What Is The Most Popular Betting Site

Whether you are new to the football betting market or want to shift from one betting market to another, it is best to be updated with everything on the best. The trusted name in online sports betting since 2000. Expert sports-betting guides, sports news and reviews of the top online bookmakers and bonuses. The likes of Visa and Mastercard are the most common payment options, but with the new credit card ban for UK betting sites, operators are soon to come up with more innovative payment solutions. Payment solutions such as e-wallets such as PayPal and Skrill also very popular.

Despite the fact that betting exchanges have been around for almost 20 years, the vast majority of punters still use traditional online betting sites/bookies to place their bets.

If you remain unsure about exchanges you can read more about them in our main guide to betting exchanges but here we focus on the main differences between a bookmaker and a betting exchange.

Placing Bets

Wagering on a betting exchange can seem very different to betting on a sportsbook. Here we outline the main differences, along with some of the pros and cons.

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On an Exchange You Can Back and Lay Bets

The main difference between the two methods of wagering is that an exchange allows you to lay bets, whilst you can only back at a normal betting site. To lay a bet is to act as a bookie and take other peoples’ bets on an outcome, effectively betting AGAINST that outcome yourself. For example if you lay Man United you are betting against them, effectively betting on a draw or the other side to win.

Exchanges Can Be Used to Hedge Your Bets

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Traditionally a betting exchange was the only/easiest way to hedge your bets, by which we mean either taking early profits or reducing your risk, either in-play, mid-way through a tournament or before an event had started. However, increasingly many betting sites offer cashout or partial cashout on bets. This facility gives you some of the flexibility of an exchange, although not quite as much, and whilst it is easier to cashout a bet than calculate the best way to lock in a profit, your returns are usually a little lower at a betting site.

Placing Bets is Simpler with a Bookmaker

In many ways placing your bets is easier at a betting site because the bookie quotes odds and that is the price you will get. In contrast, at a getting exchange you need liquidity in order to be able to place your bets. This means you need an exchange user prepared to lay the wager you want to place and, particularly on less popular markets, this can sometimes be a problem.

It’s Decimal Odds Only at an Exchange

Most UK betting sites use fractional odds as standard, for example 6/4 or 10/1, whereas betting exchanges use decimal odds – 2.50 or 11 in the examples given. Betting exchanges now allow you to see a fractional approximation of the odds when you hover over the markets but there is greater flexibility at a normal bookie because you can almost always choose between decimal, fractional and American odds.

Better In-Play Betting (if the Liquidity is There)

Because the odds at a betting exchange are controlled by the market, rather than employees of the bookie, it is easier for an exchange to offer in-play betting. This means you’ll get a wider range of markets on a bigger number of events and whilst the standard betting sites have improved their in-play offering massively, the exchanges – for now – retain the edge…

…if the liquidity is big enough, that is.

And there in lies the big problem with betting exchanges, you need somebody to be willing to take your bet. For in-play betting on smaller matches you may struggle to place a bet at all, especially it it’s on a market that attracts less attention. Which is something that doesn’t matter with a traditional sportsbook.

Odds, Offers & Margins

One of the biggest considerations when deciding to bet with a bookmaker on a sportsbook versus betting on an exchange is where the best value lies. Here we take you through what to look out for.

Exchanges Normally Have Better Odds

Bigger returns and better odds have always been the number one selling point of an exchange and with no middle man – the bookie – taking a cut, odds ARE usually better at an exchange, even allowing for the commission charged. This isn’t always the case though, especially on major events and markets but on bets at long odds, for example correct scores in football, most horses and many long odds golf markets, the exchange usually comes out on top, often by a considerable margin.

Exchanges Rarely Offer Free Bets, Bonuses or Promotions

In general you will find that betting sites offer more in the way of regular free bets, offers and bonuses than an exchange does. The business model of a betting exchange does not allow for such promotions, although the success some exchanges enjoy means they are able to compete to some degree.

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There are no Limits on an Exchange (Except Liquidity)

However, to the liquidity swing, we must also factor in the limit roundabout! Whilst liquidity can be an issue when using a betting exchange, effectively you may find the same issue in a different guise at a bookmaker: wager limits. At a betting exchange, as long as there is cash available on the other side of your wager you can bet as much as you want, even up to millions of pounds on the most popular markets. However, at a bookie you are restricted by maximum bets. The limit varies according to the market, the bet and, most crucially of all, the customer, with successful punters often seeing their accounts limited to very small bets.

Beyond very low limits, a further sanction a bookmaker can use against unprofitable customers, is a ban. A polite email will tell successful customers, or perhaps those targeting markets where the odds are out of line, that their business is no longer welcome. This is perfectly legal and whilst it may seem unfair there is no obligation for a bookie to accept your bets. In contrast a betting exchange will NEVER ban customers (other than for fraud), no matter how big, obscure, or successful their bets are.

Factoring in Commission

At a betting exchange you pay commission, usually only on winning bets but sometimes, at some lesser exchanges, on all wagers. In contrast, at a bookie the commission, or profit margin, is effectively already built into the odds, meaning your returns are easier to work out as there are no further deductions. As such, for those who are averse to maths and like to keep things very simple, a normal bookmaker may be preferable.

Betting Sites v Betting Exchanges: Which is Better?

So when all is said and done, which is better – a traditional sportsbook/bookmaker or a betting exchange? As much as this sounds like a cop out, it depends on what you’re looking for:

Bookmaker – If you like bonuses, a simple to use site and the ability to place the bet you want regardless of who else is betting on the match, then a standard bookmaker is probably more suited to you. Especially since the introduction of cash out allows you to hedge instantly without needing additional funds to cover the extra liability.
Betting Exchange – Those of you who care more about odds than offers should head to an exchange. Especially if you’re a winning bettor and/or want to move large sums of money without risking being limited. You may sacrifice a bit of convenience, but in the end you’ll be able to eek out a slightly larger profit.

The easiest way to lose money all the time as a punter is to have no online sports betting strategy. One of the things that typically separates successful and professional punters apart from unsuccessful punters is the betting strategies employed. Successful punters recognize that one-size doesn’t fit all sports and games, and can tailor their approach to the game at hand. But above all, they have a personal conviction in these strategies, and do not make their move with every suggestion they come across. Before diving into the different betting strategies, let’s look at why betting strategies are super important.

Here is an overview of the most popular betting strategies. Click on the link to learn more about each one:

Why Betting Strategies are Important

1. Betting strategies are important for punters who have adopted sports betting as a business and are committed to long-term success. This means you’ll commit time to learn the betting strategies that exist and create a proper plan for your success. This is important, considering that sports betting can sometimes be unpredictable, thus the need to base all your strategies on value betting — identifying games where the odds presented are not representative of the likely outcome.

2. In the the long run, you’ll identify specific strategies that work best for you, fit into your budget, and match your risk appetite. You’ll have a model that makes betting simple and profitable for you. Having a unique betting strategy also sets you apart from other punters and increases the chances of you winning. This is because betting companies include popular online betting strategies into their models and try to mitigate them as much as possible. Like we mentioned above, sports betting is a business; even if your business isn’t exclusive, you must develop your unique selling point or value proposition.

How to develop your betting strategies

As we inferred above, it would make a whole lot of sense to tweak the many betting strategies available today. But how do you get started?

1. Research and patiently read about all existing betting strategies. Our website extensively covers many general betting strategies. This research will form the foundation of your strategy and plans.

2. Be observant of the betting market and the sports you want to bet on. For example, the introduction of VAR into football has probably increased the number of penalties in football. This can be a starting point for a particular strategy. Be on the lookout for trends that jump out. However, make sure that the trends are not just perceived but also backed by facts and hard data, where applicable.

3. Now that the idea is formed, the next step is to seek other variables that may influence the idea you’ve identified. For example, a smaller stadium might make it easier for teams to concede corners. A stadium with a bad pitch may not favour an attacking brand of football in a match.

4. After settling on a strategy, the next step is to test and tweak. You test your theory/strategy with very small stakes and monitor how well you do with the bets you placed. With every result, examine if there’s any way you can adjust the strategy to include variables you overlooked, or to remove variables that do not affect the outcome.

Here is an overview of the most popular betting strategies. Click on the link to learn more about each one. Let the articles inform your choices and form the bedrock of your betting strategies.

Back & Lay
The Back & Lay strategy is one of the most popular strategies in the market. While “back”-bets are the most common kind of sports bets where you bet ON a certain outcome of a game/event, “lay”-bet means you’re betting AGAINST the same outcome. What makes this strategy so interesting is that you can deal and sell with your bets on book-makers like Betfair. […] Read more

Double Chance
The Double Chance bet is an online betting strategy that is particularly interesting for risk-averse bettors. In this case, you’re betting on the probability that one of two events will happen. As a result of betting on two outcomes of a game, your odds to win the bet is enhanced by 33%.[…] Read more

Halftime/fulltime bets
With this betting system, the risk is a little greater. In this scenario, you bet on both the half-time and full-time scores/result of a game. In our overview, we provide ideas on what this kind of bet looks like when it is won, and give you information about your chances of winning. Additionally, we show you the most suitable sports for this strategy. […] Read more

Handicap
Handicap Bets are more applicable when you expect a favourite to win…and to win handsomely. You simply give the supposedly weaker team an advantage (handicap) and expect the favourite team to overcome the advantage. This way, you can get higher odds for teams who are expected to win 9.9 out of 10 games. […] Read more

Head-to-Head bets
The name gives this strategy away. You back one individual/team against another in a contest. This is most interesting when betting on individual sports, but you can also bet on two competitors in a team sport, and let them virtually step up against each other. […] Read more

Hedging
Similar to real stock markets, you can hedge your bets against possible losses through selling and buying other bets. Betfair is the most common book-maker that offers possibilities to hedge your bet. If you want to learn how it works and get a short introduction and good examples, follow the link and learn more about this betting strategy. […] Read more

Multibet
The goal of Multi-bets is to gain high combined odds by adding multiple single bets (called “legs”) to one bet. You should keep in mind that with this betting strategy, your risk of losing the bet increases with each added leg. Multi-bets or Multiples are most interesting with football bets but you can make a good profit out of other sports as well. […] Read more

Last-Minute-Goal
In this article, we describe the attractive strategy of Last-Minute bets. Over the last few years, this strategy has become increasingly popular, especially with games that are being watched and where live bets are available. The further a game advances, the higher the odds of no goal to be scored gets. In this instance, you can bet against the current standings and you can earn some good profits. […] Read more

Lucky 15 bet
As an advancement of the Yankee Bet, the Lucky 15 Bet includes, obviously, 15 bets. These 15 bets comprise of 4 single bets, 6 two-leg multi, 4 three-leg multi, and 1 four-leg multi. How this strategy works and how big your chances of winning are, are shown in this article.[…] Read more

Over/under
This nice and simple betting strategy is easily explained. You have to figure out if the score/points during a game was higher or lower than the expected score. Although it initially only included betting on the number of goals scored during a football match, you are now able to bet on almost everything that is countable. That is why this strategy is not only available for football bets but also other sports like basketball, tennis or every other game.[…] Read more

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Scorecast/wincast
In both the scorecast and the wincast you have to bet on a player to score a goal. The only difference between those two strategies is that, in addition to predicting the scorer of a scorecast bet, you have to guess the exact result of the game; while for a wincast bet it is enough to predict the winning team. In both cases, you need a little luck to win but also a good knowledge of the competing teams.[…] Read more

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Surebets
Surebets or arbitration are bets that will bring winnings through combinations of specific single bets placed on different bookmakers. To successfully make money with sure bets you have to find the most lucrative quotas from different bookmakers and calculate if these bets are indeed sure bets. […] Read more

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System bets
System or Yankee bets are most interesting when you want to play risky bets. It is similar to multi-bets in the sense that they both require multiple selections. However, the difference is that with system bets you can still win money, even if one from your selection loses. For multi-bets, that is not the case. […] Read more

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If we have caught your attention for sports betting strategies and everything that deals with it, we recommend you our Livetipsportal bet calculator app, where you can calculate your odds easily on your smartphone.