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What is Live Betting, and How Does it Work?


Have you noticed that nearly every betting website these days has an in-play section? Perhaps your bookmaker has invited you to wager on live games. Or maybe you overheard your friends talk of how they've increased their betting profits through in-play betting.

Lucky you—this guide takes you through the ins and outs of live sports betting. It shows you how to bet on live games, mistakes to avoids and tips to help maximize your winnings. Ready? Let's get into it.

What is Live Betting?

Live or in-play betting describes wagering on sports during a match. You identify a game such as Arsenal vs Leicester, research and wait for the game to start. Then you can bet from the start to the 90th minute of the game.

Live betting is pretty exciting. It's like participating in a live game show where every decision you make can earn or cost you money. Bet too early, and a game's progress could change and lead to a loss. By contrast, wager too late into a match, and the odds will have changed against your favour.

Fortunately, you can improve your in-play betting skills through practice and using proven tactics. Avoiding common mistakes can also help minimize your losses—one of the most important goals for every successful punter.

Types of Live Betting Wagers

With in-play betting, you can wager on most football outcomes you know about plus more. That means you can stick to your favourite bets such as totals, match winners and correct scores. Or you can gamble your money with more challenging albeit more profitable predictions such as:

Of course, live betting isn't limited to football. You can wager on just about any sport, from tennis and hockey to basketball and baseball. You can even predict minor sports such as eSports, table tennis and snooker.

Live Betting Tips

Live betting is different from pre-match wagering in many ways. These differences can be crucial for your success as a punter. So, learn and use them to your advantage whenever you identify a potential profitable in-play betting opportunity.

Choose your Sportsbook Wisely

Nearly all great live betting tips tell you to choose sportsbooks wisely. They are correct. Your bookmaker plays a vital role in determining your profitability in the long run. If you choose an unreliable bookie, you will lose money.

In contrast, a top-level betting website will likely give you high-quality odds, maintain their website 24/7 and process your profits fast. A smart bookmaker will also award you free bets to buy your loyalty. But in turn, you can use these bonuses to experiment with new strategies or maximize your profits.

Keep up with the Odds

The odds of live betting games change regularly, often unexpectedly. In a match between Barcelona and Real Madrid, the odds of just about any outcome could change any minute.

That means you have to keep up with the odds to identify where your best betting opportunity lies. For example, a red card on hosts Barcelona could plummet their odds of winning instantly. That means you have to watch the game or follow updates carefully to know when and how the odds change.

After the odds change, next up is to identify an opportunity that can maximize your profits. Perhaps Barcelona seems to have switched their gameplay to defend for a draw. In that case, wagering on a draw might earn you more money that backing Real Madrid.

Use Your Brain, not your Heart

You've probably heard these words many times. But they are correct as long as gambling is involved. Most people use emotions to pick teams to bet on, but that's why many people lose their wagers too.

When betting, you want to follow high-value odds so that you maximize your profits. For example, shifting from correct scores to totals after Barcelona gets a red card is wise. That's because you can watch a few minutes of the game and realize they're playing to defend. And that means they might not chase goals actively as they usually do.

It requires close concentration to identify optimal live betting opportunities. You can't afford to stay away from your smartphone or TV if watching the match. As mentioned, every minute of a game counts, and that's what makes in-play wagering so intriguing.

Work with a Budget

This is another traditional betting tip you must use on in-play wagering. Yes, it provides opportunities to make plenty of money fast. But you can also lose it all. Sometimes things won't work, and your predictions will be wrong.

To ensure you have money to wager on a different game, create a budget. Many experts agree on a 5% rule, meaning you bet 5% of your bankroll per game. If you have $200, that translates to $10.

This rule isn't set in stone, though. You can break or change it a bit to suit your betting objectives. You can increase or decrease your stake, depending on your profit and loss stats. But throughout your betting journey, ensure you have a budget.

Focus on a Few Bets

One of the worst mistakes you can make is to wager on many live betting games. First off, how can you watch all game? Sure, you can use score update apps to get instant news. But how you keep up with all the odds?

You see, trying to keep up with many live bets can be confusing. And confusion is not something you want when betting. It leads to errors, and mistakes lead to losses. Repeat this system, and you'll end up broke pretty fast.

Your Turn

Live betting involves wagering in the course of a sports match. It's exciting because you watch games actively while also trying to make money. It puts you at the edge of your seat, racks your brain and challenges you to make smart betting decisions in split seconds. Can you handle it?




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