In this article I guide you through some important considerations you need to implement in order to become a smarter bettor:
Bargain hunting
Hunting for value bets is almost as fun as winning. (Not quite… but almost). However, it is also time consuming. If you’re clicking between bookie’s sites and those bookies are updating in real time, you could be placing what you think are value bets when they really aren’t… because other bookies are moving the same time you are placing your bet.
One way to help you find value bets is to use odds comparison sites. These will hunt around bet-makers sites and view their odds and then post them and compare them. Bet Brain is one such site. These comparison sites are so helpful.
However you need to be aware of a few things: Namely, you should know that these sites sometimes mistake one event for another and so don’t take them as your final authority on value bets. Use it as a guide and then check out the bets for yourself.
Also, be aware that these sites are not always in real time. They take a “snapshot” if you will and post it… then take another snapshot later. This gives them accurate quoting for a brief period of time. Again, use this as a guide rather than as the rule. Don’t be shocked if you find a bet that is different between the comparison site and the bookmaker’s site.
Position Taking
When taking a position in an event, you will be issued a betting slip on the screen. Don’t bother printing them out, just keep the information in a chart. You might use an Excel spreadsheet or you might just print it out. I like to fill mine out on pre-printed charts because I don’t like to sit in front of my computer all the time but you can do what you want.
