Betting on winners: you might think the successful betting really is as simple as that. All punters would win, their pockets would be lined with silver and bookmakers – rather than operating in a multi-billion industry as they do now – would be going bankrupt left, right and centre.
If only successful online betting was that easy, huh?
Unfortunately it isn’t, as sports betting is one of the most unpredictable hobbies around. Last minute goals, players tanking, jockeys falling at the final hurdle….these are all examples of the unforeseen events which blight world sport each and every day.
And this is before we even take into consideration the continuous errors that many bettors make each time they place a wager. From ‘optimism bias’ to ill-conceived preconceptions, a lack of research and betting on instinct, there are so many mistakes that punters make it is sometimes a surprise they ever win at all.
Before the doom and gloom becomes too much to bear, however, we have good news: there are a number of ways in which you can maximise your chances of enjoying successful betting; as long as you are prepared to put the hard work in. Because, ultimately, this is where betting success comes from. Studying the form guides, the league tables, the head-to-head records, the injury news and the stats is the best way to prepare for placing a bet. This can take time, but you may well be rewarded handsomely for your efforts.
Adopt a betting strategy and stick to it: don’t just bet blind on a particular sport, instead focus on a small handful of teams. Get to know them inside and out, and then you will be able to place well-informed bets based on the information at hand.
There are a number of tipsters services available online that offer tips and valuable resources. Okay, so some aren’t very good – that is the downside of a saturated marketplace – and so you will need to take the time to find those that are worth their salt. But checking the results of their tips on your own spreadsheet will help to separate the wheat from the chaff. Remember the golden rule of tipster services: just because they request a subscription fee, doesn’t mean they are any good. Likewise, if a tipster service is free it doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t know what they’re doing.
There is a lot more to successful online betting than just the points covered above, and perhaps the most salient piece of advice that any bettor can be given is to know your limits. Set aside a weekly budget for your betting activities, and stick religiously to this. If you lose it all then never mind: at least the amount you have lost is capped. Should you return any winnings make sure you withdraw these to your bank account straight away and return back to your original budget amount for the next week.
Sometimes the luck just isn’t with you, and it pays to cut your losses and walk away. That will make the good times all the more sweeter!
