In this section we’ve written a few handy articles on various topics about sports betting. This includes both general topics – such as ante post betting – as well as sport specific guides for football and horse racing.
General Articles
Betting Exchanges - Instead of betting with a bookie, head to an exchange to bet against other punters. Peer-to-peer betting offers better odds and the ability to bet against something happening.
Ante Post Betting - Betting well in advance of a match, tournament or event can reap big rewards but also comes with added risks. In our guide we cover what is ante-post betting, the pro’s and con’s and well as when to use it.
Cash Out - A relatively new phenomenon, cash out allows you to er.. cash in your bet before it’s settled. Using it you can get out of a potentially losing bet or lock in a win early.
In Play Betting - In Play or ‘Live Betting’ gives you the chance to bet on events that are already running, meaning you can see how a team is playing before placing your bets. You can even bet on the horse mid-race. Definitely one for those of your with a short attention span.
Accumulator Betting - Want bigger odds on your bets? Then stack them together in an acca. But be warned, with bigger odds comes greater risk.
Handicap Betting - Take the time to understand handicap and Asian handicap betting and you can use it to your advantage whether you want to bet on the favourite or the underdog.
Full Cover Bets - A more advanced betting strategy, the cover bet attempts to cover every angle to increase the chances of an overall profit regardless of the outcome of the race. It's risky though.
Betting Odds Explained - All about betting odds. The different formats, how they are calculated, how they change, and how bookies use them to ensure a profit.
Request A Bet - Many bookies allow punters to request their own odds on a market that may not already be covered. They might even put it on the site for other punters to use too.
Betting Strategy - An article about betting strategy in general full of hints and tips to save you making costly mistakes and errors in judgement.
Pools Betting - Pool betting is different to fixed odds betting, and your winnings depend on the size of the pool and how many other bettors made the same predicitons.
Which Betting Site Has the Best Odds? - How bookies odds are calculated and how they work, including the margin of many top bookmakers.
What Happens if a Bookie Goes Bust? - Online bookies come and go, but what happens to your money and your bets if the one you use suddenly announces it is going under?
High Street Betting Shops - The plight of the high street bookie, the history of the betting shop, and what the future might hold.
Dormant Betting Accounts - Anyone who has been betting for a while may well have the odd account that they rarely use. It can be a shock to log in and see your funds have gone, but if you leave your account inactive for long enough this can happen, and it's all in the t's and c's you agreed to when you signed up.
Gambling License Suspension - The UKGC can suspend a site's gambling license at any time if that site has been found to have broken the rules, and with so many gambling sites available it happens more than you might think. But what does that mean for the customers using that site?
Each Way Accas - If you understand a regular each way bet you will understand an each way acca, which still returns money on your bet so long as all your selections at least place.
What Does 'Evens' Mean? - Evens is one of the most well known betting terms, meaning the odds on a market pay out an amount equal to the stake. But are the odds truly even?
Betting Limits, Payout Limits, Account Limits - Bookmakers set limits in all sorts of areas, but it is almost always to protect their bottom line. Whether they limit how much you can bet or how much you can win, you need to know what they are.
Palpable Error - If a bookie makes an obvious error with their odds and a punter manages to take advantage before they realise their mistake, this is called a palpable error. But what happens to the bet?
Void Bets - Bookies reserve the right to void bets for a number of different reasons, and there's not a lot you can do about it.
How Long Does it Take for a Bet to Settle? - Once the result of your bet in known you will want to see the money in your account as soon as possible, but sometimes things can hold it up.
Bet Referred to Traders - When a bet flags on a bookies system for being contentious in some way, it will be referred to traders. This is where a member of staff checks it out and decides whether or not to accept the bet.
Calculating a Payout - Knowing how much you stand to win is vital to know before deciding whether or not a bet is worth placing in the first place, and the quicker you can do the maths the better.
Working Out the Payout Of Full Cover Bet - With 15 bets in one, calculating the payout of a Lucky 15 in various different circumstances can feel complex, but it's not really, even when bonuses are included into the equation.
Suspended Betting - Markets in some sports are suspended, sometimes for mere seconds, meaning you cannot bet on them or cash out your bet. But why?
Implied Probability - All bets have an implied probability, which can give you some insight as to whether or not the bet holds any value. You have to work backwards to find it though.
Sport Specific
Football
Football Bets - Here we cover the main bets you are likely to come across when betting on football, as well as hints and tips for getting the most value.
Football Betting Rules - The things you need to know when betting on football. Including which goals count and which don’t.
Abandoned Matches - What happens when a match is abandoned after it starts. Does your bet stand to do you get a refund?
Football Betting Strategy - You can bet on every element of a football match, so being strategic about what sort of bet to make and when can make a big difference to the money in your pocket.
Expected Goals - Using tons of data, computers can calculate the expected goals - or xG as it is know - for each game. This can highlight under or over performing teams.
What are Booking Points? - In order to make the cards betting bracket more interesting, the booking points system was introduced. This gives each card a numerical value and bets can be made based on the total value at the end of the game.
Own Goals - Apart from being demoralising for the team and embarrassing for the guilty party, own goals can be a confusing topic when it comes to betting. In some cases they are good news for your bet, and in other cases they are not.
Regular Time, Injury Time, & Extra Time - To those with only a passing knowledge of the game, they might all seem like the same thing, but they all represent different periods of time during a match and they can also have a big impact on any bets made on the game.
Draw No Bet & Double Chance - Useful for more cautious bettors or betting situations, the Drawn No Bet and Double Chance markets don't offer life changing odds but they might save you from a loss.
What Does Over/Under .5 Goals Mean? - One of the many aspects of a football match you can bet on is how many goals will be scored, but in order to create a definitive market decimals are used.
Both Teams to Score Betting - Games featuring sides who tend to both score and concede often are ripe for BTTS bets, and you can also bet against BTTS.
Shots on Target - Not always easy to find but a nice addition to a bet builder, shots on target can offer good value but are not as simple as they sound.
Home Advantage - We put the theory that the home side has an advantage over their opposition to the test.
What Does Win Both Halves Mean? - A slightly different take on the HT/FT market which can offer longer odds. Very useful in a game where you think one team will dominate but odds on the Win aren't worth taking.
Aggregate Wins and Your Bet - Changing rules further complicate this potentially confusing element to football betting, but knowing the difference between 'to win' and 'to qualify' markets is crucial.
Horse Racing
Horse Racing Bets - Just like we did for football, we’ve covered the main racing bets. Including the difference between win, place and each way as well as the more exotic full cover bets.
Horse Racing Betting Rules - What is the day of race market and when does it start? What happens if your horse pulls out? The answers to these questions, and many more, can be found in our horse racing rules guide.
Grades, Racecards & Form - Our beginner’s guide to racing, covering everything you need to know about grades & races, form and how to read a racecard.
Handicapping - Handicapping is a way of levelling the playing field. Adding weight to faster horses to provide a more competitive, and often more exciting, race.
Steamers and Drifters - Horse racing terminology can be complex, but these two terms are fairly straightforward. More importantly though, you need to understand why horses become steamers or drifters and what to do about it.
Best Odds Guaranteed and Starting Price - Best Odds Guaranteed is almost an expectation from bookies these days, but is it always the best option or should you ever take the starting price?
Horse Racing Strategy - Every good bettor had a strategy when it comes to making their selections and deciding how much to wager on each one. Here are some tips to improve yours.
Forecasts, Reverse Forecasts & Exactas - When you are surer than sure that you know how a race will go a forecast or reverse forecast can give you some nice odds. The Exacta is a different way of doing things, and can often be more rewarding too.
Tricasts, Combinations, and Trifecta Bets - A more complex bet than a forecast, the tricast bet types allow for the inclusion of an extra runner, and this means extra betting options become available within this bracket too.
What is Draw Bias? - The stall a horse starts from can have a huge impact on their chances of winning, especially at tracks with a strong draw bias.
Obstacles in Racing: Fences & Hurdles - All jumps are not made equal, and different kinds are used to test a horse's ability before they are let loose on the really intimidating jumps.
Headgear in Horse Racing - Horses race with all sorts of different equipment, some of which are standard and some more optional. Headgear is one area where different horses might wear slightly different equipment.
All Weather Racing - To keep racing moving in this country with its ever changing weather, different tracks surfaces have been developed, but do they work?
Back to Lay - Betting exchanges allow savvy punters to use the odds movements in such a way that a net win is secured regardless of the outcome of the race.
Amateur Jockeys - In most sporting arenas the gap between an amateur and a professional is wide a noticeable. In horse racing however, this isn't necessarily the case.
Places Betting - Think your horse is going to do well, but not 100% confident it will win? You need to look at betting on places instead.
Fell, Pulled Up, Brought Down & Unseated Rider - Much can happen during a horse race, and not all of it is good news for punters, especially if it means their horse doesn't finish. Here are a few reasons why that might happen.
What Does Refused Mean? - Horses have their own personalities and don't always want to race. When they make this known and can't be persuaded otherwise, it is called a refusal.
Horse Breeds Used for Racing - Different horse breeds are better suited to specific types of racing or equestrian events, with some more popular in different countries than others.
Forecast vs Exacta - Both bets require punters to predict the top two finishers in a race, but which one is the smartest choice for bettors?
Tricast vs Trifecta - Although very similar in nature (and incredibly difficult to call), there is an optimal time to use the tricast over the trifecta and vice versa if you want to maximise winnings.
Greyhound Racing
Greyhound Bets - Learn the basics behind the most common types of bet you can make on the greyhounds.
How Many Greyhound Tracks Are There in the UK? - At one time there was a greyhound racing track in almost every major town and city in the UK. These days their number has been decimated, but going to the dogs is still a favourite pastime for many.
The Greyhound Derby - Once a headline event and attended by almost 100,000 people at its peak, the Greyhound Derby is still running today, albeit not in its former glory. It has a new home now though, and a chance to establish itself once more.
Trap Challenge Betting Rules - For anyone who finds too much research tiresome but still wants to bet on the Greyhounds, the trap challenge is a good way to get a stake in every race on the card by doing nothing more than following your gut.
Greyhound Betting Rules - A brief run through of the mainstay bet types and the rules surrounding betting on the greyhounds. Nothing is too detailed in here, but all of the basics are covered.
Greyhound Hares - Greyhound racing wouldn't last long if they used a real hare as bait for the dogs, so what do they use instead?