One of the biggest questions for gamblers is how to make the most of the bet. It would seem that a high-stakes game is just an add-on to a sporting event: even the most uninspiring matches get an intriguing twist. However, when you place a bet, every bettor secretly expects not only to have fun but also to make a profit.
Do your research before you place a bet
Whether you’re a professional bettor or just getting started with gambling, know that statistics are your best friend. Initially, it is essential not to go too deep and learn how to operate with basic metrics: ball possession, total attempts, attempts on goal, corners taken, fouls committed. Based on this information, it is easier for the bettor to know which team had the advantage in which area of the match and build a successful betting strategy. Choosing a decent gambling operator with the best bonus offer and mobile phone access when starting is also crucial, and https://bookmaker-ratings.com/ will be a great help in this regard.
When satisfied with these metrics, you can move on to more in-depth data, such as expected goals (xG) stats, more detailed defending, attacking, and performance. Sports fans like to argue about the superiority of one team or another but can rarely back up their words. Dominating stats by a long-distance speaks volumes about the strength of a team better than any words.
Pay attention to less popular leagues
When the bettor is well-versed in his favourite sport, it’s useful looking at the less well-known leagues for betting. In football, for instance, the second or third divisions. Inexperienced gamblers usually overlook their matches, and the results are even more inconstant than in the popular leagues, which is why the odds there are better.
It’s important to remember that sport itself is pretty unpredictable. If you find great odds in championships that very few people around you are watching, don’t go straight to the app and bet on the favourites. Remember our previous tip: make a careful analysis of the league and stats before deciding.
Bet with your head, not your heart
Don’t do so as much as you might like to capitalize on the vast knowledge you have about your favourite athletes/teams. When a bettor is overcome by emotion, they cannot distinguish between a cold calculation of the actual chances of winning and the result desired by the fan inside. This situation is when mistakes happen that lead to a loss of money.
Any pro-better will tell you that high risk is also represented by important events: events finals, impactful matches, derbies. These are the games where you see the highest odds, which is easy to explain. The element of unpredictability is often the prominent director of such matches. Just think of the “Miracle of Istanbul”: Liverpool, losing AC Milan 0-3 in the first half of the Champions League final, scored three goals and won on penalties.
There are usually no “safe bets” in such matches, and the scenario can go either way: both teams can choose not to go on the attack and finish the game 0-0 or, conversely, forget about defence from the start and have a 5-4 scoring extravaganza. But you won’t know that until after the final whistle. That’s why pre-match analysis rarely matters in this type of game.
General tips
Betting is a stress reliever, as long as you stick to the rules. If the bettor sets unrealistic goals, spends their entire budget on betting, relates to it as a job, it won’t work as such. But if the player wants to have fun, he’ll have his fun.
Let’s be honest: nobody can win ten out of ten bets, so take pleasure in defeats too. When it comes to them, remember three things:
- Don’t try to win back immediately after a defeat. Such behaviour leads to rash decisions, betting without analysis, and more losses.
- Analyze your losses. Improve your knowledge in areas that will help you avoid making a calculation error next time.
- Remember, everyone loses. If your goal is to make a profit, you need to make more wins than losses over a long distance. To simplify, professional bettors use this strategy.
In this way, you can combine the fun and excitement of betting with financial gain without compromising your nervous system. As with any business where money is involved, the most important thing is to take your betting responsibly and act wisely.