After an exciting summer full of World Cup drama, domestic football is now back and in full swing. For many football fans, that also means the return of a weekly wager or two while watching Jeff and the boys on Soccer Saturday. Most fans will put a few pounds on for a bit of fun and not think too much of it. But why not implement a couple of these strategies when betting, and perhaps see yourself win a little more on the footy this season?
Small Stakes
Firstly, this strategy is based on a simple principle that many football fans overlook. It doesn’t matter the size of the bet, you will still want it to win. Fans often stake a lot as there is the excitement of winning more money back, but by reducing the betting stake tenfold, it does not mean that interest in the result is lost.
People believe the higher the stakes, the more the excitement. And while that is true at times, a winning bet is still a winner, regardless of its returns.
An appeal to many as well is winning massive amounts. Therefore, the temptation is there to create accumulators with multiple selections that have ridiculous odds. Despite the appealing returns, the chances of them coming in are highly unlikely, so why not reduce the stake on these types of long shots? That way, losses are small, and on the occasions that these wagers do come in, a decent amount is still won due to the high odds.
Nothing Worse Than 1/5
It’s perhaps one of the critical strategies to apply when you are putting on your bets, if not for your bank balance, then for your sanity.
Do not include or wager on any selection that is 1/5 or less. Anything less offers little value. Many fans get caught out thinking 1/6, 1/8, 1/10 shots are worth including because they are bankers, when, in fact, they are worth excluding for the opposite reason. Nothing’s a banker.
For the extra 50p, it will get you in a £1 accumulator, so why include a 1/10 selection? In football, let’s say Manchester City is playing Lincoln City. As well as the Cowley brothers have done at Sincil Bank, Lincoln City would be clear underdogs.
However, multiple factors could occur during the match to balance out the playing field and make Man City (a 1/10 shot) much more likely to lose. These include red cards, dodgy penalty decisions and injuries.
By not using any selections that have odds worse than 1/5, your sanity will also remain intact. There is no worse feeling when your accumulator is let down by the one selection that was the 1/10 banker.
Search for Offers
There was once a time where anything free would be considered skeptical and avoided. Nowadays, marketing has evolved in that firms, companies and shops will often offer free incentives to attract more business and entice existing customers to continue their loyalty.
Many online betting and gaming sites offer rewards, bonuses and incentives for this reason. For instance, poker site Full Tilt currently offers its members a chance to win the Ultimate Player’s Trip, an all-expenses-paid tour of the world’s most famous poker destinations (Monaco, Las Vegas and Macau) for free. Most football betting sites, however, offer less-extravagant but more frequent incentives such as weekly free bets.
Look around for the best offers on certain matches. Offers, price boosts and unique bets all become available at different times, so be aware of what is out there. Often, it is the case that you can earn free bets by staking your usual amount, so why not get something for free for doing what is normal?
It is not a lot, nor is it complicated. But by adding that extra little bit of thought and discipline to your betting, you could start to see positive results in what you’re winning back.
