2010 has arrived. This is the time when the football season in the English Premier League and many major elite leagues is halfway through.
This is the time when the league standings start to form a picture. This is the time when the team managers are allowed to rectify the short-comings of their squads straight through the January exchange market. So this is the time when many things are discussed at lengths and should start to change.
This should also be the time for all soccer punters to take stock of their soccer business...
Now, what does your record card show? Do you brighten up with glee or wallow in misery?
For those punters who have made a betting fortune in 2009, congratulations! For those who are struggling to make an impact in your soccer investment, I wish to share with you this A To Z Journey To Victory In Your Football (Soccer) business For 2010.
A - Achieve your dream to have a profitable 2010 in your betting business
All of us have dreams, but to transform them into reality, it takes much determination, dedication, efforts and self-discipline.
Here is how to accomplish our dream to have a profitable 2010 in our betting business. Just ramble down B straight through Z.
Do take the first step. You do not have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.
B - Bet on what you know
Even in a league which you are very knowledgeable in, such as the English Premier League, there are times when it has been difficult to get trustworthy information on key players, a factor which may sway your betting decision.
Do not be tempted to bet on a match of a league you know small about, and just because the match is televised live on Tv or very recommended by some sports experts.
C - Cut loss when necessary
This is especially crucial in live-betting. The typical mindset of most punters is to hang on till the last minute, hoping that your bets will materialize.
Be decisive and cut your loss as soon as you realize the match is not going as per your expectation. Such decisiveness can save you bigger losses in the end.
D - Discipline
In betting, discipline is the will to religiously succeed preset rules and criteria regardless of our emotion at that moment, even when we are on a winning streak or on a losing run.
Why is discipline so important?
Because without discipline:
* even a victorious punter can lose all his winnings
* a losing punter can lose even more
* the punter cannot win in the long run
It is impossible to make everyday a winning day but it is possible to make everyday a losing day if the punter is not disciplined.
E - Enjoy our betting business
Enjoy punting on each betting day. Enjoy your business. The mind works wonders. However, on those days when you do not find your punting enjoyable due to some reasons, then it is time to take break. Step back from betting for a while. Return when you are refreshed.
F - Focus
Do keep a cool mind and remain focused especially in live-betting. Watching a match, or tracking the odds movements, is an emotional roller coaster.
When the chips are down, guard against being swayed by emotion. Stay calm and assess the situation objectively.
G - Greed
It is human nature to want to make a fast buck. But be mindful of the wise saying "There is no free lunch in this world".
When the bookmakers make you an offer that is "too good to be true", it probably is. They are in the business to make your money, not to dish out charity. They do not make mistakes. Such offer is a trap to entice the greedy ones to part with their money.
Another greedy temptation to avoid is to resist the big payout for a combo bet (accumulator) as the risks are also multiplied many folds. Unless you are an very lucky punter, you are unlikely to win often.
H - Have a betting game plan
All winners, whether they are entrepreneurs, leaders or football coaches etc, all the time have at least one thing in common, and that is a strong game plan. The plan can be for a year, or five years etc, and they work steadfastly towards their plan.
The punters should also have their own betting game plan. They should set up their betting targets in the nine-months football season.
One thing is certain. We are not going to find our betting fortune in a cookie.
I - Ignore distraction
Be very clear with the punting goals you have set. Be diligent in following them through. Do not allow distractions along the way.
J - Just do it if there is value
If your analysis reveals the value lies in the underdog (for example, Fulham having a +1 goal advantage playing against the reigning Champion Manchester United), be courageous and succeed your conviction. Just do it. Of course, it is a nervy decision as the whole world is putting their money on Manchester United.
K - Know your bets
Be sure you understand all about the bets you are placing, for example, fixed odds betting, asian handicap betting, extra bets like total goals, amount of corners, etc.
L - Losing runs
A losing streak is inevitable even for the pros in their betting business. During a bad run, do not be tempted to chase losses. This is a surefire way to disaster.
Be disciplined and patient. Take a break from punting when necessary.
M - Money Management
Money administration is essentially on how to conduct your betting fund and staking plan wisely. The longer you are solvent, the more punting chances for you to be profitable.
Your betting fund must consist of money set aside for your betting business, the money you do not need for whatever else.
Next you should conclude on an effective staking plan taking into observation your risk profile. The higher the risk, the bigger the stake. Conversely, the smaller the stake, the lower the risk. There is a delicate line in the middle of the desire to accomplish higher profit and the discipline to conduct your risk.
The bottom-line is, whatever betting fund and staking plan you choose, they should be within your relax zone.
N - No 'sure win' tips
'Sure win' and 'Insider' tips are often disseminated over the Internet. Guard against such tips as they may be leaked out by curious parties to sway the store to move in a inevitable way. Any information gathered from the Internet must be wholly vetted.
Do your own analysis and research. It is your hard earned money on the line. Following blindly is the most foolish mistake any punter can make.
O - Optimism
Dealing with several losses in a row is a real test of our optimism in our betting game plan. Punters must understand that one principal element of turning the negative tide is to remain optimistic and conduct our emotions. The inability to do so can lead to serious problems such as ill discipline and poor money management.
Our priority is to make sure our betting fund is not depleted.
P - Patience
It can be assuredly frustrating that after spending a hard day analyzing the weekend fixture list of around 50 games, you have found that only one option meets your betting criteria. So much time spent and only one value bet to make.
Yes, it is assuredly frustrating, but do rehearsal patience. Do not bet for the sake of it. You are investing, not gambling.
Q - Quitter never win
Yes, quitters never win, and winners never quit. So, if your half-season record card is less than satisfactory, which camp would you be? The quitters or the winners? It is your call.
R - Record keeping
Do you know how many of those teams that you betted on assuredly won? Which league is your weakest performer? Which period of the football season (beginning, mid or end of season) is your most glorious?
You will have answers to the above if you document all your bets. Such record holding will show you why you win, and why you lose.
Do learn from your mistakes to avoid production them again.
S - Specialize in your chosen leagues
The more you know a league, the better will be your grasp and 'feel' in whether a inevitable match in the league is of value for betting. Try not to be Mr jack of all leagues. Specialize in your chosen leagues. Know them inside-out. Knowledge is king.
T - Taking profitable chances in live-betting
The Internet and live telecasting of matches have made live-betting immensely popular.
The most advantage in live-betting is the punters have exactly the same information as the bookmakers as the matches are being played.
In live-betting,the odds tell a story. The movement in the odds is an indication of the operation of the teams playing at the time. If the punters have the ability to de-code the odds and read the game, there are countless money production opportunities on every betting day.
U - Unrealistic expectation
Most punters do not seem to realize that any betting system or guide is to be used for the long term. We must be realistic in our expectation. You cannot judge the profitability of the system or guide on a daily or weekly basis. Judge it at the end of the football season. This means you must have cash in your betting armory.
Apart from choosing winning bets from your system/guide, you need to have the most effective betting fund and staking plan in place. You must all the time remain solvent. The liquidity means you all the time have money to bet with.
A good system/guide can let you pick winners but you need the discipline to complement it with good money administration to win consistently.
An ill disciplined punter who fiddles with his money administration will regularly end up with busting his betting fund, and he will then blame the system, even though the same system is producing tons of profits for the disciplined punters.
V - Value
Value hunting is universal. It is applicable to both life and business, and to football betting as well.
In sports, the true value of the outcome of a match is expressed by the probability of that outcome happening. If the punter can get a price which is higher than the one indicated by the probability, then he has found value.
The prices (or odds) offered by the bookmakers are connected to the probability of that outcome happening agreeing to the bookmakers. If you can 'fish out' those selections where your own estimations of the probability opening of winning are higher than that of the bookmakers', then you have found your value bets.
W - Wisdom in studying from your past mistakes
There is a football betting wisdom that one key to achieving long term profit is in the bets that you leave out rather than the ones you punted on. This plainly means that if you miss out a good bet, you do not lose any money. However, if you back a losing selection, you are already some $$$ down.
So, be wise to learn from your past punting mistakes and do less of what is wrong, and more of what is right.
X - Extra efforts
Some punters believe in luck. They believe they have the gift of an acute sixth sense, that they can all the time 'feel and smell' the winners. Simply, they are basing on hunches. Yes, hunches do win games, once in a while, but be realistic, how long can hunches win?
There are dedicated punters who make the extra efforts to study, analyze and get knowledge, and then have good 'feel' for a inevitable game. This 'feel' is not 'luck'. It comes from the belief they have from the extra efforts they put in.
There is a saying that knowledge, diligence, discipline, patience and luck are the five jewels of success. When you have perfected the first four, the fifth, which is luck, will show itself. Some population reconsider luck the output of hard work.
Y - Yield
Many punters feel that any yield from their soccer speculation at the end of the year which is better than putting the money in the bank is already an achievement. If you are looking for instant fortune, try the lottery.
Z - Zero in on your dreams
If you have followed the above A till Y, I am inevitable you have joined the elite group of punting winners.
So what makes a punter profitable and successful?
Simply, he aims to make money in his betting business in the long run. He does not want to win only from one match, or from one betting day, or from one betting weekend. His desire is to win at the end of the soccer season. He will all the time be mindful that he must remain solvent. Cash is his King, Queen, Prince and Princess. Period. Without cash, he is out of business, and without a opening to make a comeback.
Conclusion
I hope the above A To Z Journey To Victory is helpful enough to be added to your betting game plan. So let us clean out our 2009 betting closet. Let us address all that is not working in 2009, and move on to a profitable 2010 in our betting business.
You can also generate your own A to Z betting finishing line, but do stick to it with optimism all the way in 2010.
Now, let us all find our niche in our football betting in 2010.
Have a profitable betting year ahead.
