Ever heard the story about that English soccer fan who bet on his team, a mid table side, to win the league and won thousands of pounds? While stories like that exist (and are a joy to read about), most sports betting fans would love to make more than just the occasional hit bet.
Betting always has a luck component, but experts know how to maximise wins and minimise losses. Take a look at these tips for beginners that you should always follow when looking for more options to carry your betting to the next level.
Diversify your options
It may not come as a big piece of news, but you shouldn’t keep all your eggs in the same basket. While going big on a single match or result can result in huge payout and earn you a fair share of high-fives for making the call, more often than not it just means you’re more likely to end up with nothing.
No matter how sure fire you think an outcome will be, always be sure to diversify your bets and give yourself options. This minimises the chances of the odd result hurting your net gains a lot and makes sure it takes a really bad day to put you in the red.
Consider the Underdog
This may seem counterintuitive; if there’s a clear favourite, why go against it? Well, because of the payout. Remember that English soccer fan? His team wasn’t among the top contenders for the title, which meant a relatively small bet got him a small fortune when they flipped the odds.
Of course, he was doing it out of love for the team, but it can also be a smart strategy for the regular gambler. Ask yourself “why is the favourite considered as such?”: are people riding on a good run or are they just following the hype? How far off is the underdog? Could an upset really be that unlikely. If you find yourself questioning common sense, it may be a good moment to go for a better payout.
Avoid longshots early on
Longshot bets are double edged sword. There’s nothing quite as sweet as having foreseen and predicted that which few dared to, collecting your just rewards in the knowledge that you knew best. There’s also nothing quite as bitter as missing out big time and having to remain on the sidelines until you have the money to carry on (or even worse, climbing out of the hole).
However, they’re longshots for a reason. More often than not, you’ll try for the moon and miss by a good distance. This is the reason why you should avoid longshot bets as a beginner. You may feel like you know more than the rest and be sure that it’ll pay out, but as a beginner you’ll have less room on your bankroll to soften the blow should you (almost inevitably) end up missing. Aim for quicker payouts and easier odds early on, and leave the magnificent longshots for the moment when you can take a hit or two without any problems.
