A lot of people still perceive betting as gambling. And while there is certainly an element of luck involved, as you have all surely experienced firsthand, those strokes of good and bad luck are all exceptions to the rule - not the rule itself.

So, if we have agreed that yes, luck sometimes does impact your winnings and your fortune, let’s ask ourselves once more - is betting like gambling? To put it bluntly: betting is endlessly more intricate and nuanced than a simple roll of the dice or the spin of a roulette wheel.

Today we’re going to delve into some of those intricacies and see what you can do to make sure your betting is that much closer to “striking gold”.

It’s All About Preparation

As any true athlete will tell you, the majority of the work is done prior to the game itself. Each individual match is the conclusion of a process which had commenced long before.

So, what can you do during this preparation phase?

Well, the best thing would be to ask yourselves these questions to be sure if you have all the answers needed. And as always in life, be completely honest with the answers.

Are you familiarised, in-depth, with both of the teams playing tonight?

Do you know how often they lose possession, come back from behind, etc?

Does the tennis player you were fancying putting some money on perform well against hard hitters, even though he’s the clear favourite?

Basically, if you haven’t done your research, it might be wise not to show up. And when we say research, we mean every relevant aspect of the sport. This means you’re going to be looking at: recent and long term form, head to head ratios, individual players’ statistics and roles, heck even personal and psychological factors you might have heard from the media or read on fan forums. Every factor counts, and while we’re mentioning counting, are you monitoring your track record?

If someone were to ask you how successful a certain method has been for you, could you provide the numbers to back it up? Do you have a percentage of your wins as opposed to your losses? In short, you should be as meticulous and rigorous about your own numbers as you are about those of the athletes you’re waging on.

Quickfire Tips

And to cap off, a couple of quick tips to add to your betting repertoire:

The fewer selections, the more chances you have of winning - don’t let the increasing total sum you could win fool you. The math is merciless in this case, more selections mean you’re more likely to lose.

Bookmakers are only human in the end - maybe the odds don’t look good on paper or they look too good, but you know something the bookies do not. Keep in mind that behind those odds and numbers is a person just as you, who just might not know a piece of information that you do.

Finding good value bets - this is a category in of itself, but knowing how to “smell out” the best-valued bets is pivotal for a successful punter. This takes time to perfect, just be sure that you’re certain that the odds offered present a good investment for you.

Less popular sports sometimes offer better value - certain sports that fly under the bookmakers’ radar just might leave more room for an enthusiast who knows more to seize the opportunity.

And the last and toughest one yet - leave your heart out of the equation.

The fact that your household is full of diehard Man Utd fans should in no way impact your decision on whether they should be included in your ticket or not. Either they’re a good bet for that given day, or they aren’t, based purely on their value on the pitch, not in your heart.

Conclusion

If you aren’t studious about your approach to betting, then you aren’t doing it properly. Sure, sometimes relying primarily on your hunch might and will bring you some cash, but we guarantee that in the long run, you’re going to be on the losing end of that deal.

There’s always an element of luck involved when it comes to betting of course, and sometimes unpredictable turn of events will occur, but by doing your research in all ways possible, you’re improving your own odds greatly.

So, may we ask - care to practice your new betting approach with Sportmarket?