New Ways to Make Money
FOOTBALL, THANKS TO the wide area availability of statistics, news and reports, offers
in-the-know punters some excellent opportunities for profitable gambling.
Here are some of the best and most profitable strategies for making money from
bookmakers' fixed odds coupons:
Over the past few years football betting has become more and more popular. In previous articles on
this website we've look at how spread betting can be used to make money from a national game.
But now let's consider some ways to profit using conventional fixed odds betting. Over the years
bookmakers have adopted a fairly strange attitude to football betting.
Following a match fixing scandal in the early 1960s, punters were prevented from betting on the result
of individual league matches.
This policy persisted until games began to be televised soccer live on a regular basis. Then, bookmakers
started allowing bets on these matches.
Even today, however, you can't bet on non-televised league matches individually. Furthermore, on their
fixed odds football coupons, the bookies stipulate a minimum five timer if home selections are included.
Even if only draws or aways are being predicted, there is still a minimum requirement of a treble.
Things are starting to change, however, and there are some potentially profitable new football betting
opportunities being offered. Here are some of the newest and best on the bookie's fixed odds coupon.
Treble Chance: The Trebles Bet List
Probably the biggest change on a typical fixed odds sports betting coupon is the addition of
the Trebles Bet List.
But before we examine the opportunities this bet list presents, let's first take note of one thing.
If the bookies didn't think they could make a healthy profit from offering such opportunities
they wouldn't do so.
Always remember the bookies want things in their favour. They're in business to make money and spend a
lot of time working out which bets will produce the biggest profits.
That said, those profits cannot now be as taken for granted as they were in the past.
With many prominent bookmakers moving their operations offshore in order to offer betting talk
tax concessions, competition in the gambling industry is now intense.
Hence, bookmarkers have to constantly look at ways to increase their turnover.
One of the ways they are doing this is through improving the type of football bets they offer -
the Trebles Bet List being a good example.
Okay, it's still hard to make a profit from football betting - unless you constantly play singles -
but the Trebles List is a positive thing for punters.
This bet list is certainly better than the virtually impossible 'two or three from each section' bet
that used to appear on fixed odd coupons.
Eperienced football punters will know all about these and won't want reminding of them!
Currently, the Trebles betList allows punters to predict the result of a minimum of three games
regardless of whether the predictions are for homes, aways or draws.
The list is restricted to the Premiership, Championship League and Scottish Premiership,
but it probably won't be long before all games are included.
The beauty for shrewd punters of being able to include homes in their trebles is that ground
advantage is such a big thing in football.
This advantage can be utilized in a number of ways. First of all, punters can simply pick just three
straight games and put them in one treble.
This is arguably the best thing to do, because on most weekends the majority of punters can easily
find three home teams they feel confident will win.
There is a drawback here though. Sometimes the odds offered about these sides are restrictive.
Shrewd punters overcome this in one particular way.
Rather than look for teams they feel certain to win, they decide on a price they want to be rewarded
with for a successful treble.
For example, you might feel 2/1 to 5/2 is the price range you are looking for.
You would then look for three teams that would reward you in your desired price range if all
were successful.
Another advantage of doing this is how you might come across just two teams that, odds combined,
puts you close to the 2/1 to 5.2 ranges.
You can then select a "certainty" for the third part of the treble. A good example of this
strategy comes from the Ladbrokes fixed odds coupon of Saturday November 29.
That afternoon's Premiership saw, among others, Arsenal at home to Wigan,
Everton entertaining Sunderland and Bolton playing host to Man utd.
Treble Betting - Go For Four Or More
It could be argued that the above strategy only woks if you put down a large stake, since odds
of 2/1 to 5/2 re quite small.
True enough, but 5/2 is value to some punters - especially if you've got an eye on a long term rather
than short-term profit.
For those who do not think this way, however, here is another idea for the Trebles Bet List. Instead
of laying out a stake on one treble, why not split it across four or more?
The idea of four treble betting comes from only having to make four selections. With four sides
selected, a bet can be for four trebles.
This way, if one of the selections wins, a good profit will almost certainly be forthcoming. On most
weekends four selections aren't too hard to find.
Incidentally, the cost of the bet does go up once more than four selections are included. There are
ten trebles in five kinds of figures are encountered it is essential at least one treble is landed.
That's why four trebles across four selections offers the best appeal.
Long List Permutations or Combinations
It's not only the Trebles Bet List where thoughtful betting can lead to profits. The back bone of
almost every fixed odds coupon is still the Long List.
It is here where every game in the Premiership and Football League is listed and where a minimum of
five selections is needed if a home match is included.
Probably the best option on the Long List is to go for permutations. To start with, consider selecting
seven homes and covering selecting every combination of five and six.
Add in cover for all seven and that's 29 bets to pay for. Another simple idea is to take five matches.
Select three of them to result in away wins and two to end all square. Cover every treble and the cost
is ten bets.
Alternatively; put four away selections in one column and four homes in the next. Identify the away
as column A and the homes as column B.
Then, write the bet out as follows: 'Cover any two from' A' with any 3 from 'B' = 6 x 4 =
24 bets'.
With this bet, only two of the aways and three of the homes need win for a five-timer to be landed.
Another 24 bet cover idea is to divide eight selections into four pairs. Write next to the bet:
'Perm any 3 pairs, then perm 5 from 6 = 4 x 6 bets = 24 bets'.
This is an excellent way of covering eight home teams you feel have strong chances of winning.
Moving on, what about taking three games and covering for two results in each to try and land a
treble? This is a bet that can be used both on the Trebles and the Long Lists.
Supposing you feel three games will either be draws or away wins. Put an X and a 2 next to the
three matches (X signifies a draw and 2 an away win).
Then, next to the predictions, write 'Three 2-way forecasts = 8 bets'. Stake each bet as you see fit.
Finally, here's quite a sophisticated wager. Select four home teams in column A of either the Long
or Trebles Lists.
Nextdoor in column B, take three other matches to be either draws or away wins.
Write alongside: 'Perm any 3 from column A with any 2-way forecasts = 4 x 3 x 4 = 48 bets'.
Here you are looking to land five-timers. It's not a cheap but can be very profitable if the result
go your way.
Fixed Odds Sports Betting Offers Opportunities
Nowadays the fixed odds coupons do offer punters more winning chances than before. Of course, as we
said earlier the advantage still lies with the bookies but not as much as it used to.
For anyone who is a shrewd judge, the offers or opportunities to make money from punting on football
are now better than they have been for a long while. Why not have a look for yourself next weekend?
Free Bets
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