You might think that becoming a full-time sports bettor and removing all other distractions means you’ll have plenty of time. The truth of the matter is I feel busier than ever before and there still isn’t enough time in the day to fit it all in!
When explaining my new venture to friends, I’ve been asked what else I’m doing with my time, with the assumption that all this betting lark can’t take up that much time…
With something like sports betting however, it can be a year round, 24/7 pursuit. Just as the sun never set on the height of the British empire, there’ll rarely be a time you won’t be able to bet on anything.
It’s not uncommon for sports traders to live the same kind of lifestyle as those in the finance world, with 12 hour days and a relentless schedule. As much as I love trading, that’s not the life I want and besides, it’s one that’s virtually impossible if you have a family too.
So, what’s a typical day in the life of this trader then?
6:00am- Wake up. As much as I’d love a lie-in, my darling daughter is my daily alarm clock and I entertain her with my musings on the day’s fixtures while my wife gets ready for work.
7:00am- Nursery run, gym and breakfast. A healthy mind and healthy body and all that. Although sometimes the gym does get skipped and the breakfast is a sausage McMuffin or a sugar-coated cereal. Once a week I try and do chair yoga which has been very handy seeing as I’m spending so much time sitting down these days.
8:30am- Admin. Definitely the least fun part of the day but a necessary evil. During this time I’ll log all of yesterday’s trades. I use a tool called bettin.gs but lots of people use just a simple spreadsheet. For me, it saves me losing the will to live and I find this tool very handy as I can track all my bets according to the tipster, sport or strategy I’m using and have a look through them to see if I need to do anything differently. I also have a selection of betting robots that I run that require a little maintenance, as well as assisting friends with their betting accounts that have the occasional admin issue to sort out.
9:00am- Research. I like to research my trades earlier in the day and pick out my shortlists. I’ll read up on FlashScore previews, pore over the statistics and make any relevant notes. I’ll read over emails from my favourite tipsters and analysts. If it’s a quiet day with not as much on, I’ll take the time to do a bit of reading to sharpen my knowledge. I also write for a few websites, including Bet Chat, so I’ll use this time to write my articles too.
10:00am- Scanning the markets. As I’m a few hours ahead of the UK in my time zone, I find this is the best time to scan the markets and spot any price discrepancies. I’ll compare on Oddschecker and keep an eagle eye on the racing markets so I can get on at the best possible prices. I’ll also use value betting software to place any value bets on other sports for the day.
12:00 – Lunch. One of the selling points to the missus was that I’d be working from home so I’d be in charge of cooking duties. It’s also a nice break from staring at the screen, while listening to a podcast or audiobook.
13:00- Nap Time. The idea of a grown man needing an afternoon nap might sound ridiculous but for me it’s crucial! I need to be awake and alert later in the evening, so this is the ideal time for me to have an afternoon siesta.
14:30- Free Time. Yes, I’ve turned into that person who does organised ‘fun’. But I like to keep an hour or so free each day where I haven’t got anything specific planned. I can catch up with friends and family, deal with any correspondence or errands or just switch off completely.
15:30- Nursery Run, Family Time and Dinner. The late afternoon is blocked out with family time and a bit of monkeying around. My daughter has just started walking and is already quicker than most of the Spurs defence. We have a bit of dinner, Skype with the grandparents, sort out bath time and story time.
19:30- The Trading Floor. Well, my trading floor right now consists of two laptops and an iPad on a dining room table, but it works for the time being. At this point in the evening, I’m monitoring the US horse racing and placing bets when they arise as well as any value bets on other markets. If there’s a football or tennis game on, I’ll be watching that in the background and trading that too. Recently, I have started in-running trading on UK horse races and there’s usually a few races on until later in the evening. I might have a snack or two to hand and if it’s a quiet night, I might allow myself a beer (but just one so I can still focus when needed).
00:00-01:00 – Wrap Up. At this point in the night, it’s about survival. If I’m fresh enough I’ll keep going as long as I can, as the US horses run all the way till the morning, but usually this is where I hit my wall and need to sleep!
And 6am I go again! But the weekend is sacrosanct for me. Luckily the weekend is a Friday and Saturday here in the Middle East. I don’t switch on my computer until the evening on a Friday and a Saturday. I miss the 3pm kick offs but truth be told, I end up overtrading in those times anyway so that’s probably a good thing at this point in my football trading.
But this isn’t such a rigid schedule that I keep to it religiously. I’d go insane if I did!
I still make time to see friends and catch up, I just try to schedule this on a quiet night of the week or earlier in the day instead. There’s always another event on another day to trade and sport doesn’t stop!
Every now and again, if I’m feeling rough or just not with it, I’ll give myself the night off because it’s no good trying to do this if you can’t focus or your head’s not in the right place either. But for the most part, this seems to be working well!
What about you? If you’re thinking of turning pro, what would you picture your work day to be like? Email us at clients@thebetchat.com.
