Most likely, you’ve visited a real-life betting shop and placed a bet on a horse race or sporting event. Maybe you’ve even visited a sportsbook, which is where most online betting shops originate, and placed a bet on a game. You’re probably aware of how difficult it can be to win big at these places, especially when the odds are artificially inflated by the casino or bookmaker, right?
It’s not just about getting lucky and hitting a payout, either. If you want to win big at a betting shop, you have to understand the odds and try to beat them. With some strategy and preparation, you can dramatically lessen the house edge and win bigger and bigger pots with ease! Let’s examine the various ways you can do this.
Limit Your Expenses
One of the first things you should do before placing a bet with any online or real-life betting shop is to limit your expenses. This means you should avoid spending money on things that you cannot afford to lose, especially since you’re going to be betting high-risk funds anyway. You should also avoid using credit cards, as paying off the credit card bill each month is expensive in and of itself. Use cash instead, as much as possible.
To keep things simple, we will assume that you’re using a credit card or debit card to make the deposit at a betting shop. Let’s say you deposited £100 on a £10 bet. If your credit card or debit card company’s annual fee is £35 and there are no other charges on the card, you will pay £35 in fees that month. This is money you could have used to place a different bet, or held as cash in the first place. Obviously, if you were using a prepaid card with no annual fee, this would be different.
The fees you pay at a betting shop are basically just an additional cost that you should not have to pay. If you want to win big, avoid using these cards and paying the fees, as much as possible. Instead, use cash and don’t get trapped by the expensive hand cuffs that are attached to your credit cards and debit cards.
Know The Odds
The next thing you should do before placing a bet with a betting shop is to study the odds. You can either do this online or at the betting shop itself, if available. If you have a copy of the form at home, you can study the odds there as well. The chances of winning or losing will greatly influence your results at the casino, and you should always remember this. One thing you should avoid is backing a long shot at a racetrack, as the chances of hitting a payout are slim. Even if your horse wins, you will not come out ahead in the long run.
It’s worth noting that not all long shots are created equal. Some long shots are much safer bets than others. For example, if you’re at a land-based casino and you see a long shot in the form of a horse, your chances of hitting a payout are much higher if the horse is named after a peanut, or a peanut product.
Learn The Basics
Another important thing you should do before placing a bet with any online or real-life betting shop is to study the basics. You should learn the different ways the casino or bookmaker operates, and how to decipher the often-deceitful odds they give you. Luckily, this is a task made simpler with the help of websites like OddsShark.com, which was created for just this purpose. By studying the basics, you will gain an unfair advantage at the casino, and you will be able to predict outcomes with certainty. If everything else fails, you can always just fold your hand and go home with your money.
Prepare For Win Or Lose
When you visit a real-life betting shop, there will be people around you who are preparing for win or lose. Some of these people may be involved in your bankroll management, helping you keep track of the money you’ve invested in bets. Others may be there to inform you of the outcome of a bet you’ve placed – hopefully, you will win and they’ll let you know!
Whatever the case may be, you should always prepare for win or lose, not try and predict the odds. As was stated earlier, if you get lucky and hit a payout, great! But, you should not get discouraged if you lose, as the odds may still in your favor. Do your research and study the basics before placing a bet, and you will stand a much better chance of coming out on top.
Many people, especially first-time or new customers, are nervous about gambling online. Naturally, you should be careful about where you place your bets, and make sure you’re doing everything you should. But, you should not be scared to put your money down on the table, as long as you know what you’re doing. You’re probably aware of the many pitfalls that exist in online gambling, and you must be careful not to fall victim to them. Just remember, the odds are always in your favor at a traditional, brick-and-mortar casino. You just have to find the right system for beating the house edge and utilizing the proper strategy. Good luck out there.