Sports betting offer a wide variety of options. For example,
in a typical football match, you have the three possible outcomes of home win,
draw and away win. Besides, there are many other markets in a football match,
including both teams to score, over/under, half-time/full-time results, and
correct score, among others. There is also the option of in-play betting on
live matches. With these many options, it is easy to get carried away and place
bets without proper planning, research and analysis.
How to pick a selection
To make the right selection, it is important to go with what
you are familiar with. For example, you can decide to pick the same one team
over and over again each time it plays. This means, you will always have more
information on the team you pick and are likely to make the right decision with
time. Another important consideration is the value on offer. Value is not
necessarily big odds. Value means that what the punter is providing is more
than your calculated chance of the selection winning. For instance, if in your
estimation Manchester United has 50% chance of winning a match, meaning odds
should be 2.00, any offer above this offers value. Most importantly, your picks
must never be influenced by the desire for a big one-off win. Such rarely
happen. Just look for a decent amount of money, making small amounts of money
gradually and increasing your profit over time.
Have a plan
Betting without a good plan is a sure way to frustration and
desperation. But with a plan that is based on your betting fund, you can stake
amounts that you can afford to lose, bet without being persuaded by your
emotions and make huge returns in the long run. For example, if you are
starting out with a betting fund of Ksh 1000. You can plan to spread the fund
of 10 bets of Ksh 100 each. This can work out to a single bet of Ksh 100 every
Premier League weekend. Some of your
bets will be lost, but if you stick to your plan then you are likely to make
some profit. Your plan should be aimed at small, steady profit; building your
money slowly and getting a psychological boost when small wins keep rolling.
Your plan must also eliminate gung-ho against-the-odds betting which often
concentrate on underdogs with big odds but which can lead to a losing streak
that may eventually kill your morale. Whatever your betting plan is, make sure
to stick to it.
Bet on teams that you know
It is important not only to bet on sports that you know and
understand clearly, but also to bet on teams that you are familiar with.
Whatever your favorite sports is, whether tennis, volleyball, basketball or
football, it is important to stick to that one sport and master the teams
involved thoroughly. By concentrating on
a single sport, you will understand all of its workings, easily spot trends
through a little research, know when your favorite teams are playing, and even
which team is strong at home and on the road. You will also know the most
likely goalscorer, matches that will produce many goals and be on top of all
the latest team news. Over time, you can branch out into other sports, but will
have a solid go-to sport that can act as the foundation for most of your bets.
Remember the dos and the don’ts
In sports betting, you must act with utmost control and
patience. You must never bet on emotions. Remember, any time you are emotional,
angry, depressed, over-excited or stressed, you can easily throw in a bet
blindly, ending up losing a lot of money. So in a sense, you ought to know the
dos and the don’ts and then act accordingly when betting.
The top 5 dos of sports betting are:
(a) Set aside a
betting fund before you start. It should be money you can afford to lose. Make
sure to make all your bets from the fund and not to go over the fund regardless
of results from your bets.
(b) Formulate a
betting plan before you start. All your bets must follow a plan.
(c) Research,
analyze and understand the teams you are betting on. All bets must be placed
after research.
(d) Always have
patience and self-control.
(e) Take betting
seriously. Remember you are investing your money. It is not fun, it is
investment.
Top 5 don’ts of sports betting are:
(a) Don’t deviate
from your betting plan.
(b) Don’t panic
when you lose a bet. Panic can lead to sillier mistakes.
(c) Don’t increase
the stake on your next bet after you win.
(d) Don’t chase a
loss.
(e) Don’t bet with
more than you can afford to lose.
Betting is a marathon, it is not a sprint
Many punters lose a lot of money when they get into the rush
to make more money quickly. In fact, lack of patience and self-control is the
major reason why most bettors lose money. But if you realize from the outset
that betting is a marathon and that success comes ultimately to those who build
small, steady profits over time, then you will put the brakes on and bet with
your mind, not your heart. Ignore all emotions when betting. Don’t get carried
away by a potential win however big it is and don’t ever put in a stake so big
because you want to win a large sum so quickly.
In betting, you will lose bets, several bets and not just a
few. This is why it is a marathon and not a sprint. You only need a long-term plan that can roll
in profit gradually regardless of the bets you are losing. With a betting plan,
you will always have the bigger picture in full view and know whether you are
losing or winning overall. For example, if you have placed 10 treble bets from
your stake of Ksh 1000, losing 6 bets may appear like a really bad experience,
but just winning 4 of your trebles may bring in more than double your initial
betting fund, giving you a huge profit overall. So don’t look at the losses in
isolation, but look at your betting as one whole journey leading to a certain
targeted end.