This idea that most of the guys betting on sports every weekend are “pretty much breaking even” is wrong. Anyone can get lucky on a long shot, but as soon as you demonstrate the ability to get the real edge – the one that understands that odds pricing is the only thing that matters, you are kicked out for life.
“The house always wins,” is a well-known phrase for a reason. Mathematically, games in casinos are rigged in their favor. Games that are more favored towards the player have lower payouts. Blackjack, for example, is a solved game and therefore doesn’t pay out as much as poker, which has no limits and the house takes a cut of the pool one way or another. Slots are another good example of a rigged game. The odds of a jackpot are so horrendously low, casinos can afford to give players free drinks and rooms for playing penny slots.