Golf Introduction

Golf is one of the oldest sports, and it still remains incredibly popular to this day. In the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, and France, the popularity of golf is immense. These countries have some of the biggest and grandest golf courses and host some of the most-watched tournaments. With such popularity, it is no surprise that the sports betting market grows almost daily.

Standard Golf tournaments are played with 4 rounds of 18 holes each with around half the field being eliminated after the 2nd round. The winner is the player who completes all 72 holes with the lowest number of shots.

Most Popular Golf Bets

Tournament Winners

The player who wins the Golf tournament at the end of 72 holes including a playoff if required. You can also bet on the winner each way meaning you will win some money at a % of the player’s odds. If they finish near the top of the leaderboard at the end of 72 holes – the number of players paid out depends on the number of players in the field.

Winning Score

Another popular form of Golf betting is the winning score bet. In essence, the winning score lets players bet on what will be the score under or over-par when the winner is announced. It is a bit more complicated than a simple and straightforward tournament winner bet, but for more experienced bettors, it can be quite rewarding.

Leader After Each Round

Who will be heading the leaderboard after the first round of 18 holes, the 2nd round and a total of 36 holes, and/or the 3rd round and a total of 54 holes?

Best Golf Score Of Each Round

For bettors who like to place multiple bets during a Golf tournament, the best score per round bet is the way to go. As you can imagine, the goal of this particular bet is to place a wager on which of the players will have the best score in a certain round. Sometimes, experienced bettors will even go so far as to bet on what that particular score will be.

Player Matchups

As each hole is played by 2 or 3 Golf players at the same time, which of those players will have the best score in the round? Or who will win the next hole, and will there be a birdie or better (1 under par score) in the next hole?

Top Ten

The Golf player/s that finishes in the top ten at the end of the tournament.

Miss The Cut

Which player/s will be eliminated at the end of the 2nd round?

Will There Be a Playoff?

Will 2 or more Golf players be tied for first place at the end of the 4th round? If that’s the case then a play-off is needed to determine the winner.

Golf Betting Rules

Golf is another sport that can be affected by bad weather. Depending on the bookmakers you choose to bet with, the following is likely to be applicable.

If a player takes a shot from the first tee, they are determined to have entered the tournament. So even if the player retires injured, bets on that player to win will be declared as a loser.

If the weather means a Golf tournament is made shorter due to a reduced number of holes, the winner shall be determined as the player who finishes on top of the leaderboard. This will be determined at the last point where all players have completed the same number of holes.

Should a player be disqualified during or after a round for any reason, any bets on that player will be declared as a loser.

What if Golf Players Don’t Compete?

If a certain player you have placed a bet on does not compete in the game, there are several different outcomes depending on the reason. For example, if they’ve been disqualified, then the bets are counted as losers. The same is true if they get injured or retire after the tournament has started, and they have played their first shot.

However, if a player that you have placed a bet on does not enter the tournament at all, then the bet is void. Then you can either get your money back or bet on a different player.

Futures

If you bet on a player to win a tournament but they don’t enter for whatever reason, bets on that player will be declared void.

Tips & Strategy for Betting on Golf

Golf is a fun sport and you can get your money’s worth when it comes to betting. As most tournaments are played over 4 rounds and 4 days, some bets can take this amount of time to pay out, specifically the winner of a tournament or winning score.

Check the Form of Players

If you are hoping to back a player to win a tournament or shoot a certain score, it is worth checking out how they have done in their recent few tournaments. Although it is possible, it is unlikely that a player who has missed the cut in their last 4 tournaments is suddenly going to finish ahead of his competitors.

Weather Conditions are Key

Wind factors can make a big difference to how a player fares in golf as some players have much better control in windy conditions than others. A golf course isn’t a specific length either, so a course that is longer than average will favor a player that has a long drive and who can get to the green in fewer shots.

Matchups

When players partner with each other on the same holes, some might be very close and encourage each other whilst others may not get on and therefore could play with hostility. Whilst a good golf player will probably never admit to this, it can affect how they play and therefore their overall score and position in the field. It is always worth having a quick check when you know who will be partnering with who for a round and whether there is any history between the players, either positive or negative.

Know the Rules

Whilst golf is a very simple game to play, there are a lot of different markets which can get confusing if you don’t know the terminology of the game. Make sure you at least know your birdies from your bogeys before you start betting on lesser-known markets.

Always Bet Within Your Means

The one thing that unites bettors across all sports is that they should always pay close attention to their bankroll. Setting up a bankroll and having the discipline to stick to it is the most important thing you can do before you start betting. The bankroll will differ based on your income and your funds. What is important is that you never exceed the bankroll, unless you have the means to do so. After all, the goal here is to have fun and make some cash on the side. So, always bet with funds that you can afford to lose.

Types of Cricket Bets

Cricket is a very different sport to bet on than others like tennis and football and can take longer to complete, especially test matches which are played over 5 days.

If you enjoy watching cricket and have a basic overview of the rules, there are plenty of bet types for you to use:

Match Winner

Who will win the match? There are 3 main types of cricket matches, one-day internationals which are normally played over 50 overs, a T20 match which is played over 20 overs each side, and a test match which is played over 5 days. There is also a new UK format called the Hundred which is played over 100 balls.

Whereas most formats will always have a winner, even if it means going to an extra over. A test match can often end in a draw even though it is played over 5 days so consider that option when betting on the longer format of cricket.

Top Scorer

Betting on which player will score the most runs either within one team or the match as a whole.

Top Wicket Taker

Which bowler will get the most wickets? Again either for a specific team or the match and therefore both teams combined.

How Many Runs Will Be Scored in an Over

Just as it sounds, guessing how many runs will be conceded by a bowler in a specific over.

How Many Runs Will Be Scored Next Ball

If you want to get more specific, most bookmakers will allow you to bet in play on the number of runs from a specific ball, such as over 10, or ball 2.

How Many Boundaries Will Be Scored?

Normally over the course of an inning, you are betting on how many 4’s or 6’s will be scored.

Total Runs Per Team or Match

How many runs either a specific team will score or how many runs the 2 teams will score combined over the course of the match?

The Method of the Next Wicket

Whether the next batsman out will be bowled, caught, LBW, run out, stumped, or another method.

Next Batsman Out

Which of the 2 batsmen at the crease will be the next one to be out?

Runs a Specific Batsman Will Score

Guessing how many runs a player will get either before they are out or when the innings end.

Cricket Betting Rules

Like any sport that depends on the weather, sometimes a match can be adversely affected. What happens to your bet/s in these instances can vary from bookmaker to bookmaker, but many events are treated the same.

Test Match

As mentioned above, a test match can often lose time to the weather and if that happens, it can end in a draw. Therefore, all bets on a specific team to win will lose and anyone backing the draw will get a winning bet.

50 Over Game

The 50-over game has its own version of what happens if overs are lost to weather called the Duckworth-Lewis method. Most bookmakers will settle bets in accordance with these once a game has finished. A match needs to be played with at least 20 overs each per team in order to count as an official match, if this isn’t possible, bets will likely be voided.

T20

Again, the Duckworth-Lewis method is used to calculate a result when rain affects the outcome. Each side will need to bat at least 10 overs for this to come into effect, if that is not possible then again, all bets will likely be voided.

Where bets have been settled, such as the method of the next wicket, bets will have been settled before the end of the match and will therefore count.

Player Retiring Injured

If a player retires injured, all bets on that player are likely to be settled depending on the number of runs they have scored at the time, just the same as if they were given out. If they do return later in the innings, they will continue with any bets on that specific player that may still be active.

Cricket Betting Tips and Strategy

Choose Your Market Carefully

There are a lot of different market types to bet on with cricket so be sure to choose one that you will enjoy watching. If you like seeing batsmen hit a huge six, betting on total runs or a batsman-specific total could be for you. If you prefer seeing a bowler clatter into the middle stump, look at the offers on bowling markets.

Check the weather

Cricket is probably the sport most affected by the weather as they cannot play with even a little bit of rain. If you think rain could have a big impact, look at options such as the draw in a test match or under totals in other formats. It is often hard for a batsman to keep going off for the weather and then coming back out and batting again.

The pitch is important too

Another way that cricket differs from many other sports is the state of the pitch as this could mean it is better for the bowlers or the batsmen or for a specific type of player such as a seam bowler or spinner.

Most TV coverage will cover the state of the pitch before the match begins so listen to what the experts say and plan your bets accordingly.

The toss

Due to the state of a pitch, it may be preferable to bat or bowl first depending on how much of an advantage it is likely to give. Therefore, winning the toss at the start of a game can give a team a huge advantage and can often be the difference between being a favorite and an underdog.

Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide when it comes to fans and betting.
Therefore, the opportunities to bet on soccer have increased more than in other sports over the years. With a whole host of markets available, there are both pre-event, which are bets placed before a match starts, and in-play, which is betting on a soccer match when it is in play.

Before starting out, however, it is essential to consider what betting strategy will work best for you.

Soccer Betting Strategies

The first thing to remember is that the bookmakers who decide on the lines/odds of each event will have a large number of years of experience within soccer and are there to make sure the bookies they work with don’t lose money.

Therefore, at least a small amount of research is recommended before you start betting on soccer such as knowing your cities from your units and your ACs from your Inters.

There are so many markets to bet on that unless you have some experience watching football you can feel lost with all the options available.

Most bookmakers will have a stats section that can show information such as the form of each team, their position in the relevant league, which player/s are expected to miss out through injury or suspension, and much more. This is a solid place to begin when thinking about your bets.

Corners

Many bettors will only look at the basic markets such as which teams will win, how many goals there will be, who will score first etc.

One of the lesser-used markets is over or under total corners in the match which can depend on how attacking each team is likely to be.

Checking previous corners for both teams can be a good marker for how a team will play, some will look to win corners of the defender when in an advanced position if they do well from set pieces and these teams can be expected to win above average number, especially when at home playing against a team they are expected to beat.

Double Chance

Whilst not that good as a pre-event market due to the reduced odds you will get betting on 2 of the 3 possible outcomes (home win, away win or draw) rather than just the 1, this market can be good when the team you are backing falls behind.

For example, if the home team is a firm favourite before the match but concedes an early goal, the odds of them winning or drawing will be a good bet when they are behind. After all, if they were firm favourites to win and have plenty of time to turn things around, if they score the 2nd goal the odds you will have got when they were behind will be very different.

The odds of an accumulator (betting on the outcome of more than one game) can be considerably better than betting on one match at a time.

If you place a bet on 5 teams to win in one bet, you will be getting much better odds than betting on one team and then using winnings on one more team each time for 5 separate bets.

This also has the added advantage of some sites offering boosted odds for each bet (5 boosted odds are much better than 1) and also offer Acca insurance which gives you your money back as a free bet if one game lets you down.

Yes, you need all events to win in order for the bet to be settled as a winner, but the advantages of this bet far outweigh the negatives, especially as you can normally cash out your bets at any time if you prefer.

Over/Under Goals

Finally, a good market to look at is total goals in a game, if you have 2 sides that like to attack and who tend to score a lot whilst conceding, this can provide you with good returns. Unlike betting on a team to win, you can win this bet after a few minutes if there are early goals, if you bet on over 2.5 goals in the match, should 3 goals be scored in the first 30 minutes, your bet will be declared a winner without the need for the match to finish.

Soccer Betting Tips

• Bankroll: Like any form of gambling, bankroll is important. If you have a set amount you are prepared to lose, try and ensure each bet only uses a % of this bankroll as opposed to the full amount as this will increase your enjoyment. There is nothing worse than losing all your funds in the first game and the temptation to then deposit and bet again is likely to be higher.

• Only bet what you can afford: At the end of the day, betting should be enjoyable, and if you get to the stage where it isn’t then it is time to walk away. If you feel you are betting too much, some organizations can help you depending on where you live.

• Look at futures: If you want to get more for your money, look at long-term bets which last several months as opposed to just one game. An example would be team A winning their league come the end of the season or getting promoted to a higher league. In this type of bet, you cannot lose in just one game but you can cheer your team/s on each time they are playing in the hope of getting closer to the winning line.

Most Popular Soccer Leagues

Whilst there are many different teams you can bet on in soccer, some of the biggest European leagues tend to be the most popular.
These are:

• Premier League in England
• La Liga in Spain
• Serie A in Italy
• Bundesliga in Germany
• Ligue 1 in France
• Every 4 years, there is a World Cup that sees some of the biggest countries in the world come together to battle it out for the title of World Champion.

 
Each continent also has its own tournament such as the European Championships and Africa Cup of Nations.

All of these offer great opportunities for betting on a range of different markets.

Soccer Betting Markets Explained

There is a huge range of markets to bet on when betting on soccer, some of which are outlined below.

Futures

Who will win a league or cup? These tournaments can last up to 9 months so are normally considered long-term bets but can lead to very good odds. When Leicester City won the Premier League in England in the 2015/2016 season, for example, you could have backed them at 5,000 to 1 at the start of the season – a $10 bet would have won you $50,000!

3-way Moneyline

Who will win a specific match – The home team, the away team, or the match ending in a draw?

Double Chance

Most popular in play when one team leads, this bet gives you 2 of the 3 options of a Moneyline – so home team or draw, away team or draw, or home team or away team.

Draw No Bet

This essentially makes the 3-way Moneyline into a 2-way market, voiding the bet if it ends in a draw in return for much lower odds.

Over/Under Goals Market

The normal amount is over or under 2.5 goals in a game – if you bet over, 3 or more goals after 90 minutes mean you win, 2 or fewer goals give you a win if you bet the under. You can also bet over/under 1.5 goals, 3.5 goals, etc depending on how brave you are feeling.

Correct Score

This is a simple bet on the final score of a match, such as 1 – 1 or 2 – 0 to the home side. Remember there are a lot of potential scores before a match begins so you are less likely to win this bet than if you simply predict the outcome on a 3-way Moneyline, but the odds you get reflect this.

First Goalscorer

The player that will score the first goal of the game. You can also bet on the last goalscorer – who will score the final goal, or an anytime scorer, so a player that will score a goal at any time during the match.

Half-Time/ Full Time

Correctly guessing the outcome at both half time and full time, an example would be a draw at half time with the home side winning at full time.

Over/Under Corners Market

The same as the Over/Under Goals Market but with corners

Player to be Carded

The player you choose will need to be shown a yellow or red card during the match for this bet type to be a winner.

Asian Handicap

Guessing the outcome of a match when a specific team has some goals added or removed. An example would be a home favourite winning with a handicap of -1.5 – They would need to win the match by 2 goals for this bet to be a winner. You can also bet on the away side with a handicap of +1.5 – this bet would win if the home side wins by one goal, the match ends in a draw, or the away side wins.

Both Teams to Score

A bet that wins if both teams score at least one goal irrespective of the final result. You can also bet that both teams won’t score which wins if either side keeps a clean sheet.

Match Result and Over 2.5 Goals

This is a combination bet on who will win the match and that there will be at least 3 goals scored by both teams combined. You can also bet on the match result and both teams’ scores.

Total Team Goals

This relates to a specific team within a match rather than both teams combined, an example would be the home team scoring 3 or more goals which will win if they score 3 goals or more on their own but not if they only score 2 and the away side scores 1.

Accumulators

This is a bet on 2 or more matches where the outcome of the bet needs all legs to win in order to be settled as a winner. The more matches you bet on, the higher the odds, it is worth keeping an eye out for sites that offer boosts that increase the odds on each game, or Acca insurance which sees you getting your money back as a free bet if one leg lets you down.

Tennis is one of the most popular sports to bet on across most countries as it is popular and played almost everywhere.

It is a very simple sport to bet on, and whilst some bet types are slightly more difficult to understand, if you have a grasp of the rules of tennis, you should be fine.

Types of Tennis Bets Explained

Match Winner

You are betting on who wins the match and qualifies for the next round in a tournament. This will be a 2-way market, either player A or player B will win.

Set Score

On top of guessing who will win, you are guessing the correct score in terms of sets as well. Most matches are played as best of 3 sets, so you can either bet on your player to win 2 – 0 or 2 – 1. However, some men’s tennis tournaments, including the 4 majors, are played best of 5 sets so you can bet on your player to win 3 – 0, 3 – 1, or 3 – 2.

Tournament Winner

The player who will win a tournament after all other players have been knocked out, can often back this bet each way, which will see you get a winning bet if your player reaches the final and loses. You will be paid a % of the odds you took, such as 1/3 of the odds if they lose the final. As there are often 32 or 64 players in a tournament at the start, you can get some nice wins betting on this market.

Over/Under Total Games

You are betting on how many games there will be in the match with this one as opposed to who will win. With a set being the first to 6 games, or 7 if the score gets to 5 – 5, there can be a lot of games played especially if the match goes to a deciding set. For example, if you bet over 22.5 games and a player wins 6 – 2, 4 – 6, 6 – 0 then your bet will be a winner as there were 24 games in total.

Next Game Winner

Often popular in running bet, you are betting on which player will win a specific game. Whereas the player that is serving will be a hot favorite to win a game, if you bet on a player to be broken and lose their service, you can get good odds at times.

Current Set Winner

Which player will win a specific set?

Other In-Play Bets

Some bookmakers will offer a larger range of in-play bets than others which could include who will win the next point, whether a set will go to a tiebreak, the correct score in a set, how many points a player will win in a specific game, and more. If you like betting in play, it is worth shopping around to see which of your favorite sites offer the biggest range of bets.

Tennis Betting Rules

Like any sporting event, tennis matches can get interrupted, sometimes temporarily like a rain shower, or others permanently such as an injury to a player forcing them to retire.

Whilst rules do vary from bookmaker to bookmaker, the most likely scenarios and the outcome with the majority of bookmakers are shown below.

Player Retiring

In the case of a player retiring and the match not being finished, most bookmakers will refund all bets that haven’t been settled. This will inevitably please some bettors more than others but is judged to be fair to all parties. It can be frustrating if you have a bet on a player to win and they are a set and a break up when their opponent retires, but as the match hasn’t finished, it is inevitable that bets won’t be paid out as a winner. It can be a blessing in disguise should you have a bet on the losing player though as you will get your money back and the chance to go again.

With markets such as over/under total games, where the number of games has already exceeded the total, markets would usually be paid out at the time. If a player retires towards the end of the match, some of these markets will have been settled by the time the match is abandoned.

Rain Delays

In most cases, should the match be resumed within 24 hours, the bets will carry over and continue when the match resumes. Some bookmakers have a longer time for example 48 hours for a match to be completed, so it is worth checking if an open bet you have is affected by the weather.

It is also worth checking to see if a match is in progress as some bookmakers will keep the odds of a match on-site in the in-play section even when there may be a rain delay. If you want to bet on a match that is taking place in real-time, checking the individual match should show if there is a delay or not going on.

The Player Pulling Out Before The Match Starts

If a player pulls out before their match begins, nearly all bookmakers will void any bets and funds will be returned to your betting account.

Futures

If you bet on the winner of a specific tournament but that player does not take part for any reason, you can expect to get a refund. If however, your player does start the tournament but then pulls out, it will be treated as a losing bet as the player did take part.

Tips & Strategy For Betting On Tennis

Look At The Form

Like any type of sports betting, the form is key. It is worth checking how each player has done in the few previous games coming into a match such as how they fared head-to-head in the past, how well they tend to do at that specific tournament and if either player is suspected of having an injury.

Another important aspect of tennis is the surface as some players fare better on grass or hard courts than others. The surface does make a big difference to the bounce and speed and is there very important when considering how well a player is likely to do.

Weather

Just as some players do better on different surfaces, some cope with windy or hot conditions better than others. If a tournament is being played outdoors then taking into account the weather is another important factor when betting.

Head to head

Some players just seem to be able to get the better of others every time they play even if they may have a lower ranking. There could be a number of reasons for this such as having a game that plays to their opponent’s strengths, sharing a coach, or having a current coach that worked with the opponent in the past. Either way, look for things such as this when deciding what player to back.

Manage your bankroll

As with any form of betting, bankroll management is key so ensure you bet within your means at all times. If you start getting worried about the money you are gambling, walk away and get help – betting should be a fun pastime that can sometimes get a nice win.

In many countries, such as the UK, Australia, and the US, horse racing is hugely popular.

There are many horse races around the world each week with a huge variety of horses, and jockeys to bet on. The flat race is by far the most popular race where horses sprint against each other to the finish. The jump race is another popular form of racing that requires horses to jump over ditches and fences.

Below are the types of horse races we will focus on in this article:

• Flat Racing
• Stakes Racing
• Jump Racing (National Hunt)
• Harness Racing
• Quarter Horse Racing
• Allowance and Claiming Racing
• Maiden Racing

Flat Racing

The most popular form of horse racing is Flat Racing and is practiced worldwide. The Thoroughbred, known for its endurance is bred and used for this type of racing. The most well-known Flat Races in the world include the Kentucky Derby, Japan Cup, Epson Derby, Dubai World Cup, and the Melbourne Cup, which are televised worldwide.

The track always has a flat-level surface made of turf in Europe and dirt in North America and Asia. Synthetic materials such as Polytrack are also becoming popular.

The most common distance for the Flat Race is between five and twelve furlongs but can be up to two and a half miles (4 km), depending upon the race.

Stakes Racing

Stake Races are the highest-level horse races one can be a part of with very high payouts. The Saudi Cup paid out $30.5 million in 2022, while the Kentucky Derby Triple Crown paid out $3 million in May 2022.

These races are reserved for the most well-known horses, and jockeys in the industry, that have greatly proven themselves over the years. The Thoroughbred is bred for this type of racing, while the Flat Race type is used.

Jump Racing – The National Hunt

The National Hunt is a race popular in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland. The horses bred for this type of racing are usually The Thoroughbred mixed with Dutch Warm Blood, French-bred jumpers, and or a combination of different breeds and Origen can be used.

The horses have to jump over many hurdles and or fences with the distance being 2 miles and upwards. The 2 types of Jump Racing include Hurdle racing with many obstacles and Steeplechase racing, which includes fences, open water, and or ditches.

The two most well-known National Hunt races include The Grand National held at the Aintree and the Cheltenham Festival held at the Cheltenham Racecourse. Many of the world’s best-known horses are seen at these events and millions of Pounds are gambled each year.

Harness Racing

Harness Races are a very unique sport in which the horse must stay at a trot or pace, without ever breaking stride. If they break into a canter or gallop they must be pulled back to the trot which can make them lose ground to their competitors. The horse pulls a 2-wheeled cart called a sulky or chariot which is occupied by the driver.

The horse breed for this type of racing varies between countries, but one distinct feature in each breed is a shorter leg and longer body. In North America, it is always the Standardbred but in Europe, the French Trotters or Russian Trotters are used. In Russia, the Orlov Trotters are preferred, while in Norway, Sweden, and France you will find the Coldblood trotters and Finnhorses.

The richest Standardbred known to date retired in 2019 called ‘Foiled Again’, winning an estimated $7,635,588 USD throughout his career.

Quarter Horse Racing

The Quarter Horse race is a quarter of a mile long, lasting approx 22 seconds. It runs on a straight dirt track, without any turns. The horse bred for this type of race is the American Quarter Horse. The Quarter Horse can outrun even the Thoroughbred at short distances because of their muscular hind limbs but aren’t well suited as endurance horses.

The All-American Futurity Race is held every Labor Day weekend at Ruidoso Downs with a 3 million dollars purse. The fastest 2-year-old Quarter Horse colt in history to date is ‘Eyesa Special’ with a record speed of 21.097 seconds, winning a 1 Million Dollars prize from the purse.

Allowance and Claiming Racing

A claiming race is a race where all the horses are for sale at their specified entered price until the race begins. Before the start of the race, the title is transferred to the new owner if sold, but the purse goes to the former owner if they win. Anyone licensed to own racehorses may claim a horse. Most of the racetracks in the USA hold claiming races.

Most claimed horses don’t normally go on to win anything substantial but one claimed horse ‘Stymie’ did and went on to win 900,000 USD throughout his career. Another horse ‘Maximum Security’ wasn’t claimed but went on to run in the 2019 Kentucky Derby, but was disqualified for interference with other horses, after he was initially thought to be the winner.

An Allowance race is a race where the horse is given weights attached to its saddle to even out the odds of winning. These races are also called conditioned races. If the horse is at a disadvantage it will likely carry less weight. An example of a horse given less weight is if they are younger, has an inexperienced jockey, or is female(Filly). An example of a horse getting more weight would be if they have proven itself, they have an experienced jockey, or is male(Stallion).

Both the Oaks and the Epsom Derby are handicap races and examples of races where the horses carry weights. The Thoroughbred horse is used in both the Allowance and Claiming races.

Each race will have conditions attached such as the Grand National week in Aintree, UK. This race is called The Liverpool Hurdle race and is 4,964 meters long, contains 13 hurdles, and is for horses 4 years and older. The mares and Fillies get a 7 pounds allowance, while the 4-year-olds get 13 pounds and 10 stones of weight and the 5 years olds will carry an additional 8 pounds on top of that.

Maiden Racing

Horses are referred to as Maidens if they haven’t won a race. These races are considered entry-level races and can consist of set weights, weight for age, and or handicaps. In the USA Maiden races rank above the Claiming race but in some races, the Maiden horse can be claimed.

A horse will be considered a Maiden if they haven’t won a race for example in Flat racing, but their status would change if it entered a Jump race, in which they have had a prior win. Some Maiden horses have become famous and have done well for themselves even without any wins. An example is ‘Zippy Chippy’ who had 100 starts with zero wins but still managed to place several times with $30,000 in prize money won throughout his career. Another is ‘Vote For Lust’ who had placed 10 times throughout his 86-time start career, winning $20,000 in prize money.

Horse Racing Strategy

Horse Racing differs from many other sports when it comes to betting such as soccer due to a large number of competitors in each race.

In soccer markets, for instance, most bets involve no more than 3 outcomes – the home side to win, the away side to win or draw for instance, or over/under 2.5 goals in the game.

In horse racing, there are often 10 or more horses racing who could potentially win meaning very different strategies are needed.

Every day you are likely to find a number of races to bet on –and we outline the most popular types of horse racing bets here.

Research your horse/jockey

Most newspapers and many websites that promote a race meeting will give information on the form of each horse in their previous few races. Taking this into account, as well as the expected weather. Some horses do better on dry ground when there is no rain than on wet ground when rain is expected for example. Also, the length of the course – like human runners, stamina comes into effect as not every race is over the same length – and the jockey for each horse (if the jockey and horse have worked together before may have an advantage over a combination that hasn’t.

You should also check if there are any known injuries the horse may have that could hamper the outcome. Or falls the jockey has had that could affect their confidence and the experience the horse has had in recent times.

Don’t always go for the favorite

Yes, there will be a reason that a horse starts at lower odds than others, but that shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all when you come to choosing which to bet on. Very rarely will you see a meeting of 5/6 races where the favorite wins every race? The larger the field, the less likely it is the favorite will win as all it takes is for them to get blocked off by another horse at a crucial time. Or a horse to land near to them in a jump race, and the dangers involved in such a race and the ability of a jockey to navigate out of such a situation.

Large fields can be more profitable

Like any betting event, the more participants the better the odds for some. Even when you are betting on a horse to be placed, for example, having 4 or 5 more horses can make a big difference to starting odds when compared to a smaller field.

Shop around when you decide where to place your bets

There are a large number of betting sites that focus more on horse racing than others. These can often pay out more horses in specific races than other sites or offer enhanced odds on some horses. Horse Racing is the sport more than any other where it really does pay to shop around before placing a bet, especially as some will offer boosts on specific races as well.

Bet within your means

This applies to any sport you bet on, if the enjoyment stops then it may be time to stop betting. If your horse gets beaten right at the end of a race by a nose and the difference between winning and losing the bet has an adverse effect on your health, there are numerous organizations from where you can get help depending on where you live.

The History of Horse Betting

Horse Racing itself dates back to around 4,500 BC as a popular sport amongst Central Asian tribesmen who are believed to have had the first documented domestic horses.

Since then, it has become one of the most bet-on sports in the world, especially around some of the most popular meetings such as Cheltenham. The biggest races like the Grand National and The Derby attract horses from all over the world and mega prize money for the winning owners and jockeys.

Horse Racing is one of the most popular sports to bet on but can be one of the hardest to master.

Due to the different sizes of the fields, from 3 or 4 horses all the way up to the likes of the Grand National which normally has 40 horses starting, the number of winners for each race varies enormously and also depends on the bookmaker you bet with.

Below are the types of horse racing bets we will focus on in this article:

• Win Only Bet
• Place Bet
• Accumulators
• Exotic Bets
• Horizontal Bets
• Vertical Bets
• Straight Exactas
• Straight Trifectas
• Straight Superfectas
• Boxing Bets

Win Only Bet

This is a simple one to understand, you are betting on which horse will win a race. If your choice wins, you win, if they finish 2nd or after, the bet is a loser.

Place Bet

This is where things start to get a bit more complicated. The number of horses that place depends on the number that starts the race. It can also vary from bookmaker to bookmaker depending on how important horse racing is to their players.

As an example, in a race of 10 horses, a bookmaker may pay out the top 3 places. When you place a bet, half the stake will normally go on your horse to win – if they win, this half pays out at the odds the horse started the race at and the other half will pay out at 1/3 of that.

If your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd, then half your stake will lose and the other half will pay out at 1/3 of the horse’s starting odds.

A larger field can see up to 5 or 6 horses being paid out at the respective odds – if 5 horses are paid, you will receive 1/5 of their starting odds or 1/6 if there are 6 paid out.

It is also worth mentioning that some bookmakers will offer the best odds for certain races or more horses paid out than their competitors. If you are betting on horse racing, always keep an eye out for special offers.

Accumulators

This is betting on more than one race and the winner or horse to place in each. If all these bets come in, the bet is a winner, otherwise, if 1 or more loses then the entire bet has settled a loser.

Exotic Bets

Exotic bets come in 2 main forms, vertical and horizontal, and can offer huge odds if you correctly predict them.

Horizontal Bets

These are bets where you need to choose the winner or a set number of races in order to win. A daily double for example is 2 races where you need to choose the winner of both to win the bet. The pick of 6 offers a much larger prize but you will need to choose the winner of 6 consecutive races. With 15-20 horses running, this is a very hard bet to win but can include life-changing amounts if you manage to predict each winner.

Vertical Bets

Whilst Horizontal Bets take in a certain number of races, a Vertical Bet is based on one specific race but involves correctly guessing the first few horses in that race, not just the race winner.

Straight Exactas

Correctly predict the horse that finishes 1st and the horse that finishes 2nd to win the bet.

Straight Trifectas

Predict the winner, 2nd place horse and 3rd place horse, in that specific order, to win the bet.

Straight Superfectas

To win the Straight Trifectas you need to guess the order of the first 4 horses as opposed to the first 3.

Boxing Bets

If the above bets sound very hard to win, it is because they are. It is hard enough to guess the winner of a race containing 10 horses, let alone the first 3 in the exact finishing order.

An alternative is a Boxing Bet

This type of bet lets you choose a set number of horses and then place every combination of those horses to finish in the top x of the race.

For example, if you choose 3 horses then you will place a Straight Trifecta for every combination of those 3 horses finishing in the top 3. Each bet costs the same amount so it is more expensive than a standard trifecta, however even if you bet a small amount on each option you can win a lot if you choose the 3 horses that finish in the top 3.

If you choose 4 horses, it will cost more as you will cover each combination of Straight Superfectas but again, it will pay a lot if the four horses you choose make up the top 4.

Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide when it comes to fans and betting.

Therefore, the opportunities to bet on soccer have increased more than in other sports over the years with a whole host of markets available. These include both pre-event – bets placed before a match starts, and in-play – betting on a soccer match when it is in play.

We have done a separate article on the types of Soccer markets you can bet on here.

Before starting out, however, it is important to consider what betting strategy will work best for you.

Soccer Betting Strategies

The first thing to remember is that the bookmakers who decide on the lines/odds of each event will have a large number of years of experience within soccer and are there to make sure the bookies they work with don’t lose money.

Therefore, at least a small amount of research is recommended before you start betting on soccer such as knowing your cities from your units and your ACs from your Inters.

There are so many markets to bet on that unless you have some experience of watching Soccer you can feel lost with all the options available.

Most bookmakers will have a stats section that can show information such as the form of each team, their position in the relevant league, which player/s are expected to miss out through injury or suspension and much more. This is a solid place to begin when thinking about your bets.

Corners

Many bettors will only look at the basic markets such as which teams will win, how many goals there will be, who will score first etc.

One of the lesser-used markets is over or under total corners in the match which can depend on how attacking each team is likely to be.

Checking previous corners for both teams can be a good marker for how a team will play, some will look to win corners of the defender when in an advanced position if they do well from set-pieces and these teams can be expected to win an above-average number, especially when at home playing against a team they are expected to beat.

Double Chance

Whilst not that good as a pre-event market due to the reduced odds you will get betting on 2 of the 3 possible outcomes (home win, away win or draw) rather than just the 1, this market can be good when the team you are backing falls behind.

For example, if the home team is a firm favorite before the match but concedes an early goal, the odds of them winning or drawing will be a good bet when they are behind. After all, if they were firm favorites to win and have plenty of time to turn things around, if they score the 2nd goal the odds you will have got when they were behind will be very different.

Betting on Favourites

The odds of an accumulator (betting on the outcome of more than one game) can be considerably better than betting on one match at a time.

If you place a bet on 5 teams to win in one bet, you will be getting much better odds than betting on one team and then using winnings on one more team each time for 5 separate bets. This also has the added advantage of some sites offering boosted odds for each bet (5 boosted odds are much better than 1) and also offer Acca insurance which gives you your money back as a free bet if one game lets you down.

Yes, you need all events to win in order for the bet to be settled as a winner, but the advantages of this bet far outweigh the negatives, especially as you can normally cash out your bets at any time if you prefer.

Over/Under Goals

Finally, a good market to look at is total goals in a game, if you have 2 sides that like to attack and who tend to score a lot whilst conceding, this can provide you with good returns. Unlike betting on a team to win, you can win this bet after a few minutes if there are early goals. If you bet on over 2.5 goals in the match, should 3 goals be scored in the first 30 minutes, your bet will be declared a winner without the need for the match to finish.

Soccer Betting Tips

Bankroll

Like any form of gambling, a bankroll is important. If you have a set amount you are prepared to lose, try and ensure each bet only uses a % of this bankroll as opposed to the full amount as this will increase your enjoyment. There is nothing worse than losing all your funds in the first game and the temptation to then deposit and bet again is likely to be higher.

Only bet what you can afford

At the end of the day, betting should be enjoyable, and if you get to the stage where it isn’t then it is time to walk away. If you feel you are betting too much, there are organizations that can help you depending on where you live.

Look at futures

If you want to get more excited for your money, look at long-term bets which last a number of months as opposed to just one game. An example would be team A winning their league come to the end of the season or getting promoted to a higher league. In this type of bet, you cannot lose in just one game but you can cheer your team/s on each time they are playing in the hope of getting closer to the winning line.

Most popular leagues

Whilst there are many different teams you can bet on in soccer, some of the biggest European leagues tend to be the most popular.
 
These are:

•Premier League in England
•La Liga in Spain
•Serie A in Italy
•Bundesliga in Germany
•Ligue 1 in France

Every 4 years, there is a World Cup that sees some of the biggest countries in the world come together to battle it out for the title of World Champion.

Each continent also has its own tournament such as the European Championships and Africa Cup of Nations.

All of these offer great opportunities for betting on a range of different markets.

Soccer Markets

There is a huge range of markets to bet on when betting on soccer, some of which are outlined below.

Futures

Who will win a league or cup? These tournaments can last up to 9 months so are normally considered a long-term bet but can lead to very good odds. When Leicester City won the Premier League in England in the 2016 season, for example, you could have backed them at 5,000 to 1 at the start of the season – a $10 bet would have won you $50,000!

3-way Moneyline

Who will win a specific match – The home team, the away team, or the match ending in a draw.

Double Chance

Most popular in play when one team leads, this bet gives you 2 of the 3 options of a Moneyline – so home team or draw, away team or draw, or home team or away team.

Draw No Bet

This essentially makes the 3-way Moneyline into a 2 way market, voiding the bet if it ends in a draw in return for much lower odds.

Over/Under Goals Market

The normal amount is over or under 2.5 goals in a game. If you bet over, 3 or more goals after 90 minutes mean you win. 2 or fewer goals give you a win if you bet the under. You can also bet over/under 1.5 goals, 3.5 goals, etc depending on how brave you are feeling.

Correct Score

This is a simple bet on the final score of a match, such as 1 – 1 or 2 – 0 to the home side. Remember there are a lot of potential scores before a match begins so you are less likely to win this bet than if you simply predict the outcome on a 3-way Moneyline, but the odds you get reflect this.

First Goalscorer

The player that will score the first goal of the game. You can also bet on the last goalscorer – who will score the final goal. Or there is the anytime scorer, which is a player that will score a goal at any time during the match.

Half Time/ Full Time

Correctly guessing the outcome at both half time and full time. An example would be a draw at half time with the home side winning at full time.

Over/Under Corners Market

The same as the Over/Under Goals Market but with corners.

Player to be Carded

The player you choose will need to be shown a yellow or red card during the match for this bet type to be a winner.

Asian Handicap

Guess the outcome of a match when a specific team has a number of goals added or removed. An example would be a home favorite winning with a handicap of -1.5. They would need to win the match by 2 goals for this bet to be a winner.

You can also bet on the away side with a handicap of +1.5. This bet would win if the home side wins by one goal, and the match ends in a draw, or the away side wins.

Both Teams to Score

A bet that wins if both teams score at least one goal irrespective of the final result. You can also bet that both teams won’t score which wins if either side keeps a clean sheet.

Match Result and Over 2.5 Goals

This is a combination bet on who will win the match and that there will be at least 3 goals scored by both teams combined. You can also bet on the match result and both teams’ scores.

Total Team Goals

This relates to a specific team within a match rather than both teams combined. An example would be the home team to score 3 or more goals which will win if they score 3 goals or more on their own but not if they only score 2 and the away side scores 1.

Accumulators

This is a bet on 2 or more matches where the outcome of the bet needs all legs to win in order to be settled as a winner. The more matches you bet on, the higher the odds. It is worth keeping an eye out for sites that offer boosts that increase the odds on each game or Acca insurance which sees you getting your money back as a free bet if one bet lets you down.