Adept vs Gambler: the cognitive dilemma

In psychology, Festinger called it Cognitive Dissonance when there is a conflict between what an individual believes to be right and what is actually practiced. So let’s go to Adept vs. Gambler: the cognitive dilemma.

Adept vs Gambler: the cognitive dilemma

This inconsistency ends up affecting your decision-making process, which causes some kind of suffering. And how is that transported to the betting world? In the biggest dilemma that exists for a bettor: bet on a game of the team itself. And even more when there is more than one club in our preferences.

Let’s start with Psychology. There are three ways to try to resolve this dissonance. It is called Dissonant Relationship when people try to replace one of the dissonance beliefs, opinions or behaviors.

If the individual tries to forget or reduce the importance or strength of these cognitions, we are talking about an Irrelevant Relationship. Finally, if the person tries to acquire new information or beliefs that contradict dissonance and increase consonance, we are talking about Consonant Relationship.

How does this translate into betting? In one of four ways:

– The simplest approach that saves us work and suffering is to be just an adept. That is, do not bet on the games of your team (s). You will watch the game and suffer with the result, but only for the emotional factor and not for the financial fact. Whether your team wins, draws or loses, the accounting balance remains. Every day there are sports events where you can bet, so there is no need to choose those from our team;

– The approach most related to the fan-bettor is that in which we always bet in favor of our team. Whether because we are so biased by the qualities of our team, or because of superstition (“betting against our team, it is bad luck”), or because in fact our team has a winning percentage that is worth the risk, the truth is that there are bettors who prefer to go blind in their team. Advantage of this approach: when you win, satisfaction is twofold. Disadvantage: if you lose, heartburn is also doubling.

– Another approach turns out to be linked to the most pessimistic or cautious fans: those who always bet against their own team. Again, be it for more “rational” reasons like the real performance of the team or the analysis of the team’s defects, or for more “superstitious” reasons. Above all, it turns out to be a cognitive defense of: if they win, I’m happy and the money is screwed; if they lose, I already knew and at least made money. In other words, the formula is that the pocket compensates for the emotional loss or that the joy compensates for the monetary loss.

– And finally, the last approach is that of a professional gambler: look at the game like any other and seek a value bet. If it’s against our team, so be it. If it is less painful, you can look for a bet that does not go directly against our team. For example, imagine that we believe that our team can lose the game. We can then see if there is value in positive handicaps. In other words, we are not betting against our team, even if we rationally think that there will be no positive sporting outcome.

These are the ways to face a game of the team itself in the world of betting.

Usually playful gamblers either do not bet or follow the heart more (betting always in favor or always against the team), and professional gamblers follow the last path more.

I am not a professional gambler, I never lived by betting. I can say that I have already lost and won money to bet, and the balance is balanced.

I do it more for fun and to have a different connection to sport. For a long time I did not bet against my team, either because of emotional bias or superstition.

I was lucky or unlucky that my profession led me to work in my own club. It was three years of much learning, joy and suffering, full of episodes that I will unveil here in my articles.

The negative part was that it took away some of my love for football and even my club. Not that I am the only one with these defects, but we always hope that ours will be different. It is not! As supporters, I assure you that it is better to never mix heart with work.

That is why professional bettors are able to make this separation more easily. If you think you can’t do it, my advice is don’t bet on those games. Just look like supporters.

If you are going to do blindly for or against, don’t do it. There are hundreds or thousands of sporting events every day.

Save yourself the double suffering of betting on a game where you are emotionally invested.

If you can make the distinction and find the value, even if it is against your team, remember that the most important thing is to win the bet.

I hope you enjoyed this tour in the world of Psychology.