Most popular betting strategies and how to use them

We all dream of finding a betting strategy that will provide us with plenty of winner and huge profits. It is important to employ some form of strategy when you are betting. You can’t just go in gung-ho and bet on everything that moves, especially now there are so many betting opportunities.

There are many betting strategies out there, some easy to understand, others a bit more complex. They all have risks involved and it is important to ensure they are carried out in the correct way because mistakes can be costly. This article will take a look at some of the top betting strategies that can be used.

The Martingale

It’s certainly fair to say that this betting strategy has been around for a fair while. It is believed to have been created before the 18th century. Casino owner John Martindale is believed to have been its creator and is considered to be a straightforward system. There are no complicated mental calculations required that may be beyond some people, especially when you are under pressure.

The main idea with the Martingale is centred around raising or lowering your bet after incurring a loss. It is used mainly on games of chance, especially when there is a 50/50 chance of winning or losing, for example, red or black in roulette. The probability of a win is important here, but winnings aren’t going to be massive, but a win is a win.

The system sees you double the next bet after a loss. If your £10 bet is a loser, the next bet would be £20 and if that loses, the next is £40. If that wins, the cycle goes back to the start with a £10 bet next time. When you do get a winner, it will be the largest bet of the cycle that produces it. This can cause problems though if playing on a table that has a maximum stake. You would only be able to double your stake a certain number of times.

With it being a 50/50 choice, the belief is that a winner will come in time. This is a high-risk betting strategy and involves a hint of chasing losses. Only gamble money that you can afford to lose.

Due Column Betting

This betting strategy has some similarities to the Martingale system. Your aim is to increase how much you bet on one result after each successive loss incurred. You will set a profit that is wished to be achieved. The aim is if losses occur, to increase your stake to one that will see you cover your losses and reach that targeted profit figure.

With varying odds, you will be able to calculate how much you need to stake and how much is due if your bet is a winner. If your aim is to win £100 and the odds are 5/1, then a £20 stake will see you win your target. If it loses though, you will be £20 down. If your next selection has odds of 4/1, you’ll need to stake £30 to recoup the £20 loss and reach the £100 profit figure you want. 

Once you get a winner, the desired profit will be reached, and you can stop betting. That’s if you can, how many times have you been in profit but had one more bet believing your luck is in. There is the hazard again that you are chasing losses, it’s only on a lucky day that your first bet will get you to your target and you can then enjoy spending your profit.

Matched Betting

This is a method that has become popular with the growth in the number of free bets offered by gambling sites when you become a member. The arrival of betting exchanges such as Betfair plays a key role here. These sites allow you to place a back bet – betting on something to happen – and a lay bet – betting on something not to happen.

The idea is to place back and lay bets on an event, say a football game between Liverpool and Arsenal. Using a matched betting calculator, you can work out how much to place on each bet and have all the outcomes covered preventing a loss.

Human error in calculations could cause problems if you don’t place bets on the right markets A technical failure could lead to just one of the bets being placed successfully. There’s also the fact that gambling sites aren’t big fans of matched betting. If they suspect you are using this method, they can close your account. The number of free bets being given as welcome offers is also declining with other methods such as back-up bets being offered.

Arbitrage Betting

With this betting strategy you need to be searching for the prices that are being given by bookmakers on events, say a football match. Bookmakers won’t all be offering the same prices. It’s a competitive industry and they will do their best to attract customers.

The aim is to find odds that are so different, they will allow you to make a profit regardless of the final result. This can be profitable but unlikely to produce massive wins. There are risks involved however because odds do fluctuate. It’s possible you could place one half of the bet and then the other half changes and ruins it all.

The number of times that it’s possible to make a profit from all the possible outcomes isn’t a regular occurrence. Then there’s the possibility that bookmakers might void bets. This could be due to them making an error or unforeseen events causing problems. Just as with matched betting, bookmakers may be able to see the strategy that you are employing.

Conclusion

This article has looked at just a few of the betting strategies that exist. There are many more including value betting and Bank/Stake management strategies. Before using them, carry out some in-depth research to ensure that they are employed properly but remember there are always risks involved.

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