[CrazyL]

Math guys are gamblers, too.

Investors take big risks, when they know the rhyme and reason is clearly against making such a move. We're all human, the numbers are always perfect, the application usually isn't, that's what this flow of information is all about. Sharpening ones mind, so they can then apply what they've learned to the best of their ability. I understand all that. I also understand how the human mind works.

Tell me, is there NEVER a situation where, for whatever reason, you feel your edge is enough to take an -EV shot of betting well above your means, an ATS situation with no protection or hedge factor involved? If so, tell me what you've done to calculate that edge any differently than the monotonous, slow-paced % bets that never invoke the rush associated with problem gambling?

I know some of you calculator wielding, number crunching guys splurge once in a while- I want to know when.

[MrX]

I find anything approaching full-Kelly to be plenty rush-inducing.

Of course, that depends on what kind of edge you have.

[picoman]

i got burned so many times with all in

[forex]

It is true that many big investors got to where they were by going all in not only in sports betting but in general investing. If you want to make it big then thats the way to go and those that go all in have big balls.

[MrX]

Originally Posted by forex

If you want to make it big then thats the way to go...

I would argue that this is just not true.

If you want to make it big, work very hard to obtain and quantify a significant edge and size your bets in a near-optimum way. Betting inappropriately large portions of your bankroll is a good way to not make it big.

[MrX]

Of course, if you don't have an edge and you want to make it big, then by all means, go all in as many times as necessary.

[cobra_king]

Originally Posted by MrX

Of course, if you don't have an edge and you want to make it big, then by all means, go all in as many times as necessary.

100% true as it's the only way someone betting without an edge can make it big.

I don't believe there is ever a time to go all-in. If you can obtain and sustain edges in every bet you make, why would one ever risk being able to exploit that edge by risking and maybe losing his entire bankroll on one bet.

[forex]

i am not just talking about sports betting but general investing. look at all the people that have their money in company options. look at the microsoft empployees early in the start making 30k a year be in the millions from that stock. look at google founders... michael dell put all his money in his company.

[Arnold]

Originally Posted by forex

i am not just talking about sports betting but general investing. look at all the people that have their money in company options. look at the microsoft empployees early in the start making 30k a year be in the millions from that stock. look at google founders... michael dell put all his money in his company.

It would help if you also look at those, that didn't make it. You're looking probably at 0.00001% of those that tried and succeeded. You can get lucky one time, of course, but that's not the point in sports betting. You will lose it all the next time. If you want to make it big, then do it slowly and wisely.

[20Four7]

I knew Nortel employee's who were counting their days till retirement when the stock was $120 a share. They are all still working there as no one got out and most continued to buy during the high side as employees. The only time to go all in is "if" your playing poker and your holding the nuts. Even then you might still get drawn out on and presumably your whole roll isn't on the table. Even with a 100% arb you shouldn't go all in mostly due to the difficulty of moving money around and the cost of moving money around. And a 100% arb is guaranteed.

[durito]

Putting 100% of your money into a company is a bit different than betting your entire bankroll on Memphis -6

[CrazyL]

Originally Posted by durito

Putting 100% of your money into a company is a bit different than betting your entire bankroll on Memphis -6

It will either turn out to be a good or bad investment. It is not much different. If gamblers want to refer to themselves as investors, it should go with the territory that sometimes you will take an extraordinary risk.

You can argue against doing it in the short-term, but the entire idea is to set yourself up in a stronger position for the future, so I am not opposed to the idea of rolling the dice on few occasions. One can argue that although you would avoid putting yourself in a vulnerable position, without taking any bigger risks than your bankroll or edge would dictate you are constricting yourself financially.

[pat venditto]

it is never ok to go all in. NEVER. and yes the key to beating any gambling game is understanding the math of gambling

[turnip]

Put my vote down for never.