This guide contains two things: firstly, an overview of non-recommended bets with frequently made mistakes, and secondly, a small digression into the most important betting rules for successful sports betting. If you combine this information, your performance should improve quickly – especially if you are a beginner.
“Bad” Bets
Let’s first take a look at the bets that are extremely popular and that you should avoid at all costs. Some of the most popular bets on the market are also real money killers and for this reason they are an important tool for bookmakers. If you do not fall for them, you will save money.
Combined Bets
Probably every customer of a betting provider has already placed a combination bet consisting of supposedly safe single tips. This is especially true for the target group that likes to deposit €10 on Fridays and wants to get rich as quickly as possible. The truth is: combined bets are one of the main sources of income for every bookmaker and this already shows how bad this type of bet really is for customers.
Many sports bets “only” take two or three, in which one team is the absolute favorite – for example, when Barcelona, Bavaria and Manchester City are playing. They do this to boost weak odds of the individual games by combining them. Let’s assume that in all three games the odds on the favorites are 1.30. If you combine the three favorite wins on one betting slip, you get a respectable total odds of 2.20. Sounds good, but in soccer there are always surprises. Should Bayern unexpectedly play only a draw away, your entire bet will be cancelled.
Playing a combination bet is similar to trying to win the lottery. If you want to keep your money instead, you should leave it alone. There are two reasons for this:
Increased odds mean increased risk
As already indicated, the following applies to every combination bet: The more games are contained on a betting slip, the higher the probability that a game will not end as expected. You should always keep in mind that even one wrong selection will bring down the entire combination bet.
Bookmakers Limit the Profit
Even if you are lucky and win your combination bet, you will painfully realize that bookmakers like to limit the maximum winnings. This means that you can only win a certain amount of money – what is above that remains with the bookmaker. The exact amount depends on the operator, but the typical win limit per bet is $20,000.
Let’s assume you have placed a combination bet with twelve games and win $30,000 against all expectations. Unfortunately, $10,000 will remain directly with the bookmaker, who you will now be a thorn in his side. It happens extremely often that too successful players are limited, so in the future they will only be allowed to bet a certain amount.
There is probably only one scenario in which combination bets can also have their benefits. If you have found some value bets (we will explain the term in a moment), there is no reason why you should not combine them and thus get “at odds”. Unfortunately, finding value bets is very tedious, especially for beginners, although it is the only way to bet successfully in the long run.
Live Betting
Live betting on soccer and other sports has become the most popular betting form of online bookmakers and the way forward. The problem is that you hardly find any value in this type of betting. It is not impossible to find odds that are too high, but it is hard.
Bookmakers are very skilled at setting live odds, so you only have a few seconds to place a bet at reasonable odds. While you’re trying to do this, a plethora of betting professionals are also sitting in front of the screen and quickly ruining any value.
Live betting is so successful because it gives the customer the illusion of control. This is also the reason why more and more games are offered as live streams: Bookmakers have found that their customers place more live bets when they watch the matches live. The players succumb to a fatal error: they believe that they are able to predict the correct outcome because they are watching the game.
Another major disadvantage of live betting is the delay in the transmission of bets. You cannot place the bet immediately, but always have to wait several seconds until the bookmaker accepts the bet. You want to place a quick tip after a goal has been scored? Forget it. The bookmaker is always ahead and closes the markets immediately after game-decisive moments like a goal or a red card.
So does this mean that live betting is always a bad choice? Not necessarily. An answer to this question is not necessary, although there is only one possible scenario in which in-play betting makes sense. If some odds have value before the start of a game, which do not change in the first minutes of the game. This situation arises mainly in some under-markets where odds can increase slightly at the start of the game. The same can be said about some markets with Asian handicap, but only about those with positive odds like AH +1 AH for a team. Nonetheless, considering the disadvantages is the best way to avoid all in-game bets. Live bets are overrated, but are becoming increasingly popular. So you better not support your bookmakers with your live bets.
Never Bet on Your Own Team
It’s pretty obvious why betting on your favorite team is not a good idea. First, people tend to colossally overestimate the potential performance of their team. Loyalty and faith make fans think their own team can beat any other at any time. Better keep a cool head and never lose your objectivity. Especially with Bundesliga bets watch out!