
Sports Betting for Beginners: How to Make Your First Moves?
Sports betting is extremely popular because it’s highly interesting and rewarding for the sports fans. However, wrong moves in this endeavor can also cost you dearly which is why you must get your basics right, and move ahead at a slow pace until you are comfortable and have enough experience to take big risks.
If you are new to sports betting, then this post will serve as an excellent guide to help you get started. So, first things first:
Pick a Bookmaker
The first thing you need to do to get started with sports betting is to pick a reliable bookmaker, i.e. the person or company that accepts and pays off bets on sporting events based on the betting odds discussed. In fact, it’s highly recommended that you sign up with at least 2-3 bookmakers. This is because you will have options when you want to place a bet, and so you can pick the one that’s offering the best value for your bet.
Now, while you can either pick a bookie or an online bookmaker, it’s better if you go with the latter. This is because finding it is easy, and you can easily check their track record online too.
Understanding Your “Odds”
In your mind this is how sports betting probably works:
Your bookmaker offers you a proposition, a bet, and you decide whether you will be able to make some profit on the same. So, when you give your money to them and it wins, then you get the money back along with the earnings (if there are any). If you don’t win, you lose it all.
In reality, sports betting can be slightly more difficult to understand, especially if you don’t know the lingo. For instance, “odds” is the most basic term that you should have a good understanding of if you are going to partake in the activities. Let’s get to it then.
Think about it- if there is a high chance for a particular team to win a match, then all the bettors would place their bets on the same. This means the bookmaker will be in the loss for most of the time. So, to make betting fairer, odds are assigned to different teams. With these, when a certain team is highly likely to win, then the winning amount form a bet is low. Similarly, if a team is least likely to win, the winning amount is high.
Let’s take a look at how decimal odds work. In this, you multiply your bet by the decimal shown and it shows how much you will win. For instance, if the odds of a team are 1.5 and you bet $10, you’ll receive 1.5 X 10= $15 in winnings (means a $5 profit).
However, remember:
High odds= high payout, low chance to win
Low odds= low payout, high chance to win
Your First Move
When you are making your move, be sure to keep these things in mind:
- Whichever online bookmaker platform you pick, be sure to read their terms and conditions before placing any bet.
- Stick to one sport. So, if you are a fan of the English Premier League, then it’s best to place your bets on the matches that come under it. This is because you would have enough knowledge about the matches that will allow you to make well-calculated bets.
- Take advantage of multiple accounts with multiple bookmakers. Place your bets where they offer the best odds. Also, keep an eye on promotional offers and seasonal perks that can make your bets even more valuable.
- Start with small bets. When you are just getting started, it’s wise to suppress your risk appetite.
Online gambling and sports betting are a lot of fun. However, the platform you pick can greatly affect your experience. So, when you are comparing your options, be sure to keep an eye on the different types of welcome offers you are getting. These alone should be able to tell you a lot about the various platforms.