Chapter four

Successful Betting Tips

A bookmaker, or bookie or turf accountant as they are also known, is the person or organization that will take your bets on soccer matches.

To make money long-term as a bettor there are things you need to know.

We have covered several of them already in this guide, such as: the fundamentals of betting, including betting systems; the types of bets; and bookmakers.

Now let’s look at a few additional things that can often mean the difference between having a betting account that’s full of cash and seeing your dream of long-term betting success go up in smoke.

The Discipline of Betting

Betting success requires discipline. You can’t give in to impulses; you have to have a betting plan.

To start out with you should have a good understanding of the sport of soccer. It helps to be a fan of the sport, to know teams and players and leagues. The only consistent way to beat the bookies is to know more than them and/or be very careful with your bets.

Let’s look at few other factors that are keys to betting success:

1. Building & Protecting Your Bankroll

The more money you have the more time you will have to figure this betting thing out. But more than just building a bankroll, you also must know how to protect it.

That means never betting more than you can afford to lose. You need a strong betting system and a plan and you need to stick with them.

Don’t bet extra because you won big last time – stick to your regular bet. Understand what your full bankroll is and bet the appropriate percentage – never more and never less.

One more thing, keep your betting funds separate from your other money. This will help you avoid the temptation of kicking in more money if you suffer a series of losses.

2. Look at Betting Like It’s a Job

When done right betting can be a great way to grow your income, but that means treating it like a job.

Don’t place bets for fun. When you do that you typically haven’t done the research and are relying solely on gut instinct. This is a recipe for disaster.

If you start to look at yourself as an investor who is carefully putting his money into growth opportunities you will be more likely to do the research and make good, solid bets.

3. Don’t Chase Losses or Go Big Just Because You Won Big!

Basing your next bet on the success or failure of the previous bet is a trap that many beginning bettors fall into.

Don’t make this mistake as it can quickly lead you to wiping out your bankroll.

The truth is your last bet has nothing to do with success or failure of your next bet. Each bet is its own separate transaction. Keep this in mind to prevent yourself from losing all your winnings on one bet or to keep yourself from digging a hole you can’t get out of.

4. Never Stop Learning

A big key to betting success is to always be learning. Never think you have everything figured out as this will lead to overconfidence and carelessness which in turn will lead to big money losses.

Read everything you can get on soccer betting, read and watch team and player reports. You never know where you are going to find that one piece of information that leads to a big win.

5. Bet Wisely

There are many bets that only exist because they are financially profitable for bookmakers. Multibets, which are also known as accumulators, parlays and all-ups, are an example of this type of bet.

These bets require too many things to go right to be a consistent way to make money. It is better to use simple, straight-forward bets to build your bankroll. Conduct extensive match research and study the odds and then and only then place your bet.

6. Become a Research & Analysis Junkie

As we mentioned earlier, it’s vitally important that you research teams, players and matches. Don’t just go by gut feeling alone. The biggest advantage bookies have over bettors is the information they have access to.

Bookies know that most people aren’t willing to put in the work to properly analyze a match. This puts bettors at an immediate disadvantage. Don’t fall into this same trap.

Take the time to read and watch what the experts are saying. Look for news and developments that could sway the results of a match. Here are some areas that you should pay close attention to when deciding who to bet on:

• Team Form – During a season teams can go through periods of being “hot” and “cold,” that is to say they can go on winning streaks and they can also go on losing streaks. Pay close attention to “team form” – it’s vitally important for you to identify a team on a winning or losing streak early, before the bookies become aware of what is going on.
• Team Formation – The formation a soccer team uses can have a dramatic impact on not just who wins or loses a match but how many goals are scored and more. So pay close attention to the formation a team is going to use.
• Attacking and defending tendencies – this is another important area to study – does a team seek to advance the ball or does it like to sit back in a defensive shell?One team’s attacking tendencies can play into another side’s strengths or weaknesses and lead to a specific match result. So always study both teams’ tendencies and how those tendencies match up against each other.
• Weather forecasts – you should always know what the weather conditions are going to be for a match. Weather can affect player performance, how many goals are scored and much more.
• Standing/ranking tables – knowing where a team stands on the season can be an important indicator for how they will do in a match – just don’t put too much emphasis on standings as there are a lot of other factors that can influence match results. Standings are just another factor to consider. Also, be careful about putting too much emphasis on standings early in the season.
• Time of year – the time of the year can also be an indicator to consider. Early and late season matches may be more unpredictable while mid-season matches may more easily fall into a more predictable pattern.
• Special circumstances – always look to see if there are special circumstances that could impact a match. For example, it is a rivalry match, do the teams have past history, does one of the teams have something to play for – like a playoff berth?
• Match Importance – Top teams play a lot of matches, as a result less important matches may not draw the same level of effort and commitment from the coaches and players as more important matches. Always keep this in mind.
• Injuries – this is another important area to consider. Injuries can have a big impact on a team’s performance and because bookies set odds far in advance of a match they may not have taken new injuries into account. So always study team injury reports to gain a possible advantage.

7. Bet on What You Know

We touched on this earlier but you should always bet on what you know or are familiar with. If you are a fan of the Premier League, then bet on Premier League matches. Use your knowledge about certain leagues, teams, players and coaches to gain an edge on the bookies.

8. Start Setting Your Own Odds

This can be a powerfully effective way to boost your chances of betting success. Study the teams and players involved in an upcoming match and when you have gained extensive information use that information to set your own odds for the match.

Then take your odds and compare them to the odds set by the professional bookies and try to find odds that line up with yours. This can be a great way to begin to really understand and spot value.

9. Don’t Forget Popularity

The popularity of certain players and teams can end up having a big impact on the odds for a match because many inexperienced and beginning bettors like to place bets on the more well-known teams (and players). Always keep this in mind.

By understanding popularity you can sometimes find great value bets. By the same token, don’t ever just go along with the herd. Learn to think for yourself and don’t be afraid to make contrarian bets.

10. Finally,De Dedicated

Betting success takes hard work to achieve … and it takes hard work to stay a consistent winner. You must be dedicated to the task at hand and willing to put in the hours.

Research, study, compare. Never stop learning. The rewards for your hard work can be more winning bets.

Following the tips and advice in this guide is a good start but don’t ever think you’ve done enough and settle. Always look for learning opportunities, always learn from your mistakes and always practice good money management.

Now, having said all that, it’s important to realize that not everybody is going to have the time necessary to do the proper amount of match research and analysis.

If you fall into that category, instead of giving up betting all together or just settling on be a recreational bettor, there is another possible solution.

If you don’t have 20 hours that you can devote to match research and analysis, joining a tips site like TipstersPortal.com can by your chance to “work smarter not harder.”

For example, at TipstersPortal.com you’ll gain unlimited access to proven effective tipsters. These tipsters know what makes a winning bet and have the histories to show they know what they are doing.

These tipsters also have state of the art software that lets them do in-depth research as well as specialized knowledge of teams and leagues. In other words, they live, eat and breathe football and by joining Tipstersportal.com you can gain access to the same information that they use to place their bets – without having to do all the hard work.

For many bettors, paying a small amount for a subscription to a site like Tipstersportal.com more than pays for itself in winning bets and in time saved.

However you decide to pursue your interest in betting in the future, we wish you the best of luck!