically the Under run has never surpassed 2 this season.

If one is serious about making money by gambling on sports I recommend following a pattern. Whether it's wins or losses, totals, what have you, follow one or two. The payoff in the short run is minimal because information must be gathered first in order to have a criteria to make a decision. However, once that information is gathered opportunities will present themselves. They may not happen everyday, they may not happen every week, but rest assured 2 or 3 times per month a serious situation will arise when money can be doubled. The trick with any gambling situation is to be patient. Do not mix business with pleasure. Everybody falls victim. They either get too involved, or not involved enough. Making a living on sports gambling is not something that many people do right off the bat. It's usually a supplemental income, but like anything else can become long term. It's just a matter of how much you put into it, and in the case of gambling, how much you can take out. Being patient and following patterns is one way to take out more than you put in.

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