Online Betting – Our authors

 

 

 

 

LEE, the Asian Handicap Expert

Name:                    Lee A Jackson

Age:                       37

Nationality:            England

Actual Job:             Freelancer

Betting career:      half of the life

Preferred bookmaker:   William Hill

Aged 36 and born and raised in a small town in South West England, called Cinderford, where I followed the fortunes of Cinderford Town football club. Was involved in sports heavily at school, playing on the school football and rugby teams, as well as being captain of the athletics team. Football however, always took precedence when it came to following sports, and played for a local team for a while until two separate ankle injuries rendered me a bit of a lost cause. My first foray into sports writing was providing coverage for a local Pool League around the Forest of Dean, with it being published in the newspaper at which I worked at the time. Currently enjoying life a freelance writer at the moment, and appreciate the opportunities which have been presented to me in this field. I also enjoy reading literature, playing guitar and writing fiction.

I have been fortunate to travel the world, and to have experienced sights and cultures across Europe, Africa, as well as day-to-day life in North America. The fascination with betting really started with horse racing, and the big meetings like the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National. I was usually the instigator of Sweepstakes at work. However, because of being able to bet online, I discovered the thrills of football betting, and as a novice, never strayed further than outright fixed odds. That really was the stepping stone to greater betting adventures online, and football still remains one of my most popular destinations in the sports book. But, thanks to online betting, I comfortably branched out into other sports betting, and started understanding odds and systems in more detail, as well as a broad spectrum of betting markets. My favourite betting markets are Asian Handicaps, margins and spread betting on football matches. Being a massive sponge for statistical football data, I can spend a lot of time studying form, streaks and trends to put to use in those markets.

My favourite football team is Chelsea, and I’m more of a big critic of, than a passionate fan of England. But maybe it’s because I’m so latently passionate that I’m a critic! When it comes to the national sporting sides though, England Cricket and England Rugby always take precedence over the football team. I enjoy a wide range of sports, and have grown to develop an interest in F1, PGA Tour golf, field hockey and in particular tennis. An interest in those sports have grown from writing about them and getting to know the players involved. There are no particular favourites in Golf (I guess Lee Westwood if I had to pick), and naturally look for the British drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button in Formula One. For the tennis, Andy Murray would be favourite in the men’s (but admire Nadal and Federer) and Victoria Azarenka would be my favourite in the women’s game (closely followed by Jelena Jankovic and our very own Elena Baltacha of course). As far as North American sports are concerned, I enjoy the rough and tumble action of NHL Ice Hockey immensely and follow the fortunes of the Columbus Blue Jackets there.

I don’t believe there is any real secret to success when betting. My philosophy has always been to win lots of times small, as to going big in search of a large one time payout. It is somewhat of a relaxed approach to it all, and it is more about the challenge of being right after studying statistics than landing a big winner for me.

 

Cyril, the Bookie

Name:                            Cyril

Age:                               75

Nationality:                    England

Actual Job:
                     retiree

Betting career:
               from the first minute till now (since the birth of betting shops)

Preferred bookmaker:    Betfair

I don’t  remember much about it, ( what’s new), but I first  saw the light of day, 4  days before Christmas 1935 in that wonderful city of LIVERPOOL.
I had a fair to middling education, finally at a school a little below Grammar School standard.
After 18 months as a wiring inspector at the then A.T. & E in Liverpool I joined the R.A.F. on a 5 year engagement. A month short of completing my third year I was medically Discharged with Ulcers.
Whilst in the R.A.F. I was introduced to betting. My first bet was on Cawston Tower in a Derby trial. It won! I was hooked.
1961 saw the Betting and Gaming Act come into force. Betting Shops were legal.So I  was  around at the birth of betting shops.
How could anyone not immediately fall in love with the wonderful facilty-lacking places? And that marvellous fog like atmosphere. I loved it so much that I virtually taught myself to settle.I blagged myself a job as a relief settler/boardmarker. That was in July 1963. Thank God the owner didn’t know a bet from a bat. Fortunately I hit it off with the settler/manager and what I didn’t know he taught me. I WAS IN!!!
The years in between now and then have taught me a lot.  Mainly, only bet when the chances of winning are greater than those of losing. Being able to do this takes a lot of hard work and studying.
Although I earned my living accepting bets mainly on horses I myself prefer football for my betting interests. Foinavon in ’67  taught me the error of my ways where horses were concerned.
There are so many markets to bet on in the football field.but since retiring I’ve gravitated towards trading on matches. The returns aren’t as big as from other markets but they are more regular.
I find my games to bet on by using resources available on the internet. Whatever you need is there. Just take time to find it. Of course I do have my own commandments
1. Discipline.
2. Specialise.
3.Money Management.
4. Keep Records..
Each is as important as the other.

Discipline speaks for itself. Never bet for the sake of having a bet. Always know why you’re betting on whatever will carry your money. This ones due to win, isn’t a good enough reason to back it.
Specialise in your selections. When you realise how many horses there are in training, or how many teams in the multitude of leagues available for you to bet on, the mind boggles. Not forgetting Greyhounds, both real and cartoon. Sorry that should be, real and computer generated. Then there’s the various numbers games to entice you.  You also need to keep a good grip on your betting wallet. Have a set amount to bet with and divide it between you selections in a way that makes good sense. There are many staking plans available to the punter. The only one I dismiss out of hand is the Martingale. Having said that, if your betting doesn’t pay to level stakes, you’re not trying hard enough.
Always keep a record of EVERY bet you make. Keep it up to date with results. This way you can see where you have gone wrong. Or where you have the Edge”.
One thing I always tell anyone who asks. NEVER bet on or against your own team.No matter how you try to be fair minded it NEVER works out right . Believe me.
My team? What else could it be, other than LIVERPOOL. For the last 65 years. I can’t get to see them now but as I live reasonably close, in Widnes, Cheshire.

 

Paul, the Author

Name:                            Paul

Age:                               52

Nationality:                    England

Actual Job:
                     author & journalist

Betting career:
              34 years

Preferred bookmaker:   Betfred Betfair

I’m a child of the Sixties, born in the north-east of England but have lived
in South Yorkshire since I was 5-years-old. Like most who get hooked on the
betting game, my first bet was a sizeable winner (a double on Peterhof in
the Triumph Hurdle and Royal Frolic in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1976) and
it’s been downhill ever since.
I still like a bet on the horses and am also keen on golf and believe
cricket offers punters the best markets. I prefer to watch
football above all else, however, and am a season-ticket holder at Doncaster
Rovers, whom I’ve supported for more than 40 years.
I’m fortunate enough to make a living from writing, which is also my passion,
and am a published author as well as a journalist (a new book comes out next
year). I’m married to the beautiful Maria and have grown-up twin sons and if
anyone asked me for advice about betting I’d tell them to always bet on what
they know, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion and never be greedy.

 

Armchair Punter,

Name:                             Armchair Punter

Age:                                41

Nationality:                     England

Actual Job:
                      Cricket Coach, Sports Agent

Betting career:
               10 years

Preferred bookmaker:    bet365 Pinnacle Sports usually have the best prices on offer

My tipster nickname is Armchair Punter and I’m 41 years old.
I’m English (born in Nuneaton) and have followed Birmingham City since I was 10. I’ve followed English football for over 35 years, and my earliest memories of football was watching Southampton beat Manchester United in the 1976 FA Cup Final with my Dad (he missed the goal as he’d cut his finger just beforehand!), and Sweden’s very, very late equaliser against Brazil in the 1974 World Cup. I wondered if it was a goal if the ball went over the goal line as the whistle blew? I guess everyone at the time was asking themselves the same question.
I’m now based in Sydney and married to my wife Sarah who puts up with my affair with everything to do with soccer on the internet!

I started betting when a work colleague put me onto Betfair about 10 years ago, and showed me how he won money on horse-racing, and introduced me to a betting thesis called Laying To Win. I have been hooked ever since, although not so much horse-racing now, but have used my experience and knowledge around English football to good effect.
I have read about, and tried, countless betting “strategies”, the ones that the inventor swears by and ‘guarantees’ a certain percentage, and other such schemes.
They don’t work. My advice to anyone who bets is to stick with a market they know and can get quick, up-to-date information about that sport on the internet. Google is your friend. I currently use about four different football websites (information, team news, stats, and pricing) is pretty much all you need to be able to make more than an educated guess (or gut feel) regarding a particular match.
I focus on not just the Premiership, but also the Championship, League One, League Two and Conference (& non-league lower) as they are off the radar with a lot of betting companies, and therefore there are lots of opportunities in the lower leagues, thanks to their ill-educated odds pricing.
I use the following markets; straight win, draw, asian handicap (useful for a good away team playing against, say, a mid-table team), over 2.5, under 2.5, both teams to score.
By following a particular league, you’ll very quickly get to know each team’s strengths and weaknesses, who the high-scoring teams are, who struggles to score but has a tight defence etc.
Watching trends and form fascinates me and over a long period of time, the stats do not lie.

My secrets of success aren’t really a secret – you have to do your research into who’s playing, read the team news & make a note of their stats – does that player usually have a big influence on matches? Liverpool without Steven Gerrard is a classic example. Most of their creativity stems from him in midfield, who else provides as many assists as him if he’s not playing?
When you look at a fixture list and certain matches jump straight out at you and you have an instant gut-feel of what the result will be – stick with that original decision. After time, you’ll learn to trust your gut-feel as you’ll be familiar with each team’s performance & stats.
Aside from sports betting and tipster previews, I am a Level 1 cricket coach through Cricket Australia, and work part-time as a sports agent.

 

Matthew, the Football Writer

Name:                           Matt

Age:                               30

Nationality:                    England

Actual Job:
                     Sports Journalist

Betting career:
10+ years

Preferred bookmaker: PaddyPower – Big fan of their humour and Money Back promotions.

I have spent all of my life in the south of England, down in Cornwall. The location isn’t ideal when the one sport you’re incredibly passionate about lacks much representation, with established football clubs few and far between (Plymouth Argyle being the closest). Perhaps that partly explains my unhealthy levels of adoration and enthusiasm for Liverpool FC, but family influence also played a vital role.

As for betting, I have always tried to extract as much value from any potential betting event. A bet with low-risk but high-reward has always taken precedent for me, as opposed to backing something at short odds which has a high percentage of delivering. It’s a personal preference I suppose, one that is likely to be reflected in some of my betting assessments on the site. A personal favourite market would be anytime goalscorer.

My advice when it comes to betting would actually be the same stuff those responsible gaming adverts constantly preach, because it is true: avoid betting when emotional, particularly when angry or upset. From personal experience, it can seriously cloud your judgment. Keep all stakes within your means and – and I do believe this is underappreciated – focus more on bets that you consider to be fun and enjoyable, rather than purely for financial gain.

 

 

David, the Sports Writer

Name:                            David Parsons

Age:                               49

Nationality:                    English

Actual Job:
                     Sports Writer

Preferred bookmaker:   Betfair, Pinnacle, Bet365

My name is David and I’m fortunate enough for my full-time job to be a sports writer which spans
across various sports, but my main passion is writing about football.
I currently live in Tokyo, Japan with my wife, Sarah, along with our two cats (Smartie & Tictac) and
dog (Ruby). I’m a lifelong supporter of Birmingham City and have seen many lows and some highs
along the way.

My first foray into sports betting, like many others, was the occasional flutter on the horses which
was mainly centered around the annual Grand National.

Unless you are privy to inside information, you may get the odd winner here and there, but
ultimately, you’ll be chasing your tail (and your losses) and you certainly won’t find that edge that
everyone is looking for – sorry for the bad news.

Now the better news – football now has numerous statistics and past results to hand since the birth
of the internet and armed with your favourite search engine, a lot of information can be gleaned for
the purpose of sports betting, and in particular, football.

Here’s some basic guidelines in assisting anyone when considering betting on football:
Risk assessment: Look at the risks on betting on a certain team, i.e team news, past trends,
current form, psychological angle (has a new manager just taken over?) Look for reasons why NOT to bet on this team, and if they outweigh the positives – leave it alone!

Money management: Start with a lump sum (which you can afford to lose) and bet a % of your
bank roll. This is usually between 2%-5% of your total balance and depending on your outlook on
loss aversion. Betting a flat 2% for example of your bank roll will see an incremental rise in stakes but will also be
in line with your current bank balance.

DO NOT use the martingale system or any system that advises to increase your stakes after losing
– this is the sure way to the poor house.

Keep records: It’s vitally important to keep track of your wins and losses and this sheet (I would
recommend an excel spreadsheet) should also be a fluid document as you iron out the kinks and
settle on your preferred system – and then stick with it.

Don’t get greedy: Too many people get carried away with a winning streak and then tend to bet
more in order to win more – this is foolish as everyone knows a loss is just around the
corner…Instead, play the percentages and be disciplined.

Accept losses: This is a big part of sports betting so if you get upset or angry when your bet
loses, then maybe this is not the past-time for you. Always bet what you can afford to lose and
don’t chase losses.

Read and learn: There’s a plethora of information out there, read and research as much as you
can. You learn more from losses than you do from wins.

Shop around: It’s advisable to have a few bookmaker accounts in your portfolio as prices (or
odds) can vary significantly, so this will enable you to get the best odds available. A few personal
favourites are Betfair, Pinnacle and bet365.

Hope this helps, and hope you enjoy following the football and sports in general as I do.
And last of all, a big thank you to the team at Online-betting who facilitates all of our writing and
makes sense of our babbling each week!

 

Callum, the “over 2.5 goals” Expert

Name:                            Callum

Age:                               23

Nationality:                    Scotland

Actual Job:
                     Fooball Academie Coach & more

Betting career:
              5 years

Preferred bookmaker:   Bet365

I am 23 years old and I’m from, and reside, in Scotland, half hour outside Glasgow.
I have been interested in sports for as long as I can remember and gambling has been a natural progression, because of this, for the last 8 years or so.

With regards to my favourite betting markets I like the markets on goals, more specifically the over 2.5 goals and both teams to score markets. The reason for this is because your wager always has a chance and gives you an interest in a game for the majority of the match. I also believe bookmakers can price these markets up incorrectly at times and it’s worth shopping around to get the best odds.
I am an avid football fan and support Celtic. As well as football I love watching horse racing and try to attend as many race meets as possible, with my local track Ayr, being my favourite.

I have been involved in coaching football at professional academies whilst I’m currently working within Health Promotion for the Health Service.

With regards to advice for betting, the best bit of advice I could give would be to go with your natural instinct. A lot of research is all well and good but gut instinct is mosti important. Another bit of advice would be to have as many accounts with bookmakers as possible. The fluctuation on odds can be massive if you shop around.

 

Joe, Horseracing Expert

Name:                            Joe

Age:                               32

Nationality:                    Ireland

Actual Job:
                     Sports journalist

Betting career:
               For as long as I can remember

Preferred bookmaker:    Betfair & Paddy Power

Born in 1978 and always lived in Ireland, my family were heavily involved in horse racing, so it was inevitable that I follow in their footsteps. A love and deep understanding of betting followed. I love taking money from bookmakers. It started on the racecourses in Ireland, but soccer has always been my first love and gradually I migrated to betting on soccer. I still bet on horseracing, but focus most of investment on the English Premier League. I’m a big Liverpool fan, but have had a soft spot for Barcelona since I very young. I love the football they play these days – proper football. I rarely bet odds-on, and if I have a gut feeling, I go with it. I form an opinion on a match or event, work out the best bet to have, and then move on it – the bigger the price my opinion turns out to be, the more I’ll have on.
I have only once bet against Liverpool. It was at half-time at Anfield against Barcelona in Champions League a few years ago. It was 1-1 at half-time but Barcelona were brilliant and I thought they’d be odds-on to win the game in the in-running betting. They were 5/2 so I lumped on. Hey, at least I got something out of my favourite team being beaten!

 

Dave, Championship & Top Goalscorer Markets Expert

Name:                            Dave Higgins

Age:                               32

Nationality:                    England (born in Newcastle, lives in Birmingham)

Actual Job:
                     Journalist

Betting career:
              veeery long

Preferred bookmaker:   Paddy Power

First bet ever placed: West Tip to win the Grand National in 1986. 50p stake – returned £4.50
Favourite betting markets: The Championship and League One Top Goalscorer markets have always been kind. Also like Draw No Bet opportunities on football matches.
Key to being a good gambler: Discipline, discipline and discipline. Bet less frequently but with larger amounts on selections you feel strongly about. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition before striking a bet, not just on the horse / player / team you fancy
Biggest winning bet: Notts County to win League Two in season 2009/10. The Magpies started off at 25/1 in the summer and were favourites when the season began. Thankfully, I was on at 25’s.
Biggest losing bet: Went in way too big on Martin Kaymer to beat Dustin Johnson in the 2010 Ryder Cup. The German was one of the Europeans who played badly on the final day
Bets to steer clear of: I think scorecasts are a bookies dream. In fact, any bet on a player to score first is something of a lottery, although anytime goalscorer lends itself better to form.