BETTING on sporting events has long been a part of the culture of most of humankind. Here in the UK we still have the traditional high street "betting shops" that I remember from the days of my childhood, and my 70-something father remembers from his. Names such as Ladbrokes and William Hill seem to have been around for eons and anyone who, like me, spent any time in these establishments in the days before we had the internet will recall the tension amid the smoky atmosphere as men stood glued to the little television screen to see whether the horse which they'd placed next week's rent money on had triumphed.
I exaggerate, of course. There were always those who would stand in the betting shop all day nonchalently placing 50p or £1 a time on accumulators which seldom paid dividends, but which had the potential to change one's life if they did. Those of us who recall Frankie Dettori's historic seven-race victory at Ascot in 1996 will know that dreams do sometimes come true (sadly I wasn't on that particular acca on that momentous day, but a friend had the first five races and made a tidy sum on that).
Today the local bookmaker's is a tad less seedy than it must once have seemed to the uninitiated, with clear glass windows, no smoking (or throwing your discarded slips on the floor in disgust) allowed and, significantly, a whole range of sporting and non-sporting options on which to place one's bet. Soccer betting in particular has become a major contributor to the industry, but one can also take a punt on who is going to win the next election or, more importantly to many, the next series of The X-Factor.
But the biggest revolution of all in the world of sports betting has been the advent on the online sportsbook. Here the traditional bookmakers, most of whom have also established themselves as online providers of sportsbetting services, are joined by a whole range of newcomers (at least to us) such as Bet365 and Paddy Power, as well as some awesome offshore books like Pinnacle and BetCRIS.
Prices (or "lines" as our American cousins prefer to call them) are available on all manner of sports, including soccer, cricket, rugby, tennis, golf, motor racing, US sports, athletics, trotting (I promise I am not making this up), bandy and of course innebandy.
Furthermore, it's no longer just a case of betting on which team wins. In soccer, for example, bets can be placed on the half-time result, number of goals, number of corners, number of bookings, correct score, first or last goalscorer and whether or not Roy Keane will be dispatched to the dugout.
As always new markets bring new opportunities, and the hopeful punter now finds himself wagering alongside the trader, the back/layer, the arbitrageur, the value bettor and fleeting disciples of the latest can't-lose system.
From amid the confusion there has emerged a vertiable host of middle-men offering services, some of them genuinely profitable and others less so. Arbitrage provides a regular, guaranteed profit - provided you do it right and have starting capital to wager. Systems such as the Martingale (which usually wins but can and will ruin you when it doesn't) have become common currency. Backing and Laying - using the betting exchanges such as Betfair - has become an art form which can be gratifying, or depressing, depending on just good at it you are.
At Sportsbettingcentre we present you with the options and leave the decision to you. Whatever your betting style and preference, be safe and be lucky.
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Sunday, 19 July 2009
About Betfair
Betfair needs no introduction to the seasoned bettor. Rather than being a sportsbook as such it is, of course, a betting exchange. The difference is that rather than the book taking the "house edge", as is the case with conventional sportsbooks, at the betting exchange you are effectively betting against other players, and the book makes its money by taking a commission from your winnings.
As a result of this Betfair and other exchanges are able to offer more generous prices, and you are able to lay bets as well as backing your selection to win.
Many punters do all their business on the exchanges, taking advantage of In-Play markets to "trade", i.e. to back a selection when its price is "out" and to lay the same selection when the price comes "in", thus locking in a guaranteed profit. The skill involved is in knowing when to back and when to lay - get it wrong and you lose, simple as that.
Betfair has an impressive and growing range of In-Play markets, a customer forum, a handy tutorial and - for those whose pleasure it is - a unique Zero Lounge Casino at which, assuming your strategy is correct, you should on balance win as much as you lose.
If you open just one account, we would firmly recommend it was Betfair. It has everything the books have and a whole lot more. To open an account and claim a tempting £10 Free Bet, simply click here.
As a result of this Betfair and other exchanges are able to offer more generous prices, and you are able to lay bets as well as backing your selection to win.
Many punters do all their business on the exchanges, taking advantage of In-Play markets to "trade", i.e. to back a selection when its price is "out" and to lay the same selection when the price comes "in", thus locking in a guaranteed profit. The skill involved is in knowing when to back and when to lay - get it wrong and you lose, simple as that.
Betfair is the largest of the exchanges and as such most of its markets have more "liquidity", that is money available at the quoted price. When you lay a bet, your money becomes available for somebody else to back at that price, and vice versa.
Betfair has an impressive and growing range of In-Play markets, a customer forum, a handy tutorial and - for those whose pleasure it is - a unique Zero Lounge Casino at which, assuming your strategy is correct, you should on balance win as much as you lose.
If you open just one account, we would firmly recommend it was Betfair. It has everything the books have and a whole lot more. To open an account and claim a tempting £10 Free Bet, simply click here.
About BetCRIS
BetCRIS was founded in 1985 and is one of the world's largest online sportsbooks. Although primarily focused on the US sports market, it also offers a wide range of competitive prices on virtually every major world sport, including soccer. Bets of up to $20,000 can be placed on major lines.
Its start-up and reload bonuses are amongst the best available anywhere, and if you need any help or information it has a team of professional and helpful agents who can be contacted 24/7, either online or by telephone. Supported languages are English, Spanish and Chinese.
Generous rebates and loyalty bonuses also come as part of the deal.
Serious sports bettors will testify that BetCRIS always pays out promptly and without any quibble. It is quite simply one of the very safest, most secure, most dependable sportsbooks in the business. Bets can also be placed via mobile phone, PDA or other wireless device.
For those who prefer gaming to betting a casino, poker, virtual racing and even bingo are available.
Accounts can be funded securely in a variety ways, including through online wallets NETeller and the increasingly popular Moneybookers.
BetCRIS s rated A+ by the hugely influential SportsBookReview, which just about says it all. Click here to open an account today and take advantage of the impressive start-up bonus and user-friendly interface. You'll not be disappointed.
Its start-up and reload bonuses are amongst the best available anywhere, and if you need any help or information it has a team of professional and helpful agents who can be contacted 24/7, either online or by telephone. Supported languages are English, Spanish and Chinese.
Generous rebates and loyalty bonuses also come as part of the deal.
Serious sports bettors will testify that BetCRIS always pays out promptly and without any quibble. It is quite simply one of the very safest, most secure, most dependable sportsbooks in the business. Bets can also be placed via mobile phone, PDA or other wireless device.
For those who prefer gaming to betting a casino, poker, virtual racing and even bingo are available.
Accounts can be funded securely in a variety ways, including through online wallets NETeller and the increasingly popular Moneybookers.
BetCRIS s rated A+ by the hugely influential SportsBookReview, which just about says it all. Click here to open an account today and take advantage of the impressive start-up bonus and user-friendly interface. You'll not be disappointed.
About Pinnacle Sports
PinnacleSports.com is the Internet's largest sportsbetting website with an industry-leading reputation for providing consistent value to the player with odds that are up to 60% better value than other books.
With low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the web, Pinnacle Sports gives punters the assurance of fixed odds betting with exchange-like pricing but, unlike an exchange, Pinnacle Sports has guaranteed liquidity and never charges commission on winning bets.
Find a smarter way to bet at www.PinnacleSports.com.
With low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the web, Pinnacle Sports gives punters the assurance of fixed odds betting with exchange-like pricing but, unlike an exchange, Pinnacle Sports has guaranteed liquidity and never charges commission on winning bets.
Find a smarter way to bet at www.PinnacleSports.com.
* Founded in 1998 * Up to 60% better odds
* Fully licensed & regulated * Low minimum bet requirements
* Simple, safe & secure * The highest maximum limits online
* 0.3% Casino Cash Back – Paid Daily * 30% Poker Rake back – Paid Daily
Customer Service 24 hours per day/ 7 days a week. E-mail Only. Responses are generally provided within 15 minutes. E-mail contact csd@pinnaclesports.com (Customer Services Department & New Account Information).
Location
Pinnacle Sports Worldwide, Second Floor, c/o Holiday Beach Hotel & Casino, Pater Euwensweg # 31, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles.
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