Are you a Sports Betting Pro ?

• Author: Ed
• Filed under: General
• Date: Jul 17,2008

A question we may all ask ourselves at one point is "do I take it to the next level?" What exactly that means can be a mixture of things, but does anyone who asks that question ever really succeed?

Sports’ betting online is a hobby and a pass-time for many people.  For others, it is a livelihood and a career.  I know many people that fund their life around sports-betting and I have to ask myself, "Do they have what it takes?" a lot of the time; the answer is no.  They constantly run their ‘business’ on very tight margins and for many – they are just addicted and waste great sums of money in chasing their losses.

However, there are a few inspirational individuals that really do have what it takes, and we’re going to take a quick look at them and see why they differ from other typical gamblers / cappers.

Let’s imagine this – we’re halfway through a season.  Our bank is positive and we’re up £200.  What do you do?  Take out the £200 or take out the initial investment?

You’ve just had a losing streak of five losses.  You’re now about to expose 20% of your bankroll in one bet.  Do you place it? Or do you fold?

Your friends a tipster and he just gave you a tip.   What’s the plan do you follow him or follow you?

Do know how much the vig has cost you since you started this season?

Do you have a history of all your online bets, EVER?

Ok, those questions are all pretty basic and perhaps uninteresting.  But read between the lines and they highlight something very real.  Sports’ betting is a business.  Right now it is a business for the books, they are very professional at calculating their take and making sure they get their share from you, and they are also very successful in appealing to your inner demon. If you are an experienced amateur sports-bettor, and you want to evolve to the next level; then you need to be the business. 

Over the next few posts we’ll be talking about taking things to the next level and becoming more professional and controlled in online sports betting.  We’re not going to tell you what to do, but our aim is to have some open debate on the matters that are important in becoming a more successful bettor.

Looking after your Cash. Who to choose?

• Author: Ed
• Filed under: General, Tips
• Date: Jul 15,2008

These days, one has to be very careful as to where they put their money, and what they do with it.  Especially with online transactions due to new laws imposed such as the patriot act.  If you are not careful and deposit your money with a less than scrupulous merchant you can find your money disappear, likewise if you use a large merchant and ‘forget’ to verify yourself. 

Either way – looking after your online assets is not as easy as it once was.  Today we’re going to look at some recommendations and work out some conclusions.  We’re writing this story because we are aware that many people have problems with depositing money withdrawing money, and accessing it after it becomes ‘internet cash’.  What is the point of playing an online sports book if you can’t get at your winnings?

So firstly – our first piece of advice. ALWAYS choose a reputable sports book.  Don’t do a Google for "sports betting online" or something like that and click on the first one you see.  Do your research, read some reviews.  Make sure you know the following:

1. How to deposit money.  What methods are available? Do they have a secure server? Do they use a well-known payment-processor? Do they have any specific policies? Is your country ‘allowed’?

2. How to withdraw money & how long it takes. What fees are involved? Do you need to verify any information?

3. How to contact support in-case of problems, Do they have a telephone number? where is their office located, do they have ‘instant chat’ (if-so try it)

You really need to check these out before you start to deposit any amount of cash with any online entity.  I’ll be honest and say that a-lot of books will quite happily take your money if you deposit it and you can’t actually use the service.  Should they pay it back? It was your mistake!
This has been a line I’ve heard a few times.  So be wary of this and make sure you know the rules for the site you are using, as they are all too quick to turn them against you if you fall into problems.

When we deposit with an online book, we either use one of the large brands.  Bet365, Betfair, or if we use a smaller one we ALWAYS try and use Neteller. 

Neteller are one of the most prevalent payment processor for gambling sites and online books, as such the majority of reputable ones will be able to accept Neteller, although there may be some fees with withdrawal.  It’s up to you to find this out, but normally these fees are nominal and they are well worth the added protection from an online payment-processor.

We’ve just scratched the surface here, but it should be enough to get you thinking.  Soon we’re going to follow up with some Internet security advice to ensure that if you can have a relatively safe computer, even if you aren’t a PC Whiz kid.

Good luck!

Sports Betting gone wrong

• Author: Ed
• Filed under: General
• Date: Jul 13,2008

We recently read a story about a young 16 year old kid who had found online-poker and been gambling illegally for a period of time unaware to his parents.  initially he had learned a ’system’ and was sports-betting with some success, however the kid was depending on an unreliable tipster service and after a period of time he was in some very big debt.

He had used his parents credit card. 

He had amassed £4,000 in debt in a space of three months during which, for some reason his parents never bothered to check what he was doing on the Internet, or even check their credit card statements.  It turns out that the kids dad was a frequent poker player and his wife was the person who wears the trousers and she had wrote of the debt as "Daddy trying to break even"  You can guess what this did for the marital situation.

As a result, we feel the need to stress our opinion on minors that gamble.  It is wrong.  Kids may and do find gambling attractive, it is colourful social and fun.  However – the sad truth is many kids ( even older ones ) don’t have a real grasp on how much money is worth or what it costs to live, so as a result it is actually quite easy for your child to spend a lot of money without your permission.  How do you prevent this?  I’m going to be blunt.  Don’t give your child a credit card.  Don’t give them a private computer.  Don’t give them carte blanche to spend whatever they want. 

So – to prevent your child from gambling on the net? Control their finances and your own – then you won’t have a problem.  If your child starts playing something like slot machines, make sure you find out about it sooner rather than later.

Did you know that gambling addictions are four times more likely for underage people?  There are an estimated 2.5 million compulsive gamblers in the USA.  Are you one of them ? is your child?

Stay vigilant and protect yourself and your family.  Online sports betting can make a great deal of money, but it can also cost a great deal. 

Bet365 Sports book Review

• Author: Ed
• Filed under: General, Reviews
• Date: Jul 11,2008

We have to admit that bet365 are one of the more traditional forms of online bookmakers.  They have been in operation since 1974 and they hold a UK based betting license.  They operate a huge number of betting offices and as a result; unlike many online betting operations they do have a telephone number; a head office and someone to talk to should you ever need it. 

One of the major advantages with bet365 seems to be the variety of sports they offer.  They have a great deal to choose from including the not so popular darts. Handball and others.  As a result many people recommend them as a number one. 

We took a look at Bet365 today to see what is exactly special, and whether or not they are worth the time spent to get an account.

The first thing we took a look at was the online casino room – because we like a bit of a flutter.  Sadly we have to admit that while there were a great variety of games, we did not find we had much success.  It could have been luck, but sometimes Betting operators like to "bolt-on" more features to their operations, and the casino side of things just may be one of them.

Bet365 Sports-book.  We have to admit, that since Betfair launched a few years ago, it has been the buzz of the internet, however as we said in our previous reviews odds are not that much better than mainstream bookmakers.  Betting exchanges have their place as well as bookmakers, and Bet365 are one of the giants in the industry.  Their website is not the greatest, but it is service you are after, and on that side of things they do deliver.  Being established online for well over 10 years, they know what they are doing and their website has a professional look that is not childish or cartoon-like compared to many others.

If you take a look at the Bet365 homepage – you’ll see they have a huge choice of sports. We played with one rule: Keep it simple.  We didn’t use exotic bets, and we kept our sport to the horses, and we had absolutely no complaints with Bet365.  Bets were executed quickly, and after we had finished playing, so was payout.

Overall we have to admit that Bet365 may not be the greatest thing since the online sports-book was invented, but honestly they are not too bad.  Give them a try with a promo they have and what’s the worst that can happen?

All in all – 7/10

Good Luck!

How to find a good Bookmaker

• Author: Ed
• Filed under: General, Tips
• Date: Jul 9,2008

With a rapid increase in the number of online bookmakers, we are sad to report the amount of less than savoury bookies that have started to appear.  Nowadays it is more important than ever to ensure your own personal Internet security to ensure that a) you don’t loose your money and b) you actually get your winnings.  As a result we’re putting together a little guide on how to find the best bookmaker for your money.

1.  Find your bookmaker through word of mouth.  Nothing speaks better about a bookmaker than fellow punters.  Listen to your friends and go with someone you trust.  Alternatively read many reviews and make an informed choice.  (Our partners are all proven and reliable)

2.  Many bookmakers have very, very bad odds.  Make sure you check the odds you are betting with against other bookies both online and offline.  Don’t be assured just because they are an online bookmaker that they have good odds.  Make sure and check the odds against Betfair.

3. Alot of bookmakers refuse to take large bets.  This can be pretty off-putting so you need to check in advance, because if you are running a system, then this may destroy any chance of recovering if you are in the red.  Bookies can consider $250 a big bet and to some, it is miniscule – so make sure you know what sizes of bets your bookmaker will accept.

4. Customer Service is a paramount necessity for everyone.  Perhaps you will never use it, but I guarantee you some day you will.  Make sure you check out how to contact them, how often they are available, and give them a test run.  It is important that you trust them also and they are professional and courteous.  After all you are dealing with the people that hold your money and they need to be reassuring and helpful.  Too many people encounter problems when withdrawing money – check with them to see what is required and how long it will take.

5. Have you ever registered at an online bookmakers website and been stunned by the amount of small print to read? We must admit it is a necessity with all the online laws from fraud to money laundering to patriot act it is all required.  However, some bookmakers like to hide a number of clauses in there, and they can be very hard to decipher.  Terms of service should be clear and easy to read.  Make sure you check them for things like payouts, violations, and anything that may mean you don’t get your winnings.

Take your time to find a good bookmaker, and when you find one don’t be scared to do a bit of research.  Google is a very useful tool, and you should use it to ensure that you know as much as possible before you deposit any money.  After all if you win $10,000 what is it worth if they will actually only pay you $100 per month ?

Stay one step-up and know your bookie well.

Good Luck!