Betting Guide

Getting into sports betting online can be quite a daunting undertaking, especially if you have little to no experience in sports betting of any sort to begin with. There are dozens of sports and thousands of markets to choose from on any given day. Where to begin? Which sport should you follow? What daily betting guide would be most suited to your style and goals?

Our betting guide book for beginner and intermediate sports bettors, is the perfect place to start. We show you how to get started with sports betting at the right betting provider and run through great tips on how you can get the most out of your sports betting sessions, make a profit and enjoy consistent wins over time.

• Select a reputable and licensed sports betting provider
• Take advantage of betting bonuses and specials
• Learn and understand the basics of sports betting
• Always look for value and put money on best odds
• Learn to pick the best time to place your bet

Starting with the Right Sportsbook

With so many sports betting sites available on the web today, being able to make the right choice is critical. For every great betting provider, there at least half a dozen that are not worth your time. Some betting providers will also specialise slightly in some sports such as soccer (football) or horse racing, and may even be known for that. Others are far more general and make it their business to cover as much ground as possible.

There are a number of ways that you can approach finding and selecting a good sportsbook. One way is to see what other sports bettors are saying about a particular site. Another is to read in-depth, non-biased reviews on all the best sports betting sites currently available. It is also a good idea to actually pick more than one site to sign up with. Being a member of a half dozen or so sports betting sites will give you a far greater scope, and will allow you to really get the best odds on any event possible.

Bonus Offer Considerations

A secondary aspect to choosing a good sports betting provider, has to do with taking a close look at their bonus offers. With so much competition now between different betting sites, each has to rely a great deal on enticing new players through bonus offers. As a result, you can often find great value in betting via a bonus offer.

This is especially useful if the site in question is offering a no deposit bonus such as a free bet or a cashback on your first bet with them. In exchange, all you have to do is register with them to qualify. This will give you a great opportunity to actually field test the betting site, without risking any of your own money in the process.

Learn the Basics

Getting your feet wet with a free bet or two is a great way to get an introduction to sports betting online. However, if you really wish to succeed at betting on sports over the long term, getting a solid grounding in the basics of sports betting is a must.

There is no getting around the fact that sports betting is as much about mathematics as it is about gut instincts and thorough research. Every bet, no matter how simple or complex, revolves around odds. You’ll need to understand how those odds are arrived at, how different odds work and how to read different odds types including fractional, decimal and American odds.

Odds are essentially a representation of a probability percentage and knowing how to work out your potential earnings by multiplying odds with your stake is crucial. This basic understanding of how different odds work and how to read them, will give you the confidence you need to always find the value bets, across all sports betting sites.

Always Look for Value

As more and more sports betting sites pop up all over the web, posting value odds is another way in which competing betting providers work to get your attention. This can play to your advantage, as picking the best odds every time will have a positive influence on your bottom line.

One of the easiest ways in which you can always be in line to take advantage of the best odds posted on any event, is to sign up with multiple sports betting sites. In this way, you will be able to easily compare the posted odds on any event across all the betting sites you belong to. From there, picking the best is a simple process and will always yield the highest profits possible.

Start with Single Bets

While it might be tempting to try your luck with a five-leg accumulator bet on the weekend’s UEFA Champion’s League action on the weekend, it might be a bridge too far. This is especially true if you are still new to online sports betting.

Complex bets such as accumulators (ACCA bets or combo bets) and system bets may be very tempting, but they do take considerable skill and experience to pull off successfully. It is far more constructive to rather start off with single bets, which are much easier to understand and therefore, much easier to make.

As the name suggests, these bets are simple and based on a single choice, usually win or lose, as in the case with a 2 way bet. However, single bets can also feature three different options such as the win, draw or lose options found in a basic 3 way bet.

Timing is Everything

While grounding yourself in knowledge on how odds work, how to find good value and how to take advantage of specials and offers are all key elements, sometimes just knowing when to bet (and when not to) can be everything.

Successful sports betting is as much about knowledge of the game as it is about instinct and gut feelings. This is especially true when it comes to taking advantage of the best odds possible. Bookmakers will alter the odds based on the market and the interest in the event. They may sometimes over estimate the interest on a certain event, posting higher than average odds which you can take advantage of, if you know when to bet.

Sports Betting is Not a Get Rich Quick System

If you think that getting into sports betting will make you rich overnight, you will be sorely disappointed. Yes, one can make a big profit on certain events, but you have to know what you are doing. Knowing the markets, knowing when to bet and when to wait, all play their part in a successful bet.

However, sports betting is a long game and you will find that most pro sports bettors understand this. It is always very tempting when starting out to burn through as many bets as possible. But the art of sports betting is all about taking small steps and building up your bankroll slowly. Successful sports betting is about patience, learning and research, calculation, and finally, betting on a good hunch or tip for a good win.

Patience is King

We’ve just discussed the fact that betting on sports online is not a quick way to riches. While you will undoubtedly find those golden bets where you can really cash in, most of the time it’s all about keeping the engine turning over.

Patience is a virtue, and it could not be truer that when talking about sports betting. Getting excited about an event and anticipating big wins is one of the biggest drawcards to sports betting. However, emotions of excitement should be tempered with discipline and sticking to the rules of a solid betting strategy. This includes being patient, doing the necessary homework in order to capitalise on an event, and learning from your mistakes.

The Bet is Just as Important as The Odds

While we often tend to get caught up in finding the best odds for a given event, we sometimes forget about the actual stake we place on the bet. The size of the stake is just as important as the size of the odds in any bet. In fact, to determine your potential profit in any bet, you have to multiply your stake and the odds given.

As a new player, being able to stick in the game without depleting your entire betting bankroll within your first few bets are vital. To do this, you will need to be careful about how much you put up on a bet. Don’t get sucked in just because the odds are fantastic, be sure that you can afford what you want to stake. There is no use being mesmerised by a potentially huge profit if losing the bet ends up taking you right out of the game.

Setting Limits is the Smart Play

This goes hand in hand with determining what your stake per bet will be, especially in those critical early stages. Setting a session limit on your sports betting is always going to be the smart play. Whether you choose to play for an hour a week or a couple hours a night, set a limit on how much you are willing to spend per session.

Setting limits will not only guide you and keep you from making wholly irresponsible bets, it will also keep your from turning something fun, into a bottomless money pit. Before you log in to your sports betting site, decide what your bankroll will be and stick to it. You’ll also find that most good sports betting sites now feature deposit limits which you can set in your account profile.

Don’t Get Emotional

Successful sports bettors that play like pros are the ones that are able to keep their emotions in check and bet with logic and discipline. If you hit a losing streak, get a string of bets wrong, it is all too easy to get frustrated and lose control. This is when mistakes happen as you burn good money after bad, chasing losses which you will never recoup. We all get it wrong from time to time and, if it happens to you, walk away for a while, cool down and come back strong.

Play to Your Strengths

Being diverse in your sports betting can be great, but there isn’t a single bettor out there that can claim to know every single sport in depth. Of course, exploring your options at your sports betting site is always good. Being able to bet on different sports will keep your betting interesting and exciting. However, you will always find far more success by sticking to the sports that you know really well, than by taking too many risks in unfamiliar territory.

Remember, Sports Betting is Fun!

It happens to a lot of sports bettors just starting out. They place a bet, the bet wins, and they make a profit. Success is a wonderful thing, especially if you’re making money but be careful not to let the profit go to your head too much.

Remember why you got into sports betting in the first place, to have as much fun betting on the sports that you love as possible. If you always remember to have fun and not take sports betting too seriously, you will also manage to keep a level head, something that is vital to successful sports betting.

Final Thoughts: Beginners Luck Takes Hard Work!

As complicated as sports betting can be, it can be just as easy too. It all boils down to how you approach sports betting as a novice. While some prefer to jump in the deep end, hoping that they can swim, taking the slow, cautious and analytical approach will often yield better results. By following our guide to sports betting, you will inevitably give yourself the best possible chance for long term success.