How I lost everything in the $10 to $1000 betting challenge:

It took only 5 days.

I was off to a decent start, but I got too careless.

With only a few weeks of betting experience, failure was imminent. I’m gonna outline what I did right, and then what I did wrong.

What I did right:

Believe it or not, I won most of the bets that I placed after the match had already begun—ones I was actually watching.

What does this mean? Basically, if I watch the match, I’m way more likely to win something.

What else?
Bankroll management. I’d give myself a solid 7/10 on this. Some bets were a little high, but for the most part, I did okay. Most of my bets were under a dollar after day 2.

What I did wrong:

I didn’t watch—even track—most of the games I bet on.
My excuse would be that I had too many classes during those times, or that it was just bad luck… but that’s cap. It’s no coincidence that the games I did watch actually won.

Predicting Chelsea not to win and Pafos beat Villarreal was not luck. I could literally see how the teams were playing.

If I had done that for every game, I probably wouldn’t be down to $0.

Conclusion:

So, will I try to become a sports bettor? The short answer: no.

But I would like to mess around with it a little more.

I need to grind this into my head: sports betting, like alcohol, can be okay in moderation—but not in excess.

I have a friend that does sports betting as his main hobby. He puts in $50 a week, and no more. Whether he wins or loses doesn’t matter—he does it for fun.

So if I ever do bet again, I’ll follow these rules:

1. I will never bet on games involving my team (Arsenal).
2. I will set a limit each time I bet—and never go past it, no matter what.
3. I won’t look at it as making or losing money—just having fun.

If you found this article interesting, consider leaving a comment and adding your email to my list. I plan on using this space to mess around with money for the greater good. If I can monetize it, I’d love to run experiments and money-making challenges to inspire others to earn more—and give back to the community.

The “$10 to $1,000” soccer betting challenge

Day 1:

Can I turn $10 into $1,000 with sports betting? And in one month? I’ve got $10, zero experience, and 7/10 ball knowledge, but let’s find out.

This is day one. I deposited $10 into Kalshi (the only app a 19-year-old in Michigan can use), and started looking at todays fixtures.

Most of today’s UCL matches kick off in just 15 minutes, so I have to think quick. (Keep in mind, I started this website 10 minutes ago so I’m on a tight schedule).

Right now, the most promising matches are PSG vs. Bayern Munich and Liverpool vs. Real Madrid.

Even though both of these fixtures are away, I have confidence in Bayern and Real. I will put about 50-60% my bankroll towards these games, while the rest I will spread out. I know this is risky, but if the challenge is risky, the bets have to be risky too.

For both matches, the odds are 38% (+163), but I believe that they are both more likely to win.

Bayern are on a 15-game win streak while PSG barely won against Nice on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are in excellent form whereas Liverpool have lost 6 out of their last 8.

I bought $2.78 each, both of them paying out at $7 if I win. That leaves me with $4.44.

Monaco’s odds are 34%. Though they are away, I believe their odds are higher than 34%. So a $0.72 pays out $2.00. This leaves me at $3.72.

Even though Juventus are in bad form, they’ve won their last two games and are maybe headed back up. They are facing Sporting CP but I do not see Sporting winning away. I bet $1 on Juventus to win $2. Balance: $2.72

Finally, for my last bet, I am betting on an away win for PSV. Both PSV and Olympiacos are in good form, but I bought $0.80 with a $2.00 payout. I have $1.92 remaining.

Alright, I’ll be back tomorrow. Let’s see what happens.

Starting amount: $10
Profit: $0
Bets today: $8.08