Handicap Betting

Handicap Betting, quite frankly, is not for everyone. And not everyone who tries it is successful.

Most of us have probably thought it would be nice to make a living from our hobbies; but of course dreams and reality are two very different things.

From my early childhood I have always closely followed all manner of sports, especially soccer, attending as many live games as possible throughout Germany.

Thus with time it was only logical that I also tried to make money betting on soccer matches, as I always had good inside knowledge about the German clubs – from Bundesliga 1 down to the lower regional leagues.

At first I tried placing combo bets with differing success but gradually realised I needed to adopt a more professional approach. So I began studying literature about strategic sports betting. I discovered that professional sports bettors in general do not place combos but single bets, generally with odds of around 1.90.

Money Management

The most important consideration with this kind of betting is how much money you should place on a single bet. Savvy money management is definitely the key to long term successful sports betting..

It wasn’t long before I learned that flat stake betting is the smartest way to go. You should consistently use between 2 % – 3 % of your current bankroll on a single bet.

2 % on each bet for the conservative bettors and 3 % or even up to 5% of your bankroll for bettors prepared to take more of a risk.

In this way your bankroll should steadily grow, especially if using the services of tipsters who have proved themselves successful. So also does the amount of money you will be staking from an ever growing betting bank.

Say for example your starting bankroll is 100 EUR – thus you will place 2 or 3 -5 EUR on a bet. If after 4 weeks the bankroll has grown to 110 EUR …… you could now bet with 2.20 EUR respectively 3.30 up to 5.50 EUR on a single bet.

You should stick strictly to such a plan, as discipline and patience are so important when it comes to smart betting.

However it wasn’t until I discovered Asian handicap betting that I was able to actually start making a living from what, up till now, had been little more than a pastime.

Asian Handicap Betting

So what is it about Asian handicap betting that entices most professional bettors to place bets on those markets.

This is a type of betting on football that operates by assessing a team’s form and is similar to spread betting. Put simply the stronger a team, the more goals it will have to win by, for bettors backing them to win.

European handicaps offer a draw option whereas Asian handicaps do not as they are usually quoted in half goals.

When betting on Asian handicaps the big advantage for a smart strategic bettor is that one can build on constant odds.

Asian bookies offer Asian ball lines depending on the relative strengths of 2 teams with constant odds mostly between 1.80 and 1.90. A perfect way to increase your bankroll when following successful Asian handicap tipsters with a good win rate.

Examples of Asian Handicap Betting

Take for example a bet placed on a football match between Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen:

BAYERN MUNICH AH -2 : Werder Bremen – this bet means that if you place your money on Bayern Munich (-2) this team has to win by a margin of 3 goals or more in order to win your bet. Payout for the win with odds of 1.90 would be £19.00 (including stake)

If Bayern Munich only wins by 2 goals – which could be a scoreline of 2-0 or 3-1 or 4-2 etc the payout would just return your stake.

If Bayern Munich does not win by 2 goals then the bet is lost and you lose your stake.

Another example:

e.g: HERTHA BSC BERLIN AH 0 : Werder Bremen

This means that both teams have been rated as equal by the Asian bookie. Equal concerning their general squad quality, current form, the number of important absent players on either side and with regard to the home side’s advantage.

So in this case you would win an Asian bet on HERTHA BSC BERLIN AH 0 in the event of a HERTHA BSC BERLIN win which returns £19 for a £10 stake.

If the match ends in a draw you would get your money back and in case of a win by the away team you of course have lost the bet.

It can be seen that with this type of bet you will almost double your original stake and stand a good chance of at least getting your money back in the event of a draw.

Well those are the most important points that sum up the advantages of Asian handicap betting.

Author: Alwin Amler – sports analyst and professional bettor from West Germany