To uninitiated observers from the outside, it seems that sports betting is something akin to the lottery. In fact, only people who are deeply passionate, attentive and collected can make money on sports predictions. Knowledge of the specifics of the competition is not enough. You need to understand the rules that bookmakers set and be able to calculate the likelihood of different events.

Now find out the secrets of experienced bettors that help them make money on bets. At the end of the article, you will find here a glossary of terms and TOP-5 bookmakers, compiled by experts and analysts from leading aggregator sites.

How to Bet on Sports: Tips for Newbies

The main rule: in order not to go bankrupt, you cannot place bets that exceed the limited limit. Starting a career bettor, determine budget bookmaker Ukraine , which you allocate to your new occupation. It’s great if you use 2/3 of all the allocated money, and leave 1/3 an emergency reserve in case of a complete loss.

When placing a bet, you must have a strategy for the game. You can develop it yourself or use the already known options. All strategies can be conditionally divided into two groups: active and passive. The first involves betting on events, the probability of which is high. The second is participation in betting on controversial matches.

Better to place bets in large offices. Bookmakers with a name value their reputation. When faced with a situation where a little-known office offers profitable odds on an event in which you are almost sure, think about it. This could be money-defrauding. Having collected the rates, the swindlers simply disappear into the vastness of the World Wide Web.

How a bookmaker works

Depending on which sports specialists work in the office, event lines are drawn up. For each of them, several outcomes are offered. It can be a victory, a loss of an athlete or a team, a draw or a total fight.

You must understand that the goal of any bookmaker is to make a profit. He wants to beat you. The work of bookmakers is based on a mathematical model, with the help of which the odds for different bets are calculated. The correct calculation of odds allows the office to receive profit for any outcome of the event.

Understated odds and margins

When calculating the odds, two indicators are taken as a basis: the probability of an outcome and the margin. The higher the likelihood that the event will materialize, the lower the bet odds. Quotes are calculated according to the principle of inverse dependence on the probability of the indicated outcome. The odds are underestimated so that, even by guessing the outcome, the player gets the minimum profit.

The main source of the betting profit is the margin. Most of the bookmakers are content with 8-10% as a margin. If the probability of the outcome is estimated at 70%, then the bookmaker will add this 10% to increase its own profit. Then the coefficient is calculated from the probability of 80%.

Fundamentals of betting: types of bets

All bets can be divided into groups: single, multiple and additional.

Single bets

Ordinals  are the simplest type of bets. Most bookmakers use them the most. The single bet win is calculated very simply. The size of the bet is multiplied by the odds if it won. This type of bet is chosen by all beginners. Experienced bettors also often choose them for investment.

Double chance  provides an opportunity to play not one event, but two. For example, you can bet money:

  • for each team to win;
  • to win one of the teams and draw.
  • The likelihood that the bet will be played increases. But the quotes in this case are offered much lower.

Handicap (handicap)  is a bet option when one of the players gets an advantage in points already at the start. This option is offered by sweepstakes if a clear favorite and an outsider are involved in a sports match. This is done in order to equalize the chances of a predicted outcome. A variation of the usual handicap is the Asian handicap, when the outsider at the beginning of the game gets a handicap not with an integer value, but with a multiple of 0.25. Asian handicap betting is more unpredictable and interesting.

The total is  chosen by the most risky players. This type of bet offers to wager on the number of points or goals scored. The bookmaker issues a certain value. Bettor needs to guess whether the game score will reach this figure or exceed it. You need to bet on a higher or lower number. Often, bookmakers offer to place bets on total with an Asian handicap, when already at the beginning of the match the outsider gets 0.50, 1.25 or 2.50 points.

Disputes over different sports

All of the above bets are for different sports. Football and boxing are especially popular. There are slightly fewer opportunities to put on basketball, volleyball, hockey and shady meetings. It’s up to you to choose the kind of sport you will play. In any case, you need to keep abreast of the latest events, monitor changes in the standings and changes in the careers of leading professional players.

Live sports betting

We should also mention this type of bet. Regular bets are placed long before the start of the game, when you have the opportunity to study tables and materials from various sources. Live bets are accepted from the start of the game. When choosing them, you must keep an eye on the rapidly changing odds.

The slightest changes in the course of the game can change its outcome. Removing a player from the field, assigning a penalty, or a successful tennis break can drastically affect the chances of winning. In a small amount of time, you can make a lot of bets.