Matched Betting: A Diary

Chapter 43 - 188bet

2012-04-23T11:56:00.003+01:00

188bet were doing a risk-free offer of £25. However, I had trouble depositing money and accidently ended up depositing £50 rather than £35.

I bet £25 that the correct score in the match between Sporting Lisbon and FC Metalist Kharkiv would be 1-2 at odds of 15 and placed a lay of £20.65 against a 3-2 score at odds of 17. Thankfully I lost this bet so received a payout of £19.64, leaving me with a loss of £5.36. Poor effort...

I then contacted 188bet about withdrawing the remaining £25 of my own money but was told that I must bet it before withdrawing it. I bet £25 that the correct score in the match between Schalke and Athletic Bilbao would be 2-2 at odds of 15, and placed a lay of £25.08 against a 2-2- result at odds of 15. However, I won this bet so received a payout of £375.00 at 188bet but paid out a liability of £351.12 at Betfair, leaving me with a small loss of £1.12.

I then received a £25 refund into my account. I bet £25 that the correct score in the match between Chesterfield and Wycombe Wanderers would be 2-2 at odds of 15 and placed a lay of £25.77 against a 2-2 score at odds of 14.5. I lost this bet so received a payout of £24.51 at Betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £24.51 - £5.36 - £1.12 = £18.03

Overall profit: £704.61 + £18.03 = £722.64

Chapter 42 - 888sport M

2012-04-20T14:26:00.000+01:00

888sport were doing a small mobile offer where they would give you a free bet of £5 for a mobile deposit of £10.

I deposited and bet £10 that Malaga would beat Rayo Vallecano at odds of 1.73 and placed a lay of £10.30 against Malaga at odds of 1.73. I won this bet so recieved £17.27 at 888sport but paid out a liability of £7.52 at Betfair, leaving me with a small loss of £0.25.

My account was then credited with a free bet of £5. I bet £5 that the correct score in the match between Manchester United and QPR would be 2-1 at odds of 11 and placed a lay of £4.57 against a 2-1 result at odds of 11. I lost this bet so received a payout of £4.35 at Betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £4.35 - £0.25 = £4.10

Overall profit: £700.51 + £4.10 = £704.61

Chapter 41 - Betsson

2012-04-15T12:15:00.000+01:00

Betsson were doing an offer where I received a 50% deposit bonus of up to £25. However, the rules stated that I must rollover the deposit and the bonus 10 times - I aimed to avoid this! Tough challenge!!

For my first bet I bet £20 that the HT/FT result in the match between Tottenham and Stoke would be Stoke/Tottenham at odds of 24 and placed a lay of £18.42 against Stoke/Tottenham at odds of 30. Somewhat risky as I was overlaying. Thankfully I lost this bet so received a payout of £17.52 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £2.48.

My next move was to bet £20 that the HT/FT result in the match between Chelsea and Tottenham would be Tottenham/Chelsea at odds of 27 and to place a lay of £20 against Tottenham/Chelsea at odds of 28. Again, slightly risky since I was overlaying. Thankfully I lost this bet so received a payout of £19.02 at Betfair, leaving me with a small loss of £0.98.

I then bet £10 that the correct score in the match between Tottenham and Bolton would be 3-2 at odds of 35 and placed a lay of £10.95 against a 3-2 score at odds of 32. I lost this bet - and since the odds had been so good I received a payout of £10.41 from Betfair which gave me a (small) profit of £0.41. Decent!

I was now onto betting with the free money. I bet £14 that the correct score in the match between Sheffield United and Chesterfield would be 3-2 at odds of 29 and placed a lay of £13.09 against a 3-2 result at odds of 30. I lost this bet so receied a payout of £12.38 at Betfair.

My final bet was to bet £11 that the correct score in the match between Bayern Munich and Marseilles would be 3-2 at odds of 40 and to place a lay of £12.64 against a 3-2 result at odds of 34. Thankfully I lost this bet, and thanks to the brilliant odds I stumbled across I received a payout of £12.01 from an £11 bet. Good to end on a high note!

Profit from this chapter: £12.38 + £12.01 + £0.41 - £2.48 - £0.98 = £21.34

Overall profit: £679.17 + £21.34 = £700.51

Chapter 40 - Blue Square Reload Bonus

2012-04-09T01:36:00.000+01:00

I received an email from Blue Square informing me that they had credited my account with a free £3.

I used this free £3 to bet that the correct score in the match between Burnley FC and Birmingham City FC would be 2-2 at odds of 15.0 and placed a lay of £2.55 against a 2-2 result at odds of 16.5. I lost this bet so received a payout of £2.42 at Betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £2.42

Overall profit: £676.75 + £2.42 = £679.17

Chapter 39 - Bet365 Moblie

2012-04-06T13:05:00.000+01:00

Bet365 were doing a nice mobile bet where they would give you a free bet up to £50.

I deposited and bet £50 that there would be less than 2.5 goals in the game between Rangers and Dundee United at odds of 2.15, and placed a lay of £50.95 against there being under 2.5 goals at odds of 2.16. Thankfully I lost this bet so received a payout of £48.45 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £1.55.

I then used the free £50 to bet that Near The Water would win at the Fontwell races at odds of 9.0. I then placed a lay of £50.28 against Near The Water at odds of 9.0. I lost this bet so received a payout of £47.77 at Betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £47.77 - £1.55 = £46.22

Overall profit: £630.53 + £46.22 = £676.75

Chapter 38 - Betfred

2012-04-04T11:31:00.000+01:00

Betfred were doing an offer where they would give you a 100% bonus up to £50.

I deposited and bet £50 that Wycombe would beat Exeter at odds of 3.0 and placed a lay of £49.18 against Wycombe at odds of 3.1. I won this bet so won £150 at Betfred but paid out a liability of £103.28 at Betfair, leaing me with a loss of £3.28.

My account was then credited with a free bet of £50. I bet £15.50 that Un Ami would win at the Chepstow races at odds of 9.0 and placed a lay of £14.17 against Un Ami at odds of 8.8. I lost this bet so receied a payout of £13.48 at Betfair.

With the remaining £34.50 of free balance I bet that Blackburn would beat Manchester United at odds of 8.5 and placed a lay of £28.91 against Blackburn at odds of 9.0. I lost this bet so received a payout of £27.46 at Betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £13.48 + £27.46 - £3.28 = £37.66

Overall profit: £592.87 + £37.66 = £630.53

Chapter 37 - March summary

2012-04-02T16:20:00.001+01:00

Haven't been dedicating much time to matched betting this month. However the big bets at Bet365 and Coral really helped boost my profits.

Overall profit (January): 192.02

Overall profit (February): £201.31

Overall profit (March): £199.54

Not too shabby!

Overall profit: £592.87

Chapter 36 - Coral

2012-03-28T00:36:00.000+01:00

Coral were doing an offer where they would give a 100% bonus up to £50.

I deposited and bet £50 that Stevenage would beat Colchester at odd of 2.0 and placed a lay of £51.28 against Stevenage at odds of 2.0. I lost this bet so receied a payout of £48.77 at Betfair - a loss of £1.23.

I then received a £50 free bet. I bet £50 that the score in the match between Portsmouth and Hull would be 0-0 at odds of 9.0 and placed a lay of £42.78 against a 0-0 draw at odds of 9.4. I lost this bet so received a payout of £40.68 at Betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £40.68 - £1.23 = £39.45

Slightly less that I had hoped I would get from a £50 free bet.

Profit so far: £553.42 + £39.45 = £592.87

Chapter 35 - Bet365

2012-03-10T19:21:00.024+00:00

Bet365 were doing a rather juicy offer where they would give you a 100% refund up to £200.

I deposited £200 and my account was credited with a free bonus of £200. I bet £100 that the match between Bologna and Fiorentina would result in a draw at odds of 3.2 and placed a lay of £98.46 against a draw at odds of 3.3. I lost this bet so lost my £100 at Bet365 but received a payout of £93.54 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £6.46.

My next move was to place a £50 bet that the correct score in the match between Marseilles and Inter Milan would be 0-0 at odds of 9.0. However, I became confused as to whether the bets at Bet365 were SR or NSR. In the end I placed a lay of £44 against a 0-0 score at odds of 9.6. I lost this bet so lost my £50 at Bet365, but received a payout of £41.80 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £8.20. This indicated that the bet was SR.

I next placed a £20 bet that at half-time the match between Club Brugge and Hanover would be in a draw at odds of 2.25, and placed a lay of £20 against a half-time draw at odds of 2.3. I lost this bet so lost my £20 at Bet365, but received a payout of £19 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £1.

My final qualifying bet was to bet £30 that Rangers would beat Inverness CT at odds of 1.8 and to place a lay of £30 against Rangers at odds of 1.85. Alas I won this bet, so I won £54 at Bet365 but paid out a liability of £25.50 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £1.50. This meant that in order to avoid a rollover I would have to bet £54 again.

To avoid said rollover I bet £54 that the match between England and Holland would result in a draw at odds of 3.25, and placed a lay of £52.39 against the draw at odds of 3.4. I lost this bet so lost my money at Bet365, but received a payout of £49.82 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £4.18.

I then moved on to betting with the free £200, with the aim of losing at Bet365 so I wouldn't have to rollover any money. My first move was to bet £50 that Mr Knightley would win at the Lingfield races at odds of 8.0 and to place a lay of £49.08 against Mr Knightley at odds of 8.2. I lost this bet so received a payout of £46.68 at Betfair.

My next bet was to bet £20 that Handy Andy would win at the Newbury races at odds of 8.0 and to place a lay of £45.71 against Handy Andy at odds of 8.8. However, I won this bet!! Not happy. I won £400 at Bet365 but paid out a liability of £355.94 at Betfair, leaving me with a profit of £44.06.

My third free bet was to bet £50 that Easement would win at the Sedgefield races at odds of 11.0 and to place a lay of £52.63 against Sedgefield winning at odds of 10.5. I lost this bet so received a payout of £50.05 at Betfair.

My fourth free bet was to bet £50 that Old Pride would win at the Leopardstown races at odds of 11.0 and to place a lay of £50.23 against Old Pride winning at odds of 11.0. I lost this bet so received a payout of £47.77 at Betfair.

I was then left with £400 in my Bet365 account which I could not withdraw so had to bet with to fulfill the rollover requirements. my next move was to bet £200 that Chelsea would beat Birmingham at odds of 1.8 and to underlay by placing a lay of £194 against Chelsea at odds of 1.84. I won this bet so won £360 at Bet365 but paid out a liability of £162.96 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £2.96.

I next bet £100 that AC Milan would beat Arsenal at odds of 3.4 and placed a lay of £ against AC Milan at odds of . I lost this bet so lost my £100 at Bet365 - however, I only won £76.08 at Betfair - a loss of £23.92. Fucked this one up SO badly!!

I next bet £100 that Stenhousemuir would beat Stirling at odds of 1.8 and placed a lay of £62.74 against Stenhousemuir at odds of 1.85 and a lay of £32.50 against Stenhousemuir at odds of 1.86. I won this bet so won £180 at Bet365, but paid out a liability of £81.28 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £1.28.

My next bet was to bet £100 that there would be under 2.5 goals in the game between Bolton and QPR at odds of 1.95 and to place a lay of £100 against there being under 2.5 goals at odds of 2.0. I lost this bet so received a payout of £95.10 at Betfair - a loss of £4.90.

I then bet £100 that there would be more than 2.5 goals in the game between Manchester United and West Brom at odds of 1.57 and placed lay of £100 against more than 2.5 goals at odds of 1.61. Just my luck - I lost this bet so received a payout of £95.10 at Betfair, leaving me wih a loss of £4.90...

I then bet £100 that Manchester United would be winning at half-time in their match with West Brom at odds of 1.72 and placed a lay of £94 against Machester United winning at half-time at odds of 1.79. Thankfully I won this bet so won £172.73 at Bet365 and paid out £74.26 at Betfair. This left me with a loss of £1.53 - much better!

My final bet was to bet £46 that Manchester City would beat Swansea at odds of 1.61 and to place a lay of £43.47 against Manchester City at odds of 1.68. Tragedy. I lost this bet, resulting in a payout of £41.34 at Betfair and a loss of £4.66.

Profit from this chapter: £46.68 + £44.06 + £50.05 + £ 47.77 - £6.46 - £8.20 - £1.00 - £1.50 - £4.18 - £2.96 - £23.92 - £1.28 - £4.90 - £4.90 - £1.53 - £4.66 = £123.07

Very poor from a £200 free bet. Dissapointing, to say the least.

Overall profit: £430.35 + 123.07 = £553.42

Chapter 34 - Unibet

2012-03-09T23:42:00.000+00:00

I next signed up to Unibet who were doing a risk free offer of £20.

I deposited and bet £20 that the score in the match between Paraguay and Panama would be 3-0 at odds of 9.25, and placed a lay of £18.44 against a 3-0 score at odds of 9.0. I lost this bet so lost my £20 at Unibet, but received a payout of £17.54 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £2.46.

I then received a free bet of £20. I bet £20 that ESTAC Troyes would beat Tours at odds of 3.45 and placed a lay of £19.43 against ESTAC Troyes at odds of 3.55. I won this bet so won £69 at Unibet but paid out a liability of £49.55 at Betfair, leaving me with a profit of £19.45.

However, before I could make a withdrawal I had to rollover the bonus amount (£20). I therefore bet £20 that the correct score in the match between Juventus and Chievo would be 2-0 at odds of 6.0 and placed a lay of £19.51 against a 2-0 score at odds of 6.2. Thankfully I lost this bet so received a payout of £18.55 at Betfair, leaving me with an overall loss of £1.45.

Profit for this chapter: £19.45 - £2.46 - £1.45 = £15.54

Overall profit: £414.81 + £15.54 = £430.35

Chapter 33 - Expekt

2012-03-02T15:21:00.000+00:00

Another bet I did was with the bookie Expekt. They were offering to give me a free bet of £50 once I'd deposited and bet £100.

I started off my depositing £100. However, when using my (debit!) card I noticed that Expekt charged a 2.5% fee - this meant that to deposit £100 I had to deposit £102.50 - a small loss of £2.50.

For my qualifying bet I bet £100 that Shrewsbury would beat Hereford at odds of 2.10, and placed a lay of £100.48 against Shrewsbury at odds of 2.14. I won this bet so won £210.00 at Expekt but paid out a liability of £114.49 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £4.49.
My account was next credited with a bonus of £50. I tried to bet £50 that the correct score in the match between Internacional and Juan Aurich would be 1-0 at odds of 7.0 - however, Expekt only matched my bet to £35 and left £15 pending for consideration. To balance out the £35 that had been matched I placed a lay of £34.27 against a 1-0 score at odds of 7.2. I did this because the figures generated by Expekt indicated that the bonus was SR. Expekt did not match the remaining £15 from the free bonus. I lost this bet so received a payout of £32.56 at Betfair.

I still had £15 from the free bonus left. I bet £15 that the correct score in the match between Villarreal and Granada would be 0-0 at odds of 11.0 and placed a lay of £14.41 against a 0-0 score at odds of 11.5. I lost this bet so received a payout of £13.69 at Betfair.

However, the terms and conditions of the promotion at Expekt required me to roll over the bonus. I tried to place a £50 bet but Expekt could only match it to £14 - I therefore placed a £14 bet that the correct score in the match between Bologna and Fiorentina would be 0-0 at odds of 8.0 and placed a lay of £13.41 against a 0-0 score at odds of 8.4. I lost this bet so lost my £14 at Expekt, but received a payout of £12.74 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £1.26.

I then placed a bet of £36 that FC Basel would beat Bayern Munich at odds of 6.5 and placed a lay of £34.67 against FC Basel at odds of 6.8. Alas, I won this bet so won £234 at Expekt - however, I paid out a liability of £201.09. This left me with an overall loss of £3.09.

However, I still had to rollover more money! I bet £200 that Leicester would beat Derby at odds of 2.15 and placed a lay of £200 against Leicester at odds of 2.2. I won this bet so won £430 at Expekt - however, I paid out a liability of £240 at Betfair, leaving me with an overall loss of £10. Not pleased.

My next bet was to bet £100 that Leeds would beat Portsmouth at odds of 2.35 - but Expekt would only match my bet to £5! I placed a lay of £5.09 against Leeds at odds of 2.36. I lost this bet so lost my £5 at Expekt, but received a payout of £4.84 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.16.

I then bet £95 that Dundee Utd would beat Hearts at odds of 3.1 and placed a lay of £96.56 against Dundee Utd at odds of 3.1. I won this bet so won £294.50 at Expekt - however I paid out a liability of £202.77 at Betfair. This left me with an overall loss of £3.27.

Profit from this chapter: £32.56 + £13.69 - £4.49 - £2.50 - £1.26 - £3.09 - £10.00 - £0.16 - £3.27 = £21.48

Very dissapointing!!

Overall profit: £393.33 + £21.48 = £414.81

Chapter 32 - February summary

2012-02-29T22:36:00.000+00:00

Haven't had as much time this month for matched betting, what with university restarting, refreshers week being messy, and my five-day mini-holiday. Am hoping to dedicate more time to it in March...

Overall profit (January): 192.02

Overall profit (February): £201.31

Not bad at all. Almost funded my little holiday too!

Overall profit: £393.33

Chapter 31 - Bwin

2012-02-26T15:14:00.000+00:00

Bwin were doing a nice offer where you bet £25 and get a £25 free bet.

I deposited and bet £25 that Blackburn would beat QPR at odds of 2.4 and placed a lay of £24.69 against Blackburn at odds of 2.48. I won this bet so won £60.00 at Bwin, but paid out a liability of £36.54 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £1.54.

My account was immediately credited with a free bet of £25. I bet £25 that the correct score in the match between Sparta Prague and Slovacko would be 2-1 at odds of 9.5, and placed a lay of £23.87 against a score of 2-1 at odds of 10. I lost this bet so lost the free money at Bwin, but received a payout of £22.68 at Betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £22.68 - £1.54 = £21.14

Overall profit: £372.19 + £21.14 = £393.33

Chapter 30 - Bodog

2012-02-24T20:17:00.000+00:00

I then placed bets at Bodog where they would refund my first bet of £10 if it lost.

I deposited and bet £10 that the correct score in the match between Middlesborough and Sunderland would be 1-2 at odds of 9.0 and underlayed by placing a lay of £7.37 against a 1-2 score at odds of 10.5. I lost this bet so received a payout of £7.00 at Betfair, resulting in an overall loss of £3.00.

My account was then deposited with a bonus of £10. I bet £10 that Aston Villa would beat Manchester City at odds of 5.5 and placed a lay of £9.91 against Aston Villa at odds of 5.6. I lost this bet so received a payout of £9.41 at Betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £9.41 - £3.00 = £6.41

Overall profit: £365.78 + £6.41 = £372.19

Chapter 29 - Betinternet

2012-02-22T13:00:00.000+00:00

Betinternet were doing a nice offer where they would refund 50% of your first bet up to a maximum of £25.

I deposited and bet £50 that at half-time there would be a draw in the match between Sakaryaspor and Boluspor at odds of 2.2 and placed a lay of £52.13 against a draw at half-time at odds of 2.16. I lost this bet so lost £50 at Betinternet but gained £49.52 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.48.

I then received a £25 free bet. I bet £25 that Nacional Montevideo would beat Vasco da Gama at odds of 8.5 and placed a lay of £21.43 against Nacional Montevideo at odds of 8.8. I won this bet so won £187.50 at Betinternet but paid out a liability of £165.89 at Betfair, leaving me with a profit of £21.61.

Profit from this chapter: £21.61 - £0.48 = 21.13

Overall profit: £344.65 + £21.13 = £365.78

Chapter 28 - Bet 770 Bonus

2012-02-20T14:48:00.000+00:00

I received an email (and a phonecall) from Bet 770 asking me to confirm my identity. I did so, and they gave me a free bet of £30. However, no matter how much searching I did I could not confirm whether this free bet was a SR or a NSR bet.

I decided to play it safe by splitting them £30 into smaller bets. I bet £10 that the correct score in the match between Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea would be 1-0 at odds of 6.5. The bet confirmation slip on Bet 770 stated that the returns from this bet would be £65 - this would mean that the bet was a SR return. Hoping that the bet was indeed a SR bet I placed a lay of £10.24 against a 1-0 score at odds of 6.4. I lost this bet so received a payout of £9.73 at Betfair. I thus concluded that the extra bonus at Bet 770 is SR.

With the £20 remaining I bet £20 that the correct score in the match between Panetolikos and Doxa Dramas FC would be 1-0 at odds of 5.5 and placed a lay of £19.47 at odds of 5.7. I lost this bet so received a payout of £18.50 at Betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £9.73 + £18.50 = £28.23

Overall profit: £316.42 + £28.23 = £344.65

Chapter 27 - 888sport (Stage 10)

2012-02-18T16:28:00.000+00:00

On to the final round of the 888sport offer!

For my first qualifying bet I bet £10 that AFC Wimbledon would beat Aldershot Town at odds of 2.3 and placed a lay of £10.31 against AFC Wimbledon at odds of 2.27. I lost this bet so lost £10 at 888sport but gained £9.79 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.21.

For my second bet I bet £10 that Basingstoke Town would beat Farnborough at odds of 2.3 and placed a lay of £10.31 against Basingstoke Town at odds of 2.28. I lost this bet so lost £10 at 888sport but gained £9.79 at Betfair - a loss of £0.21.

For my third bet I bet £10 that Leicester City would beat Middleborough at odds of 2.0 and placed a lay of £10.47 against Leicester City at odds of 1.96. I lost this bet so received a payout of £9.95 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.05.

For my fourth and final qualifying bet I bet £10 that AC Milan would beat Lazio at odds of 2.3 and placed a lay of £10.31 against AC Milan at odds of 2.28. I lost this bet so received a payout of £9.79 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.21.

My account was then credited with a free bet of £10. I bet £10 that the correct score between Osnabruck and Rot-Weiss Erfurt would be 1-0 at odds of 8.0 and placed a lay of £8.81 against a 1-0 score at odds of 8.0. I lost this bet so received a payout of £8.37 at Betfair.

Profit for this chapter: £8.37 - £0.21 - £0.21 - £0.05 - £0.21 = £7.69

Overall profit: £308.73 + £7.69 = £316.42

Chapter 26 - 888sport (Stage 9)

2012-02-15T19:42:00.000+00:00

On to the next stage of the 888sport offer.

For my first qualifying bet I bet £10 that Valencia would beat Levante at odds of 2.2 and placed a lay of £10.14 against Valencia at odds of 2.22. I won this bet so won £22 at 888sport but paid out a liability of £12.37 at Betfair, leaving me with an overall loss of £0.37.

For my second bet I bet £10 that Guinea would be winning at half-time in the Botswana v Guinea match at odds of 2.8 and placed a lay of £10.26 against Guinea winning at half-time at odds of 2.78. I won this bet so won £28.00 at 888sport but paid out a liability of £18.27 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.27.

For my third bet I bet £10 that Leyton Orient would beat Colchester United at odds of 2.2 and placed a lay of £10.14 against Leyton Orient at odds of 2.22. I lost this bet so received a payout of £9.63 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.37.

For my fourth bet I bet £10 that Huddersfield Town would beat Tranmere Rovers ar odds of 2.0 and placed a lay of £10.36 against Huddersfield at odds of 1.98. I lost this bet so lost £10 at 888sport but gained £9.84 at Betfair - a loss of £0.16.

I then received a free bet of £10. I bet £10 that the correct score in the match between Valencia and Barcelona would be 1-1 at odds of 8.5 and placed a lay of £8.77 against a 1-1 result at odds of 8.6. I won this bet so received £75 at 888sport but paid out a liability of £66.65 at Betfair, leaving me with a profit of £8.35.

Profit from this chapter: £8.35 - £0.37 - £0.27 - £0.37 - £0.16 = £7.18

Overall profit: £301.55 + £7.18 = £308.73

Chapter 25 - 888sport Special Offer

2012-02-12T14:45:00.000+00:00

888sport were doing a special offer - bet £5 on who would score next in the match between Liverpool and Man City while it was in play and get a free bet of £5. However, it was slightly risky as I could not find a market for who would score next on Betfair.

I decided to take up this offer anyway (probably not my wisest of decisions but hey). I chose the player with the lowest odds (Edin Dzeko, at odds of 6.5) and bet £5 of my own money that he would score next. Alas he did not score next! So I lost £5. Upsetting.

My account, however, was credited with a free bet of £5. Realising that I had screwed this whole offer up, I tried to minimize my losses by using the free bet to bet that the HT/FT result in the game between Swansea and Chelsea would be Swansea/Swansea at odds of 10.0. I placed a lay of £4.62 against a HT/FT result of Swansea/Swansea at odds of 9.8. I lost this bet so received a payout of £4.39 at betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £4.39 - £5 = - £0.61

Overall profit: £302.16 - £0.61 = £301.55

Chapter 24 - Bet 770

2012-02-09T10:42:00.000+00:00

Bet 770 did a good offer where you deposit and bet £70 and if your bet loses, they give you a refund of £70.

For my £70 bet, I bet that Real Madrid would beat Barcelona at odds of 5.1. I then tried underlaying and placed a lay of £59.78 against Real Madrid at odds of 5.6. I used trickybet to work out that if Real Madrid won then I would lose £13.21 but receive a free bet of £70, but if they were to win then I would receive £12.01. Thankfully the match ended in a 2-2 draw so I lost my £70 at Bet 770 but received a payout of £56.79 at Betfair. This left me with an overall loss of £13.21. Not ideal, but at least I was prepared in case I did lose the bet.

My account was next credited with £70 as a refund. My aim was to bet this £70 in a way that I made the smallest loss possible, but at the same time bet it on odds I would most likely lose (or otherwise I would have to roll over the money). I was also limited by my funds in the betting exchange. In the end I decided to bet this £70 on the match between Blackburn and Newcastle resulting in a draw at odds of 3.4. I placed a lay of £68.99 against the draw at odds of 3.5. Thankfully I lost this bet so received a payout of £65.54 at Betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £65.54 - £13.21 = £52.33

Overall profit: £249.83 + £52.33 = £302.16

Chapter 23 - Boylesports

2012-02-07T16:21:00.000+00:00

Boylesports were doing a nice offer where you deposit £20 and receive a free bet of £20.

For my qualifying bet I bet £20 that Norwich would beat West Brom at odds of 3.9 and placed a lay of £20.26 against Norwich at odds of 3.9. I won this bet so won £78.00 at Boylesports but paid out a liability of £58.66 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.66.

My account was then credited with a free bet of £20. After a good few days of trying (and failing) to find decent bets to bet on at Boylesports I gave up and placed a bet on the best bet I could find at a given moment. I bet the free £20 that Bianca di Medici would win at the Kempton races at odds of 8 and tried to place a lay at odds of 8.4 but disaster - Betfair couldn't match my bet and the odds for the lay had shot up to 9. I waited for a while in the hope that the odds would go back down but they only went up. Grudgingly, I placed a lay of £15.30 at odds of 9.2. I lost the bet so lost the free money at Boylesports but gained £14.53 at Betfair.

Profit for this chapter: £14.53 - £0.66 = £13.87

Dissapointing to only receive £13.87 from a £20 free bet.

Overall profit: £235.96 + £13.87 = £249.83

Chapter 22 - 888sport (Stage 8)

2012-02-05T17:46:00.000+00:00

Continuing with the offer at 888sport...

For my first qualifying bet of £10 I bet that at half-time in the match between Notts County and Preston North End there would be a draw at odds of 2.37, and placed a lay of £10 against a half-time draw at odds of 2.42. I won this bet so won £23.75 at 888sport but paid out a liability of £14.07, leaving me with an overall loss of £0.32.

For my second bet I bet £10 that Tamworth would beat Ebsfleet Utd at odds of 3.25, and placed a lay of £10 against Tamworth at odds of 3.3. I lost this bet so lost £10 at 888sport but gained £9.50 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.50.

For my third bet I bet £10 that Chievo would beat Siena at odds of 2.37 and placed a lay of £10.17 against Chievo at odds of 2.38. I lost this bet so lost my £10 at 888sport but gained £9.66 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.34.

For my fourth bet I bet £10 that Lierse would beat Cercle Brugge at odds of 2.4 and placed a lay of £10.30 against Lierse at odds of 2.38. I lost this bet so lost £10 at 888sport but gained £9.78 at Betfair - a loss of £0.22.

I then received my free £10 bet. I bet £10 that By Implication would win at the Kempton races at odds of 9.0 and placed a lay of £9.36 against By Implication at odds of 8.6. I lost this bet so received a payout of £8.89 at Betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £8.89 - £0.32 - £0.50 - £0.34 - £0.22 = £7.51

Overall profit: £228.45 + £7.51 = £235.96

Chapter 21 - 888sport (Stage 7)

2012-02-04T23:48:00.000+00:00

On to the next stage of the 888sport offer.

For my first qualfying bet I bet £10 that Reading would beat Hull at odds of 2.0, and placed a lay of £9.95 against Reading at odds of 2.06. I lost this bet so lost £10 at 888sport but gained £9.45 at Betfair, leaving me with an overall loss of £0.55.

For the second bet I headed over to the cricket market. I bet £10 that England would beat Pakistan at odds of 3.0 and placed a lay of £10.17 against England at odds of 3.0. I lost this bet so lost my £10 at 888sport but gained £9.66 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.34.

For my third bet I bet £10 that Inverness CT would beat Dunfermline at odds of 2.10 and placed a lay of £9.95 against Inverness CT at odds of 2.16. I lost this bet so lost my £10 at 888sport but gained £9.45 at Betfair - a loss of £0.55.

For my fourth and final qualifying bet I bet £10 that Athletic Bilbao would beat Rayo Vallecano at odds of 2.5 and placed a lay of £10.20 against Athletic Bilbao at odds of 2.5. I won this bet so won £25 at 888sport but paid out a liability of £15.30 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.30.
I then received a free bet of £10. I bet £10 that Meet Joe Black would win at the Kempton races at odds of 13. I tried to place a lay of £8.92 against Meet Joe Black at odds of 13.5 but Betfair matched it to odds of 13. Not a disaster though - I lost the bet so received a payout of £8.47 at Betfair.

Profit from this chapter: £8.47 - £0.55 - £0.34 - £0.55 - £0.30 = £6.73

Overall profit: £221.72 + £6.73 = £228.45

Chapter 20 - Stan James (Round 5)

2012-02-02T03:04:00.001+00:00

The final round of the Stan James offer was that they would give me a free bet matching the average of my next 5 bets, up to a maximum of £50.

For the first bet I bet £90 that Fulham would beat Blackburn at odds of 2.6, and placed a lay of £93.98 against Fulham at odds of 2.54. Fulham did not beat Blackburn, so I lost my £90 at Stan James but gained £89.20 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.72.

For the second bet I bet £80 that Pescara would beat Verona at odds of 2.05 and placed a lay of £82.41 against Pescara at odds of 2.04. Pescara won indeed, so I won £164 at Stan James but paid out a liability of £85.71 at Betfair. This left me with a loss of £1.71.

However, MAJOR DISASTER! I tried placing some bets and noticed that Stan James was unable to match them fully. Slightly worried, I checked my email and found an email from Stan James letting me know that following a review of my account, they would no longer be able to offer me the best odds. Upsetting!

Downhearted, I placed a third bet. I tried to bet £20 that Chesterfield would beat Oldham at odds of 2.6 but Stan James could only match this to £15.50. I accepted this, and headed over to Betfair where I placed a lay of £15.32 against Chesterfield at odds of 2.68. Chesterfield did end up winning the match so I won £40.30 at Stan James. However, I paid out liability of £25.67 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.87.

For the fourth bet I tried to bet £20 that the match between Dundee and Kilmarnock would result in a draw at odds of 3.6, but Stan James could only match this to £13. I accepted this, and placed a lay of £13.18 against the draw at odds of 3.6. The game did not end up in a draw so I lost my £13 at Stan James but received a payout of £12.52 at Betfaor, leaving me with a loss of £0.48.

For the fifth and final qualifying bet I tried to bet £51.50 that Marajaa would win the race at Kempton at 16:55 on 18/01/2012 at odds of 2.25. However, Stan James could only match this to £15.50 so I accepted and placed a lay of £15.78 against Marajaa at odds of 2.26. Marajaa did not win so I lost my £15.50 at Betfair but received a payout of £14.99 at Betfair, leaving me with a loss of £0.51.

My account was then credited with a free bet of £42.50. I tried to place a bet of £42.50 on various football matches with good odds but the highest I could get my choice matched to was only £4.00! I ended up placing a £4 bet on the game between Wolves and Aston Villa ending up with a score of 0-0 at odds of 11, and placing a lay of £3.65 against a 0-0 score at odds of also 11. I lost this bet so received a payout of £3.47 at Betfair. Better than nothing, I guess...

I next managed to get Stan James to match my bet of a 0-0 score between Morocca and Tunisia to £4.25 at odds of 8.0. I placed a lay of £4.16 against a 0-0 score at odds of 7.2. Tunisia won the match 1-2 so I lost the free money at Stan James but received a payout of £3.95 at Betfair.

Next I placed a bet of £3.30 that the score between Mali and Guinea would be 0-0 at odds of 10 and placed a lay of £3.18 against a 0-0 score at odds of 9.4. I lost this bet so I received a payout of £3.02 at Betfair.

I then placed a bet of £2.55 that Arctic Ben would win at the Warwick races at odds of 11, and placed a lay of £2.23 against Arctic Ben winnng at odds of 11.5. I won this bet (surprisingly!) so won £25.50 at Stan James, but paid out a liability of £23.42 at Betfair, leaving me with a profit of £2.08.

Finally, I found a bet which would let me bet a decent amount of money! The drawback however was the not-so-great odds... I placed a bet of £12.50 on Bristol City beating Reading at odds of 5.0 and placed a lay of £9.90 against Bristol City at odds of 5.1. I lost this bet so received a payout of £9.40 at Betfair.

I then managed to place a bet of £7.10 on Watford beating Tottenham at odds of 8.0 and placed a lay of £5.81 against Watford at odds of 8.6. I lost this bet so received a payout of £5.52 at Betfair.

I placed a £8.70 bet on Northampton beating Torquay at odds of 5.0 and placed a lay of £6.89 against Northampton winning at odds of 5.1. I lost this bet so received a payout of £6.55 at Betfair.

This meant that I had £0.40 left from my free bet. I found a bet I liked the look of and bet £0.40 at Stan James that Aiteen Thirtythree would win at the Doncaster races at odds of 9.0. I went to place a lay at Betfair but alas, the minimum lay possible at Betfair is £2. I forgot about that. I decided that £0.40 is not too great a loss so didn't bother laying the bet. I lost this bet so lost nothing.

Profit from this chapter: £3.46 + £3.95 + £3.02 +£2.08 + £9.40 + £5.52 +£6.55 - £0.72 - £1.71 - £0.87 - £0.48 - £0.51 = £29.70

Disappointing to only receive £29.70 from what could have potentially have been at £50 free bet, but it's better than nothing!

Overall profit: £192.02 + £29.70 = £221.72

Chapter 19 - Miscellaneous bets & January summary

2012-01-31T18:14:00.001+00:00

Alas. I was a silly fool and tried placing a few non-matched bets on a few games here and there. The Gods were NOT on my side...

What can I say apart from that I managed to lose £30 through my silly behaviour.

I will try to update my blog as regularly as I can but I will be spending the next week on a remote island so I may not be able to place many bets. Thanks for following my blog through the last month though!

Overall profit (January): £222.02 - £30 = £192.02