Keeping a detailed record of your wagers is a crucial discipline if you want to improve your long term results. No matter your experience level, keeping a clear and consistent record helps you understand what works and what doesn’t. Start by recording the date and time of each bet — this gives you context for when you placed the wager and helps you spot patterns related to time of day, day of the week, or even your own mood and energy levels during certain periods.

Record the exact league and sport you wagered on — this allows you to see which markets you perform best in. Your success may be highest in NBA spreads but struggle with European football totals. Be specific about the teams or players involved and the type of bet you made. Was it a moneyline, waduk700 over under, handicap, or prop bet? Knowing this helps you evaluate your strategy across different bet types.

Write down the closing line you locked in — odds change frequently, and recording the exact number ensures your analysis is accurate. Specify your wager size — this lets you track your risk per bet and calculate your overall return on investment. Be sure to note whether you won or lost and the final payout. It’s critical to measure your profitability.

Add a brief explanation for why you made the wager — what information did you use? Was it based on injury reports, recent form, weather conditions, or something else? This forces you to think critically about your decisions instead of relying on gut feelings. Your best decisions will start to reveal their common threads.

It’s also helpful to note your emotional state when placing the bet — were you frustrated after a loss, Feeling invincible following a big payout, or feeling rushed because you were about to miss the closing line — emotions heavily influence betting behavior, and documenting them helps you recognize when you’re prone to tilt or impulsive decisions.

Set aside time weekly or monthly to analyze your records — Regular analysis uncovers hidden patterns. Are underdogs in the final months consistently costing you? Are your best results coming from late-line wagers? These insights are only possible with good documentation.

Use a straightforward method that sticks — use a spreadsheet — What matters most is that you stick with it — It must serve as your definitive betting archive. This routine turns intuition into analysis, giving you the clarity and discipline needed to succeed.