A Betting Guide That’s Sure to Improve Your Odds

Betting is one of the oldest forms of gambling. The earliest bets were placed by ancient Greeks and later by the Romans. These ancient civilizations bet on everything, from athletic contests to chariot races, to gladiator fights and beyond.

Today, betting is a little more mainstream. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that people’s chances of winning have improved over time. So if you want to enhance your odds, check our betting guide.

The Odds

The most popular type of betting is sports betting, and the UK sports betting market is known for being the most-regulated in the world. In addition, sportsbooks in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are among the oldest in the world. Our guide to UK sports betting will introduce you to some quality bet tips, as well as the best UK sportsbooks.

The early days of betting in the UK were marred by considerable difficulties since betting was illegal and generally considered a risky activity. The situation changed in the 1960s when gambling was legalized, which gave rise to sports betting options, as well as numerous bookmakers. A bookmaker is best defined as a person who makes a living from taking bets, calculating odds and paying out winnings.

Bookmakers or bookies revolutionized the betting industry by introducing a more successful betting strategy where they take bets on several outcomes from different sources. Prior to that, a winning bet had only one possible outcome.

Before moving to betting strategies, you’ll need some tips on betting odds, especially if you’re a newbie. Long story short, odds are a numerical representation of how likely an event is to occur. Depending on which type of game you are placing the bet on, you should count your odds in percentages.

If you take 100 as a start and divide it by the number of possibilities you are given, you’ll have your odds. Of course, you can simplify the whole process by visiting one of the many betting sites.

Fractional odds are most commonly used in the UK and Ireland. Fractions actually quote the potential profit if the bet succeeds, relative to the stake. Say you are betting on a team with 1/4 odds, meaning you have a one in four chance of winning (25%). This also means that you have a 75% chance of losing.

There are also decimal odds, popular in Europe and Asia as one of the betting systems that work. Unlike fractions, decimals quote the potential return in case the bet succeeds, relative to the stake. For instance, if £5 is bet at odds of 3/1, the total return is £15, with a potential profit of £10.

With American odds (moneyline odds, US odds), the odds for favourites come with a minus (-) sign, referring to the amount you need to stake to win $100. On the other hand, the odds for underdogs have a positive (+) sign, referring to the amount won for every $100 stake. Either way, you get your initial wager back, plus the amount won.

For a more serious approach, you need to get into the basics of the most successful betting strategies.

Online Betting

The world of gambling was treated to a fresh dose of popularity with the introduction of online betting. The internet provides plenty of options for passionate bettors, and for the new ones there are numerous tips on how to place your bets in the right way. For example, there is our comprehensive UK betting explained article that will bring you up to speed.

Of course, there are never any guarantees or magic formulas for winning money every time, but there are methods to improve your betting strategy.

The most popular sportsbooks, like 888sports, Betway, Paddy Power or BetOnline, accept real money players from the UK. In December 2014, the British government introduced the point of consumption tax, slapping a 15% duty on all bets made by UK consumers irrespective of where the gambling operators are based.

And even though the law was widely debated, the UK remains one of the most competitive sports betting markets where you can learn about world class betting techniques.

So why is online betting so popular? For starters, you can do it anytime, anywhere. You can access many websites and compare the scores and offers while getting some great welcome bonuses. There are many websites that offer generous bonuses and promotions for betting events or tournaments.

You can improve your odds via line shopping, free streaming and multiple payment options.

One of the leading sites for comparing odds and a very popular betting destination is Oddschecker. It was launched in 1999, and since then millions have visited the site to place bets. You can find a long list of sports to bet on, with real-time prices from top bookies. In addition to bonuses for both new and returning bettors, you can find some great betting tips from experts.

The Logic Behind a Successful Betting Strategy

There is an easy way to understand the gambling system using nothing but logic. From the early days of betting and gambling, players have been looking for ways to increase their odds. One of the systems used to achieve this is the 18th century Martingale system. It’s based on doubling your stake each time you lose until you win. You have two possible outcomes and therefore a 50% chance of winning.

If you double your stake each time you lose, you compensate for the loss if you win. Of course, there is always the possibility of continuously losing, the longer you play. The key part of developing a strategy for this system is managing risk. If you can achieve this, you can use a progressive system to give structure to your betting.