So this sports bettor is the best sports bettor. Bets the biggest bets the smartest strike rate second to none get the drift, but his bets are never connected back to him, keeps changing Beards: Someone who places a wager for another person (aka "runner"). Uses a alias so not even the runners working for him know who they are really working for. He makes the biggest and the most popular sports bettors out there known to most other sports bettors and media look nickle and dime players, doesn't even tell his friends maybe one a bit only how he really makes his earn because he never shows his hand because each time he has previously they just cant help themselves but to tell others meaning its -EV for his edge.


Some quotes on ego is the enemy


This quote is true until someone is successful for a while

drive and ego work best together


again not if no one knows your truly impressive

So the question is What's the point of being the best if nobody knows how good you are?

I dont think there is a point. Id like to argue that someone who became "the best" in whatever area for himself, did so because he loves doing what he does. Hence he doesnt really care about being the best. It may give some sense of satisfaction.

You do sports betting for money, not ego. In fact I'd argue to the latter is a hindrance to the consistent rationality needed to succeed.

Edge needs ego to keep pushing that edge even further from the competition. And being the best is amazingly hard work) it becomes a bit repetitive and boring at times especially if you're not recognized by your peers.



If you're only sports betting for money you will make money sure, but you'll never be great. Said person does not do it for the money and never did.

The only reason to bet is for money.

The most famous sports better in the world will have a fan base made up of a few idiots, so better to be not known at all so as to avoid having to deal with a slightly greater number of idiots than the average person.

There are a variety of reasons why someone would strive to be the best at something. He might do it for the sense of accomplishment that it brings. Or he may do it to gain respect from his peers. Or just for money.

The relative weights of those reasons depend on the person himself and his situation in life. For example, certain people get more of a utility boost from fame than others. This could be for biological reasons or simply because they already have some fame. For this person, feelings of self accomplishment may the greater motivator in seeking excellence.

I can take pleasure in solving a very difficult problem even if nobody else ever knows. You have to be a huge cuck to be unable to be motivated by that.

I don't disagree that a strong emotional or base-need-fulfilling hook is needed for greatness. Does it have to be ego though? Is it ego to enjoy the challenge of playing a game well? Of gaining mastery of a complex system? I don't know that it is. Do you need ego somewhere along the way to get the point where you have the intellectual capability/skill to even do well at high level pursuits?

For me, taking on hard challenges is about the thrill/satisfaction I feel of my mind working to full capacity. Kind of like a some athletes get. I see that as separate to ego - it's more the joy of living.

Interesting discussion to have. I see the enjoyment of competition and challenge as being somewhat separate to ego. But maybe that's just a lack of (self?) awareness on my part.

In this particular case, the person would be an idiot if they sought any of those things through sports betting for the very reason I gave above.

I'm not sure I completely follow your argument. It seems that this is your argument:

1) The more famous we are in sportsbetting, the greater the number of "idiot" fans we have.

2) All else being equal, our goal should always be to minimize the amount of idiot fans we have.

Therefore, the only valid motivation for being successful in sportsbetting is to make money.

Is that it or am I missing something? Your conclusion seems problematic...

What if EV(known) < EV(unknown)?

Enjoying the process is ok.

Enjoying figuring things out is also valid. Enjoying winning just for the sake of winning can also be valid.

Otherwise, you are correct.

If you're a champion athlete you kick a goal the crowd goes wild; similar with say a chess grandmaster who is viewed by a audience as he plays/crushes his opponents, compare these to a sports bettor who is grinding 12 hours a day 7 days a week and 99% of the time alone like most poker players, discusses sports betting theory with know one "edge"; see the difference? Thrill and satisfaction sure but what about when you have been the best for a while. As the title of the thread "What's the point of being the best if nobody knows how good you are?".

??

If you know my strategy in tic-tac-toe, I can't win.

I'm not the best at anything, just on trying to lead plaaynde's life with some dignity. Why am I the best on that? Simply because there is nobody else doing it.

Sometimes it is easier to turn the question upside down: Is there a point in being the best other than other people knowing how good you are?

It is essentially the same question.

Also, great sports betters aren't grinding 12 hours per day, 7 days per week alone. They develop a rational strategy (or data mine), backtest it (or do out of sample tests), then apply it. Then they watch the games, which can be done in the presence of others.

dude

I'm pretty good at being me. Someone more skilled and motivated could probably do a better job being me though.

I cannot argue with that logic.

If you can't conceive of any problem with being a well-known sports betting shark that wagers a couple orders of magnitude larger than everyone else, maybe you don't understand enough about how it works.

There's plenty of enjoyment in living in $1000/night penthouses indefinitely. And plenty of ego experiences that flow from that. Money >>>>>>>> ego.

What is the point in being halfway competent if no one knows about it?

What is the point in brushing your teeth if no one knows about it?

It is all clearly pointless if it doesn't make you famous among the hundreds of people who would give half a rat's ass if they would know.

There's actually something very satisfying about being better at something than others think. Not only is being great its own reward, but the secret itself has value.