Things You'll Need:
- Bankroll
- Bookie, online betting account or nearby sportsbook
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Step 1
Get some money together. The amount is up to you. Professional sports bettors might bet an average of $20,000 per game. Many online sportsbooks accept wagers as low as $1. So really, it's your call, although $100 is usually a good starting point for a novice gambler.
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Step 2
Find an outlet to place your bets. If you live in or near Las Vegas, you don't have to go far to find a sportsbook. However, if you don't live in a city with legalized sports betting, there are other options. You could contact a bookie, an individual who takes wagers just as a sportsbook would, or you could bet online. There are many websites that offer betting on baseball games, including the online Resources listed below.
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Step 3
Select an outlet (an online account probably being the easiest to manage) and get ready to wager on baseball. There are many types of wagers available, the most basic and commonly bet being the money line wager. In every baseball game, one team is favored over another. So if a weak team (let's say the Pittsburgh Pirates) is playing a strong team (New York Mets), the Mets would be favored to win. The Mets might be -160 and the Pirates +150. If you take the Mets, you have to bet $16 to make $10 in profit, but if you take the underdog Pirates, a $10 bet gives a $15 profit. These lines are largely determined by the starting pitchers.
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Step 4
Use a casino sportsbook. Approach a betting window and say, "I'd like to take the Mets money line - 16 dollars to win 10, please." Unless the line has suddenly moved (to say, -155 or +162) the teller will confirm your bet and give you a slip of paper indicating your wager. Hold on to that ticket because if you win, you'll be cashing it in. If you're betting online, you simply log in to your site, go to the "baseball" tab, click the box next to the Mets, enter your wager, and click "Place Bet." Most sites ask you to click a box to confirm your bet. The money is immediately deducted from your account, but if you win you are paid the amount of your bet plus your winnings.
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Step 5
Know that in the aforementioned hypothetical game, it shouldn't be hard to see how sportsbooks make a profit. They take a 10% rake (you had to bet $16 to win $10 but the $10 bet only paid $15). This is called the "house advantage," and it means you have to be an excellent bettor to make money on baseball.
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Step 6
Know that betting 10 games every other day is not the way to win in the long run. It's much wiser to choose two to four games you are confident in and bet those. Try to go two to one and make a small profit instead of attempting the near impossible. Also, if you don't like one particular team, there are other bets offered, such as the over/under, in which you bet whether the total runs scored in the game will exceed a certain number or not. You can also take the -1.5 run line, in which your team needs to win by more than 1 run for you to win your bet (but payout is better).
