I had been having a pretty good week. I hit on a bunch of college basketball games this week, and did well in the NBA and NHL. I was feeling great. Then, Friday/early Saturday hit; it was a debacle. It was a punch in the mouth. Just when you think you have things figured out, wham! But you know what? Being able to take that punch in the mouth and keep going… that’s the lesson here, or maybe, just avoid the punch the next time?
My night started off with one of those half point losses. I had the Hornets -4.5 vs the Spurs. Game was in the bank. Hornets were up by 5 with 5 seconds left; Spurs had the ball. Dude banks in a desperation three pointer to cut the lead to 2 points; it didn’t matter that the Hornets made both free throws. A 4 point win meant a half point loss for me; gotta love those. This would be a hint on how the entire evening would go. Next, the Magic… 5 point underdogs to Philly in Orlando, and they got smacked. Next, the Pelicans… 2 point favs vs the Suns in New Orleans, and Booker goes bonkers; I took them in-game too… beautiful. The Ls were starting to stack up. Next the NHL finals started rolling in. Panthers losers at home to the Wild; I took them in game too… ugly. Blue Jackets got crushed at home by the Devils. Took the Red Wings in-game as I was reeling; another loser. 0-8 on the evening… and it continued early Saturday. My college bball trend that had been money failed me. You remember… the unranked home favorites over the ranked visitor? St Johns, loser. Texas, winner, but another half point short for me. Cincy, loser. 11 bets in a row down the toilet… flush! The thing about it… it didn’t feel as horrible as I thought; this is progress!
See, getting through the tough stretches, that’s what it’s about, because guess what? They WILL happen; can apply this lesson to life too. How you respond to adversity, that’s the lasting image. So what do I do after losing 11 straight bets? Do I stop betting? Does a good shooter stop shooting if they’re missing all their shots? I’m not sure I’m a “good shooter” yet, but damn right I’m going to keep firing. I have to believe that I will turn it around; I will start to climb back, like I’ve done many times. Not sure how many 11 game losing streaks I turned in, but this too will pass. Sure, I chased a few, but money management and discipline are so critical to stick too when seeing it swirl down the toilet. Lose your units, don’t double/triple up, don’t chase. Keep pushing; keep zoning in. Instead of languishing in my losses, I looked forward to the next opportunity to win some bets. It really is amazing when you go through it, and these lessons sink in.
So how did I do after this 11 bet losing streak? That’s a tale for another day. First, let’s change gears. It was playoff week for my son’s 6th grade basketball team. Did they finish their season undefeated and raise the trophy? The story is coming up next.
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