Some of you remember the unique atmosphere of neighborhood bookmaker points: smoke, noise and a surprising level of optimism amid endless losses.
The problem then was the overwhelming and unfair advantage the bookmaker had against you.
Even the most sophisticated betting systems and the most in-depth analysis fell victim to the adverse odds offered by the bookmaker.
Then something wonderful and historic happened - this is called the betting exchange.
In 2000, two entrepreneurs named Andrew Black and Ed Ray launched a website called Betfair.
This site used to emulate the stock exchanges, but with one small difference: the goods for sale were not stocks or fuels. They were sports betting odds - the same odds that had previously been sold at inflated prices.
Suddenly, the average customer could choose to play the role of a bookmaker or a player and take advantage of the great benefits of Betfair.
This meant that the odds could be bought and sold, that is, betting "For" and "Against". Prices, like those on global stock exchanges, were in constant flux. However (or more correctly - for this reason), the odds reflected their true market value.
But how to trade in Betfair?
Basics of Betfair Trading
So how does Betfair work?
The simplest explanation is that the site works exactly like stock exchanges. And it's not just an analogy - Betfair is really a betting exchange and the principles of stock exchanges apply with full force to Betfair.
Since most of you are probably not so familiar with how betting exchanges work, let's take a walk through the real deal at Betfair.
Basics of "For" and "Against" bets
Just like traditional bookmakers, we can use Betfair to place bets on the outcome of, say, a football match. But the difference is that in this sports betting site we can make both a regular "For" bet and "Against" bet (a bet AGAINST a given bet).
So, for example, we can bet against the exact score 0: 2 in a match between Manchester City and Swansea. In this case, we will make money at any end result other than 2-0 for Swansea.
Betfair Game Strategies
This innovative and different way of placing bets can make good money. Trading with football odds can be more profitable because odds are much more logical than, for example, the price of a company's stock. That is, with sufficient football knowledge, you can make more accurate predictions about the development of matches and markets.
You can make a decent daily return from the platform by using proven methods of trading and “For” and “Ägainst”bets.
Now let's introduce you to some of the most well-known strategies that are suitable for beginner players but are also used by many professional traders nowadays.
"For" and "Against" in tennis
The strategy of two bets on a tennis match is elementary enough to be captured by the complete newcomers to the betting exchanges. We all know that sometimes the favored tennis players don't start their matches 100% motivated and make mistakes from the start. In such matches we can place a bet against the favored player (the bet is the player loses, not wins!) at around 1.30 odd. If you are looking for a $ 100 profit, your "liability" (the amount that you actually bet and eventually lose if the bet is not a winning one) will be $ 30.
If the match starts well for us and bad for the favorite, we can expect the odds for him to rise to around 1.50. At this point we place a "For" bet at 1.50 odd with $100 and close the trade with a guaranteed profit. There are two options for closing a trade - to close it with a secure profit of $10, regardless of which two players eventually win, and the second opportunity is $20 (the difference between 1.30 and 1.50 is $ 20 at a bet of 100 ) to be put only for the favorite and so if the weaker player wins, you will simply be without any profit or loss, and if the favorite wins, you will increase your Betfair account by $20. This is a simple strategy , which risks little money, but you need to have a good enough reason why you think the favorite will start the game not in a good shape. The nice thing is that some players just have a predisposition for it.
"Against" the exact result in football matches
This is another simple method of trading with very little chance of losing. Here we must first choose an exact result that we think will simply not happen and we will bet against it. For example, you choose the exact result of a 2-0 win over Swansea in their visit to Manchester City. The odds are 39.00 and, if you want to make a profit of $10, your responsibility will be $380. You place an "Against" bet before the start of the match and then wait for the first 15 minutes of playing the match. If Manchester City were able to score in this period, you would claim 100% of your $ 10 because it is no longer possible to get the exact 2-0 score for the guests. And if the score is still 0: 0, you can place a "For" bet at a better odd for it (with such amount that you will win in any case) and thus end up with a profit in the 15th minute of match without you wondering how it will end.
This is a simple strategy for trading football matches, but you need to have good football knowledge to be able to correctly determine which exact result is unlikely to happen. If you have enough bankroll, discipline and patience, you can earn a good monthly income.
Step by step how to sign up for BetFair
"Against" combinations
With the first two trading strategies, you must have understood what the main purpose of most of them is - to get out of the market as quickly as possible with profit. Betting combination strategies are also very interesting and many people say that this is the best and safest way to make money from Betfair. We would not oppose this view. For example, you choose two games with a clear class difference between the two teams and you see the odds for the weaker teams - for example, 8.00 X 7.00 = 56.00 odd. Then you will see that if you want to bet "Against" the wins of the two weaker teams, your responsibility will be $ 550 for the sought profit of $ 10. With this strategy it is very difficult to lose, because the loss would occur only if both duels end in wins for the weaker teams, which happens very, very rarely. In all other cases, you will leave with a profit of $ 10. A very good approach, as long as you have a big bank.
In our new BetIndex Help section you can find more useful information about everything at Betfair Sports Exchange and all the rules and conditions that apply to it.
These are some of the best strategies for playing Betfair according to our team. Of course, there are many other game strategies and algorithms that may also appeal to you and make you money. You may also be interested in the popular Strategy Against Equal Result, for which we have dedicated a separate article. If you have been impressed by Betfair's capabilities, you can learn more about this gambling site from our betfair registration review and start betting!
