Betting has always been a key part of sports fandom, adding an element of excitement and a financial incentive to a leisure time activity. Since we live in a technological age where comfort and convenience trump all other concerns, it’s not a surprise that sports betting has largely moved to the digital space and became easier and faster in the process. Brick and mortar betting shops are still around, but they are increasingly losing customers to free mobile apps that let users place their bets after the game has already started. The advantages of real time betting are considerable, and more and more users are becoming aware of them.
If you never tried live betting sports with one of the legal online platforms that operate in your country, the following explanation will help you realise why this betting mode is so popular among all age groups.
Key Premise of Live Betting
The main difference between a traditional sports wager and a live bet is that the former is made in advance of the event while the latter can be placed after the official start. For example, if you are betting on a soccer game you can place the bet at any time before the final whistle ends the match. Of course, the odds are changing in real time depending on what is happening on the field, and it’s assumed that the bettor will be aware of the score and other details when putting his money down. Such bets are often made while watching the game as this helps to understand how the teams are performing and feel which way the momentum is going.
In a technical sense, placing a live bet is very easy and takes only a couple of seconds. You need to be logged in to a bookmaker site or app and to go to the live betting section. In this section you will find a variety of markets related to the game in question – from final score to player statistics. The odds for each outcome are clearly displayed, but they might change dramatically in just a few minutes so you shouldn’t waste time when you see a proposition you like. As with any other bet, you can decide how much money to put at stake and whether to combine multiple legs into a parlay.
Why Timing Is Important for Live Betting?
As we mentioned previously, bets of this kind have dynamic odds that change constantly in either direction. Because of this, a well-timed bet can net you additional cash compared to one made before the game. Imagine for example that you want to back a favorite in a football match but the initial odds are too low for your taste. You could wait with the wager until a part of the first half is finished – if there are no goals scored the odds are bound to flatten. Striking just before the favoured team scores will get you the best returns on your bet but things could go the other way if you wait too long.
Live betting also opens possibilities to hedge your original bet and make it less risky. There are many ways to do that, either by limiting the loss on a wager that is not going well or by supporting a well-standing bet with a counter just to cover the possibility of a sudden turnaround. Timing both bets well allows you to accomplish risk-to-reward ratios that wouldn’t be possible with pre-game bets only, but you need a lot of knowledge about the sport you are betting on to make it work. Understanding the trends and tendencies of the teams allows you to anticipate what will happen next and take advantage of your observations.
Are Live Bets More or Less Risky?
This question is very difficult to answer in a vacuum. We explained above how smart players can make the odds work for them, but that’s not necessarily true for every live bet. It’s important to note that bets of this kind are often made in the heat of the moment without enough time to look at data from previous matches and calculate the probabilities. There is a temptation to overreact to something you see on the field, and even stronger one to make bets based on what you would like to happen, especially if you are betting on a team you personally support.
Ultimately, the amount of risk involved with the bet depends on the number of outcomes you are trying to guess, the likelihood that each of them will happen, and the amount of money you are putting on the line. If you make ten large bets in twenty minutes, you are exposing yourself to serious losses even if you take steps to hedge some of the action. On the other hand, keeping your wagers small allows you to hunt for good returns throughout the game so you have more chances to strike it rich. There are countless strategies that can be effective for live betting, but if you are looking for guaranteed success you are likely to be disappointed.