In-play Betting: A Guide to Live Wagering From the Experts

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Besides the obvious joy of winning, one of the biggest draws of gambling is the excitement it brings. If you want to get your heart pumping at its maximum as the games unfold, you can try in-play betting.

These days, thanks to the use of modern technology in betting, there are so many different ways you can join the fun while betting on your favorite sports. Using the internet, you can take part in a variety of games from the comfort of your home.

If you want something different, you can even consider betting on sports with crypto. With cryptocurrency getting back on its feet after the global meltdown, this could be your ticket to earning some digital tokens through gambling.

What Is In-play Betting?

In-play betting, also called live wagering, is a new way for sports gamblers to bet on their favorite sports. It allows you to place your bet after the match has already started. This is different from ordinary moneyline bets that are based on fixed odds available before the game starts.

The most important thing to know about in-play betting is that as the game unfolds, the odds will change after each significant event, such as one team scoring or a player being sent off.

If you are keeping an eye on the game stats and how the odds are changing, you can then place a wager based on where you think the game is going.

How Does Live Wagering Work?

Before you place a wager on a game that is already in play, you have to understand how in-play betting works. Usually, live wagering is available for a wide range of sports whose circumstances can change drastically as the game progresses. These include basketball, hockey, soccer, baseball, and football.

To place an in-play bet, you have to find a betting website that offers such services, click on the “live betting” icon, and choose the sport you want. You will likely be shown a variety of matches that are already in progress, along with vital information about each match, such as time, scores, and any significant events that may affect the outcome.

Depending on the odds that are given for each match, and your analysis of how the game has progressed so far, you can try to predict how the rest of the match will unfold, and place your bet based on that.

The beauty of in-play betting is that you are not only limited to betting on the eventual winner of the game. You can bet on many different things, such as which team will score next, who will win the next foul/corner/freekick, or the exact score of the match at the final whistle.

However, before you can get started, there are a few pros and cons of live wagering that you need to know, and these are:

Pros

  • More arbitrage betting opportunities
  • Odds may favor bettors more than bookmakers
  • You have the chance to convert a losing bet into a winning one
  • Bettors have a little more information to go on
  • A more reactive form of betting

Cons

  • The game can change drastically, making all previous live betting strategies useless
  • Odds can change quickly, meaning betters need to be alert all the time

Six Tips for Successful In-play Betting

With a bit of practice, live betting can be a great experience for sports bettors. It opens up a whole new form of betting that was difficult to enjoy before the arrival of livestream sports games.

However, if you dive in blindly, you can lose a lot of money. This is because the risks are just as serious as regular betting based on fixed pre-match odds. To help you get started on your journey, here are six useful tips that all sports gamblers considering in-play betting need to remember:

1. Use Live Streaming

If you want to be a part of this fast-paced type of betting, you need to have all the information you need right at your fingertips. Some sportsbooks will offer live streaming to betters, meaning you will be able to watch the action on the same screen where you can place bets.

2. Reduce Your Computer’s Workload

If there is ever a time when you need your computer to work at its absolute best, it’s during crucial moments of a match you are invested in. Any lagging or freezing at this point may delay your reaction to the game’s events, which may cause you to lose out. You can free up some much-needed RAM by closing all unnecessary tabs.

3. Consider Using an App

Many apps are designed to help you analyze matches faster. They can bring together various game events, compile the match statistics, and give you probabilities of certain events that you are considering betting on.

4. Shop Around for the Best Odds

Different bookmakers will have their analysts or algorithms giving them advice on what odds to give at each stage of the game. You can look around and choose the bookmaker who is offering the best odds. It will help to keep a few bookmaker websites open during the match so that you choose the best betting lines available.

5. Know Your Sport

The more you know your sport, the better your chances of winning. An inexperienced gambler may look at the half-time score of a certain match and decide that Team A is winning, while you may use your knowledge to see that Team B usually improves in the second half.

6. Never Chase Losses

Always have good bankroll management, and do not use live betting as a way to chase losses. If things do not go the way you hoped, you can take a break and try again on a fresh match.

Live Betting Vs. Pre-game Betting – Which Is Better?

The action during a match can unfold quickly, giving bookmakers very little time to generate odds that will benefit them. This is one of the things that make live wagering the better option. However, it still has its risks, so you should keep this in mind as you look for the right bets to place.

Final Thought

If you want to take a break from online casino games, you can try in-play betting or read some guides to improve your blackjack strategy for example. It is an exciting way for sports gamblers to place bets when they have a bit more information to go on.