Betting on sports: tips and rules for beginners
You have to educate yourself and learn to see and reach certain goals. Also, it’s worth understanding that in the world of betting, you should never make decisions based on your intuition alone.
Do you want to increase your chances of a successful bet? Take a good look at our tips
Sports betting – basic information about betting
Sports betting is commonly referred to as betting between bettors and bookmakers. If the prediction turns out to be wrong, the money goes to the bookmaker.
The important point is that each bet has a certain (European) odds, which allows you to estimate the odds of the outcome of the match. The odds are always decided by the bookmaker, not the players, and are stated as a decimal. You cannot choose the odds yourself. Suppose your bet is played, and you have made a correct prediction, the amount bet on the event will be multiplied by the betting odds.
“Net winnings” in betting is the amount the player receives “on top” of the bet transferred to the bookmaker when placing the bet.
How are the odds determined?
Betting odds depend on the following factors:
- The probability of the outcome of the event;
- The number and value of bets already placed on the event.
It is often heard that a sporting encounter has a “price”. In this case the “price” is just the odds for the contest.
Please note: you can either make a prediction on the event with the odds offered by the bookmaker, or not bet on the meeting at all. There are no other options in any bookmaker’s office.
What are the chances of winning in sports betting for beginners?
Anyone can come to a bookmaker’s office and place a bet on any of the sports on offer (the prerequisite is that you are of legal age). The odds of winning are also open to all without exception.
To make sure it is true, have a look at the ratings of the forecasters. You can see how good or bad your forecasts are with any expert or handicapper. All information – predictions and final results, are in the public domain – you can study them in detail right now.
Statistics confirm that mistakes in betting are made even by highly experienced professionals. But it does not mean that pros do not have enough experience or qualification. Moreover, it can be argued that the prognosticators are well versed in “their” sport. And yet no one can make a bet with a “100% out of 100%” result.
Important: Even if you yourself are an expert in a certain sport, such as football or tennis, and you have been personally involved in it for years, that does not mean you will be able to place the correct bets on its events.
We advise you not to count on winning only from the start. You should be prepared to lose, and consequently lose some funds. Follow the guidelines below and you will not only enjoy your sports betting.
What is the right way to take a bet with the bookmakers?
If you are new to the world of sports betting, remember and understand, you can’t always win now or in the future. Those bets you place with the bookmakers can and certainly will turn out to be losing ones. There is nothing wrong with that.
The harder it is to correctly predict the outcome of a meeting, the more money you will make betting on it.
You are advised to treat sports betting not as a reliable source of income, but as a hobby that can give you real money and pleasure. Such an approach will be most profitable and correct for very specific reasons:
- You won’t be reckless about giving the bookmaker amounts you can’t afford to part with. Keep your mind “sober” at all times. Otherwise you will be disappointed. Once again, don’t gamble with your last bit of money, betting at the betting shop is not a job and a tool to make money;
- You won’t be fixated only on thoughts of money. If betting becomes a pleasure for you, you will be able to relate to it more easily. Your task is to improve your knowledge and prediction skills. Not trying to look for mistakes of bookmakers.
- Taking betting as a hobby gives a player a source of healthy excitement, great emotions and drive.
Control your own budget
Before coming to an online or land-based betting shop, decide on your own financial capabilities. You should always be clear about how much money you can spend on betting. Decide how much you wouldn’t mind losing – don’t forget that you are spending your finances for fun. Just as you would if you went to a restaurant or the cinema, for example.
Common mistakes made by beginners:
- Dreaming of winning back next time by making a bigger bet;
- Desire to double the bet amount after winning.
- In both cases, it is possible to part with your own capital.
Experienced players treat both winning and losing philosophically. They understand that one winning bet is no guarantee of continued success.
Important: Learn to control your capital. Keep a record of your finances, both income and expenditure. Take note of your losses as well as your winnings.
Learn how to work with sports data.
Never stick to just because you like the way a team plays. If you are rooting for a certain club, even if it is on top now, don’t bet solely on its performance. There is a lot of information to consider when making your predictions:
- The presence/absence of motivation of key players and the whole team in a particular encounter;
- The club’s physical condition and readiness;
- The schedule of upcoming and past sporting events.
- You should keep track of the latest news and updates, as well as past history and analysis. Beginners should not forget that the mathematical advantage is always on the bookmakers’ side. Of course, you can learn to predict better than the betting experts. However, it will take an enormous amount of time. If you are new to the world of betting, you cannot compete with analysts yet.
Can I learn how to make sports bets?
Before you come to a betting shop, it is advisable to learn at least the basic concepts and terms of sports betting. If you do not know what expresses or singles are, then you should not bet for real money just yet.
In the bookmakers’ lines you will definitely see both simple and rather complicated betting outcomes. You can bet not only on losses and draws, but also on over or under totals, goals scored at certain times, and even on the results of a particular player. If you don’t know what to bet on, you shouldn’t take any chances.
Let us have a look at an example of a complicated bet: European or Asian Handicap. The Asian odds are calculated differently than the European odds. Not taking this nuance into account, you can end up with no winnings.
Important: bookmakers have the legal right to calculate results based on various information sources. Arguing with the office about its rules is pointless.
Tips:
- Accept the fact that experience in betting is necessary for successful prediction;
- Ignore betting on overrated outcomes. In many cases, they only lead to losses;
- Learn to work correctly with the odds offered by bookmakers;
- Understand how bookmakers calculate bets, study the nuances and details.
- A lot of useful information about sports betting and its rules can be found on the official websites of major bookmakers. Take the time to get to know the portals.
Correct handling of sports betting
Instruction for beginners who want to do sports betting correctly:
- Solve the financial question
- If you do not want to be disappointed in sports betting decide in advance how much you can part with “painlessly” for your budget. Don’t risk money you cannot afford to lose. Even if you are 100% sure of the outcome. Don’t try to “win back” or “multiply” your winnings. This does not lead to anything good.
Choose “your” bookmaker or several fair bookmakers
Different bookmakers offer different odds for the same sporting event. It is therefore not always right to play with just one bookmaker.
However, if you are a beginner, it is advisable not to “spread yourself thin” and waste your time looking for the best odds. Find “your” office and become its guest for the first months. Gain experience and knowledge. When choosing a bookmaker, consider the reviews of other users, the width of the spread, the presence/absence of bonuses and special offers for players.
Forget about your likes and dislikes
Experienced and successful bettors have no favourites. They do not bet based on their emotions and impressions of the clubs and specific athletes. They find and evaluate a lot of information, news and statistics. Prepare to spend days and even weeks on analysis before visiting a bookmaker. The information obtained will also help those who prefer to play in live betting.
Be prepared for wins and losses
No one can always win – even the luckiest of bettors. Your goal is to stay in the black and have fun with sports betting. That’s a goal you can certainly live up to – even if you’re still a beginner.