[goldengoat]

assuming similar amount of money won or lost as well as thought/skill put into the pick, are the emotional highs from winning greater or less than the emotional lows from losing

i get satisfaction from wins but i take losses harder

i think i expect to win and when that doesn't happen, it's a double whammy of losing $ and being wrong

luckily i usually win more than i lose because i can see how losing can be mentally unhealthy for people as well as financially disastrous

[mad]

Hate losing, absolutely hate it. Particularly when i get rolled due to lack of effort. Not a happy chappy at all. Beats by the better team, 50/50 situations or poor capping on my part i'm not too fussed. But lazy, spoilt mofo's drive me nuts.

[Mudcat]

I'm with everyone else (so far). I feel the losses more.

I guess it's human nature. I lose and I'm pissed because I lost. I win and I'm pissed because I should have bet more.

[bigboydan]

i think most people probly feel that way mudcat. as the old saying goes... "hind site is 20/20.

[Dark Horse]

Good topic. In the long run how we deal with our emotions will have a major impact on our success. Losing is harder because winning confirms something we already knew. When we win everything is as it is supposed to be. But when we lose, we are confronted with our own ignorance. Ouch.

I try to eliminate emotion as much as possible. It will just cloud my vision. I have two betting categories: systems and experimental.
In the first I know my winning percentages, and am just playing the numbers. No need for emotion.
The second is research to develop more systems. Much smaller bet size. Definitely more of a roller coaster.

Watching a game on tv often creates tunnel vision. Suddenly the game becomes a must-win, while it really is just part of a much bigger picture. (Plus the commentators are usually full of sh*t.) The stats tell the story, and I often prefer to watch those instead, especially when I'm on several games at the same time. Also avoids irritation about the refs. (Refs.... anyone else's number one emotional topic in sports betting?).

All that said, the hardest game to lose is the one that was won.

[totobernal]

I feel it more when I win cuz when I make a bet on any team or on any gambling game or so.. I put my mind like.. ok this money i'm losin it right now.. so when i win i get extra happy!
well i have won more than i have lost...

[Illusion]

Wins are great, but I can not stand losing. When I first got in this game losses were really tough, but over the years I have learned to brush them off.