Talking betting with......Santos

Nov 27th, 2011 - Posted by Andrew_Brocker in Betting Theory, Horse Racing

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In the latest edition of our "Talking betting" series, we speak today with Bettingexpert community member Santos about what he loves about betting on sports, his own personal betting philosophies and what it's like to be a BettingExpert tipster.

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So you've been a member of our tipster community for a while now. Do you remember when sports betting first took your interest?

That was a long time ago. I remember my friend introduced me to it when I was 15 or 16. I remember walking into a sports betting parlor in my city and just looking around. There were dozens of boards on which I could read the names of the teams followed by a whole bunch of digits, which at that point I had no clue about. At first it seemed like black magic, but I eventually got the hang of it. I got hooked and bet ever since.

Yeah, the first time you walk into a casino or betting shop is often a defining experience for guys like us. What was the first sport you began placing bets on?

Definitely football. I started betting on the internet a couple of years ago. Before that, I only bet in sports parlors in my city - Kielce. Here the most popular sports are football and hockey. I discovered the world of horse racing and other sports disciplines just a couple of years ago.

Do you remember what your first bet was?

Yes. I still have a laugh when I think about those old times. I think my first bet was on Barcelona and Real Madrid. Both odds were at that time around 1.15. I didn't really have a clue what that meant and assumed I'd get rich by placing a bet on them. I think it was around 2 euros. I remembered I was disappointed when the lady working there handed me my ticket and I was to win around 40 or 50 cents. The bet was a win and cashing in the ticket was very embarrassing but somehow it felt good.

Hey, a win's a win. So what is your general betting strategy? Do you have an overall betting philosophy?

That's hard to define. I have no real strategy, while the philosophy is the same as every one - to win. I try to bet on the teams or horses I trust and I know how they perform. Knowing all the information you can possibly gather is the key. Betting on football and hockey requires little reading and keeping track compared to horse racing. I think the best strategy is knowing as much as you possibly can and having luck too, because even the greatest amount of knowledge can fail if you're simply unlucky. My strategy is to try my luck. I often place bets on events I know are nearly certain to be correct, as well as on less certain, if not totally 'long shot' bets.

Do statistics come into your betting preparation?

Yes! I can't imagine the world of sports betting without statistics. Many could argue with that but for me, stats are the key in some sports disciplines and are usually the base for my tips/bets. They are very helpful but often they don't always portray the true value and abilities of a certain team so I guess reading team news, keeping track of stats and watching as many matches as possible is the true key.

You've got a few years of experience behind you now. How have you noticed your approach to betting change ovet those years?

I have a more distant approach to it today. In the past, all I could do is sit at home and keep placing bets for a living. I remember loosing a whole bunch of money back in my teenage years. Whatever money I got, I always invested and the outcome was not always all that pretty. At first I played a lot of multiples, 5-15 matches on one coupon and usually ended up dreaming about the thousands I could win only to discover that only one pick was incorrect. I still have a whole bunch of old coupons lying around the house, where one silly pick took away a young boys dream (laughing).

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We've all been on the wrong end of those.

For sure. Now I guess I don't play any low odds. It's better to risk a few pennies on higher odds than heavy money on low odds. The fewer matches on a coupon the better. I guess the most important thing I learned is the attitude and mentality. I treat sports betting more as a hobby now and the additional money as a reward, where I usually invest 50% of what I win and 50% I spend on whatever I feel like buying at the moment. It's important to understand that there is no such thing as a 'sure bet' and every team can loose, so can the person betting.

The hardest lesson to learn. What would be your best sport to bet on?

That is a difficult question. Football is a more stable sport to bet on I guess. The one thing I don't like are the low odds offered. So I think I'll stick with what I currently am engaged in the most - Horse Racing. Definitely a much more lucrative market than in other sports. The odds are anywhere from the very low 1.3 - 1.5 to 250. Hunting down those higher odds makes betting very fun and profitable. There are tons of races to bet on. It's a sports discipline which could give you quick income, but also major losses. Horse racing is pretty much the hardest discipline I have ever approached. It just makes it more beautiful. I learn something new each day and each success gives plenty of satisfaction. It's a wonderful sport which I recommend to everyone.

Horse racing also has one major advantage over football and other sports... there are numerous races each day throughout the year. I was always extremely bored during the summer holidays when all the major football leagues finished and there was little to bet on. Horse racing on the other hand has races each day and you just can't end up not having anything to bet on. Huge market, great profits and very fun to bet and watch.

It's definately a sport that can become obsessive. Do you remember the best bet you ever made?

I honestly don't remember. I could tell you a hundred bad bets but somehow the good ones just don't come to mind. I had a few but none which I could brag about.

Yeah, the bad ones seem to haunt the memory don't they? Do you feel you're a better tipster now for being a part of the BettingExpert community?

Definitely. I've learned plenty from the BE community. BE opened a new channel of thinking for me. Keeping track of stats and so on was once a routine I did but I never focused fully on particular matches. Now that I write analyses at BE I fully concentrate and try to get as much info as I can. I sometimes end up writing a tip half way and then thinking it over decide not to post it, just because I found some additional info which changed my mind or lowered my confidence about some bet. Reading other tipsters tips is also a very useful thing. I learned different points of view, and things other tipsters take into consideration when betting. I look at other peoples bets and find interesting markets and things others find more value in than I initial have seen. It's a real privilege to be part of the BE community and be able to share my picks and thoughts with others.

So for someone just starting out in the world of betting, what words of wisdom would you offer them?

Trust your instinct. Sometimes all the signs on earth say one thing but your gut tells you something else. Stick with it! It may be worth the risk. The most important thing to remember is that sports betting can be very addictive and you should treat it as fun and nothing more.

Never risk more money than you can afford to loose. If you loose - trying to win back what you've lost is another huge mistake. Playing smart and responsibly is the best solution. Treat sports betting as a hobby and the money you win as a reward for your knowledge. Read, watch, learn, try and succeed. Loosing is a part of sports betting so don't feel bad about it. Analyze your mistakes and try to learn as much as you can. Remember to have fun !!!

Indeed. Good luck with your future bets and thanks for sharing your thoughts with us Santos.

Thanks Andrew.

Visit Santos' BettingExpert profile page to see his latest opinions, analysis and tips