Articles

Having already visited Venezuela, Brazil and Chile, I decided that my next far-flung trip would take me to Peru.

It was a country which I had never previously explored but I couldn’t wait to enjoy yet another adventure. I was planning to try some of the local delicacies such as Cuy, explore the Condors and of course, climb Machu Picchu.

I like to be different and I don’t just like following the well-worn path of fellow tourists, I like to immerse myself in the community and experience local life and I also have the tendency to form friendships with natives whilst also sampling some local ales with them.

After a 20-hour flight which required a change at London Heathrow, I finally arrived in Lima and immediately began to familiarise myself with my new surroundings. As I’m now retired, I was in no rush and has very few time constraints so I was planning a lengthy stay in Peru. I was here for at least three weeks.

With planned trips to Cusco and Arequipa, I couldn’t wait to see more of this beautiful country but first…I desperately needed a beer.

As I made my way towards the local hostelries, I couldn’t help but notice a number of betting shops and naturally, I was drawn towards them. BetCris was a name that I had heard before and although I was still overwhelmingly parched, I decided to take a detour and head into one of their shops to find out more. The Casino Atlantic City shop In Mirflores was inviting and brightly lit and despite it only being around 1pm in the afternoon, it was noticeably busy. I had walked past a number of smaller shops en-route but this particular establishment was spacious, modern and hugely exciting. The hustle and bustle of a Peruvian betting shop wasn’t much different to what I was used to experiencing in Europe and there was a litany of screens showing various sporting events ranging from ATP Tour tennis through to the Argentinian Superliga with the Boca Juniors match attracting a fair amount of interest from the in-shop punters.

Luckily I had learnt a number of languages at college and as well as being fluent in French, my Spanish, although a little rusty, was at a decent standard and I attempted to make some conversation with the locals. One of the shop regulars, Nolberto was happy to chat to me and was intrigued about life in Europe. ‘Nobby’ told him me that he spends at least five days a week in this place and he loves having bets across a number of different sports. He extended the hand of friendship by fetching me a bottle of Pilsen Callao and we soon began to reminisce about some of our most successful wagers.

I was intrigued to hear about the range of different sports and markets that BetCris has to offer and I even placed a wager on the upcoming NBA match between the Raptors and the 76ers which was tipping off later this afternoon. I also discovered that Nolberto was a keen follower of the sport and we happily discussed the fascinating tussle at the top of the Eastern Conference. We could have chatted all day.

Nolberto explained that this particular BetCris shop was his favourite in Lima. He’d tried their other establishments but he found himself returning to this particular store. He also told me that he does have an online account with the company but he loves to socialise with his fellow bettors and as a 66-year old widower, it’s an excuse to get out of the house and fraternise with like-minded punters. However, he does have a number of close friends who only use BetCris for their wagering and they are regularly rewarded with bonuses and free bets.

After placing my NBA bet, I briefly conversed with the shop manager, who explained that BetCris are soon to be launching in Europe. After launching in 1985, they’ve taken the South American market by storm and will soon be expanding their product further. The manager, Miguel was a keen bettor himself and wanted to further question me about my love of NASCAR but alas, he had to return to serving customers and answering the queries of those who were trying to place their wagers on the afternoon’s racing.

Using the free Wi-Fi, I decided to log on to betcris.com and explore the different markets available. While I was doing this, Nolberto appeared with another bottle of Pilsen Callao and we spoke about some more upcoming sporting events. We discovered that we were both excited for the return of the MLB season and as we browsed the internet, we came across lots of prop bets and enticing money line options for the opening set of games. It was an enjoyable couple of hours and we were soon four-beers down before we knew it!

As an expert in online wagering, I was able to educate my new comrade on how to find value and where to find the best markets on betcris.com and we definitely bonded over our shared love of placing big bets.

As the sun started to set, I had to bid Nolberto a fond farewell but I did promise my new Peruvian pal that I would keep in touch and that I’d also sign up for a BetCris account upon my return. I didn’t need asking twice. I had to find my hotel and get my head down before my early-morning bus ride to Cusco. Once I’d reached my quarters for the night, I became distracted by the hotel bar where I was delighted to find that I was able to catch the final quarter of the NBA. I was soon celebrating as I watched my bet land in the final few moments. It would mean that I’d have to return to a BetCris store in order to collect his winnings but I was already planning a return trip to my new favourite betting shop, so that definitely would not be a problem.

Learn More about BETCRIS & their Sports Betting Benefits at the Best Bookmakers for Betting Big Section.

Squash has some origins in common with tennis, and the structure of the sport is similar, with individuals competing in a range of tournaments around the world. Unlike tennis, however, squash is relatively obscure, which is good news for the intelligent squash punter.

There is no shortage of squash tournaments to bet on. The World Squash Federation has been extremely active in trying to promote the sport, and there is a wide variety of tournaments, including world championships for men, women, juniors and seniors, in singles, doubles and team formats. The PSA World Series combines many of the most popular squash tournaments, including the Tournament of Champions, the British Open and the World Championship.

Getting an edge

Finding information on squash tournaments and players can be a challenge, but this is also the factor that can make squash betting a good betting medium. Bookmakers also struggle to get enough information and will often resort to pricing up markets based on available statistics. This means that there is an edge to be found for those prepared to do their homework.

The best place to start is to conduct a survey of the best online squash sites, assessing them for their level of information and the frequency with which they are updated. Make a list of the best sites and get into the habit of checking them regularly. Get to know all of the main players by searching the internet for nuggets of information, watch or read reports on as many matches as you can, and pay close attention to injury rumours. Spotting that a certain player is carrying an injury is one of the quickest and most effective ways to get an edge when betting on this physically demanding sport.

Shop around

When it comes to squash betting, not all bookmakers are equal. Some may offer only limited squash markets, while others will provide a better choice. Most importantly, not all bookmakers are as diligent or proficient in pricing up their markets. So, make sure that you shop around before making a bet and you may also find that you get a feel for which bookmakers are the most profitable to bet with.

Pick your market

The range of markets offered will vary according to which bookmaker you look at but in general, you will be able to bet pre-match on three markets: Match Result, Point Spread and Sum Of Points. The best place to start is with the win outright markets, but once you’ve got to know how the best players operate and how they approach certain types of games, it’s a good idea to study the points-related markets as these can offer more of an edge to the informed punter.

Consider going live

Betting in-play isn’t for everyone as it requires quick reactions and a solid, well-rehearsed strategy. But it does offer some advantages over betting on squash games pre-match. Firstly, the live betting markets will generally offer more choice, and will give you the chance to bet on a range of possibilities, including Set Winner, First To Nine Points, Handicap and Odds/Under bets. Bookmakers will also tend to offer higher betting limits on live markets, which will be an important consideration to you as you build up your squash betting expertise.

Conclusion

Squash betting is a niche area of sports betting, but as well as an exciting sports spectacle, it also offers the opportunity for the informed punter to profit. Most top squash players remain in the sport for many years, so once you know their strengths and weaknesses, you will have the foundation for long term squash betting success.

The sport of sailing is one of the oldest in the world, and for those prepared to put in the time, this uniquely exciting event can be a profitable betting medium.

Sailing is not a high-profile sport, and you won’t be able to get involved in as many markets as the average football punter. But the sport does feature one of the world’s most high-profile events: the Americas Cup. In fact, this is one of the world’s oldest sporting events, a thrilling contest between two rival sailing clubs, which is preceded by the America’s Cup World Series to choose the challenger to the America’s Cup holder. Sailing also makes the headlines during the Summer Olympics, the Vendee Globe and Ocean Race, and the World Sailing Championships.

All of these events will attract a large number of people who have rarely if ever bet on sailing before, which gives those who know the sport a natural edge.

Clubs and Sailors

Sailing is comparatively rare in that it is both a team and an individual sport. While individuals are the main focus of the sport, it is also important to know your racing clubs. The Americas Cup is contested by yachting clubs, and the best clubs will also be where many of the sport’s leading sailors learned their craft. By keeping a close eye on which clubs have the best reputation, you may be able to spot particularly talented new sailors before your rival punters.

Find the Best Bookie

As a sailing punter, unfortunately, you will find that there is a limited number of bookmakers who offer markets. But this can work to your advantage. Trying to compare the best odds on football or rugby game can take a long time, but with only a handful of bookmakers to choose from, you will soon be able to find the best price, and once you have regularly studied their markets, you will be able to get a feel for which bookmaker is adept at pricing up sailing events and which is prone to mistakes.

Know the Rules

There are few sports that are more technical than sailing. The rules associated with the technology of sailing are as complicated and ever-changing as motor racing, but if you’re going to profit from your sailing betting, you have to know the details. This means understanding the basic technology and techniques involved in every type of sailing, as well as keeping up to date with new equipment and new rules, and understanding how the handicapping system works. This means a fair amount of homework, but knowing this sport inside out will give you massive advantage as a punter.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that sailing represents a niche part of the betting world, but you don’t have to be a sailing enthusiast to make money from it. Simply by understanding how sailing works, gaining a knowledge of the rules and regulations, and getting to know the best sailors and their strengths and weaknesses, you will be way ahead of the average punter and in a position to turn sailing knowledge into profit.

Pesapallo could be described as the Finnish version of baseball, but it would be more accurate to say that it is a Finnish development of baseball.

It is a fast-moving, exciting game that requires a range of skills, including technique, strength and strategy, that has long since left the sport of baseball behind. And, more importantly, it offers plenty of opportunity for the shrewd punter to profit.

A specialist’s opportunity

The sport of pesapallo has its devotees, but the general knowledge about this sport among punters outside Finland is virtually non-existent, and this is where the opportunity comes in. Many bookmakers outside Finland will offer pesapallo markets, but almost all of the punters betting in those markets are likely to have only a basic knowledge of the sport, if that. In addition, with relatively little interest in the sport in most countries, bookmakers won’t be too concerned about getting their prices spot on. They may even be offering cramped margins in order to encourage punters to get involved.

Knowledge is the key to profit

In the more mainstream sports, having an in-depth understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the teams is only the foundation of a successful approach, but the relative obscurity of pesapallo means that this knowledge alone can give you an edge.

To begin with, make sure you fully understand the rules of the game. There are plenty of online resources available, and when you think you’ve grasped it, try watching a few pesapallo matches. It won’t take you long to get the hang of it, and the knowledge gained will be well worth the time you invest. When doing your homework on the leading teams and players, if you don’t speak Finnish, don’t let that deter you from visiting some of the dedicated forums and pesapallo pages. There are plenty of translation tools available online and taking the extra effort to translate this information can yield you valuable nuggets that will help with your pesapallo betting.

Focus on Finland

Pesapallo is played in a number of other countries, but the sport has its roots and biggest support in Finland, where the Superpesis league attracts big audiences for both its men’s and women’s incarnations. You will be able to find plenty of information on Superpesis, so it makes sense to focus your research on this area, rather than the even more obscure leagues in Canada and elsewhere.

Value in the Match Result markets

It is a commonplace of sports betting that if you want to find the most value (and as an intelligent punter, you obviously do) then the Match Results markets are not usually the best place to look, simply because those are the most popular markets.

But when it comes to pesapallo, your knowledge of the sport and the teams alone should be enough to give you an edge when betting outside Finland. Put your knowledge into effect by pricing up all of the games that you are considering a bet in, which will give you a feel for the market and sharpen your analytical skills. And where you can, try to watch footage of the game. This may not be easy to obtain, but it is another piece of research that will give you an edge over your competitors.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt that pesapallo is one of the most obscure sports that you can bet on, but this very obscurity is what makes it worth considering. If you take the time to get to know this rich and absorbing sport, you will enjoy a significant advantage over your fellow punters and will have the opportunity to turn that advantage into profit.

Bandy is one of those rare sports that presents betting opportunities by virtue of a lack of public knowledge.

An outdoor game played on ice, it has its origins in Victorian England, and remains extremely popular in sections of the world, particularly in Scandinavia.

A niche sport presents opportunities

If you’re a bandy fan, and have been following it all your life, you may not agree that bandy is a niche, or minor sport, but in this case, we are comparing it to globally higher profile sports such as football, golf or basketball. The fact remains that many punters have never heard of bandy, yet even in those countries where the sport is unknown, bookmakers will often feel obliged to offer bandy markets.

And it is for this reason that bandy offers opportunities for the shrewd punter. Ask any random punter to name the world’s best footballer, and they are likely to give you a shortlist. But the stars of bandy are almost entirely unknown. The punters you will be competing against in the bandy markets will be operating with a high degree of ignorance, while bookmakers in most countries won’t devote too much time or resource into fine-tuning their bandy prices.

Know your teams

Of course, you may also need to improve your own knowledge of the sport to bring it up to scratch before you start betting, but the game is relatively simple to follow and once you know the basics, you can move on to getting to know tactics, and then assessing the merits of the various teams. You could even try looking for bandy team ratings, which can give you a further advantage.

When researching the merits of bandy teams, it is a good idea to stick to one league or competition, particularly if you are relatively new to the sport. Whether that is the Swedish Elitserien or the Russian Yvsshaya Liga, you will find it easier to acquire a depth of knowledge if you focus your efforts.

Consider the handicaps

If you’ve done your homework, you should be in a strong position to make a profit from the main Match Winners markets on bandy fixtures, but it is often a good idea to check out the Handicap markets, which can offer an even bigger edge to the shrewd bandy punter.

Handicap betting can be particularly profitable for those who take the time to analyse how motivated each team is for a game. Identifying which is the stronger team in any game is relatively straightforward, but if you know how motivated they are, you are then in the position to assess how determined they will be to make their superiority count and overcome the stated handicap. Careful study of how a team performs when they are the strong favourites, as well as an understanding of which games they are particularly keen to win can give you a significant edge in handicap betting.

Conclusion

Betting on bandy remains a relatively obscure corner of the punting world, but as a result, it offers significant benefits to punters prepared to do their homework. Bandy is also an entertaining, dynamic game, so that homework will be enjoyable, as, hopefully will your profits!

There are few sports more thrilling than ice hockey, and for the intelligent punter, this fascinating sport is also an opportunity to profit. The starting point for ice hockey success is knowledge.

Whether you are betting on the NHL or any of the European leagues, make sure you know the teams, their strengths and weaknesses. This won’t be enough to guarantee you a profit, but it is the essential building block, on which you can build your winning strategy.

Know The Schedule

The first way to get an edge when betting on ice hockey, particularly if you’re betting on the NHL, is to study the schedule closely. Ice hockey, particularly in the US and Canada, is a gruelling sport with a packed schedule that places huge demands on both players and teams, so look out for teams that have to make long distance trips or that are scheduled to play three times in the space of a week. No matter how deep their roster, they may struggle to show their best form in those circumstances.

With such a busy fixture list, it is also common for teams to opt to priorities some fixtures over others, choosing to be at their best for the most important divisional games or when they come up against local rivals. So, by knowing which fixtures a particular team are most likely to be targeting, you can sometimes spot an opportunity that other, less well-informed punters may miss.

The Importance of Goalies

Without a doubt, THE most important role in any ice-hockey team is that of goal-tender. One common mistake made by ice hockey punters is to think of the goal tenders on a team as more or less identical in ability and instead focus on the forwards. But no other position has such a major impact on a game. And when teams have to choose their second or even third-choice goalie, it can have a major negative effect on their results. So, if there is one area of each team’s roster that you absolutely must focus on, it is the goal tenders. Take the time to familiarise yourself with the merits of all the goaltenders in the league you are studying and keep a close eye on team and injury news.

Check out the Goals markets

The most popular ice hockey markets are obviously the Match Result markets, but there are a number of goals-related opportunities that are worth exploring, not least because they are often overlooked by other punters, and because bookmakers tend not to devote as many resources to getting the odds right in these markets. .

The best place to start with goals betting is the Total Goals market, which requires you to predict the total number of goals in a game. This is a good starting point, as teams are fairly consistent in the number of goals they score and concede, so a little research in this area can prove profitable.

Other goals markets to consider are the Both Teams To Score market, which is ideal if you think you’ve found a game in which you think one team is unlikely to score, and the Correct Score market, which is obviously more volatile, but offers some big prices for those punters prepared to weigh up the abilities, fitness, morale and motivation factors that can influence a typical ice hockey game.

Keep your eye on value

The key to success in any form of sports betting is finding value: occasions when the odds available are bigger than they should be. Some punters equate short prices with a lack of value, but this is a mistake, particularly in ice hockey, when there are limited game outcomes.

One of the best ways to boost your ice hockey betting is to practice pricing up each market yourself, using your judgement and knowledge, before comparing your prices to the real market. This will not only enable you to spot betting opportunities, it will also help to improve the focus of your analysis and should rid you of any tendency to overlook short priced bets. Remember, whether your team is available at 1/10 or 10/1, value can be found in any price range.

Conclusion

There are no short cuts to making money from betting on ice hockey, but the punter who is prepared to do the work, build up a solid grounding in knowledge on his chosen ice hockey tournaments, and then apply that knowledge in an intelligent way, there are considerable rewards to be found.

The boxing season is well and truly up and running with October starting with a bang. Shows in Chicago and Leicester dominant the boxing headlines, with world titles, mandatory positions and domestic pride up for grabs.

The headline fight from the Leicester show is Jack ‘El Gato’ Catterall vs. Ohara Davies. Fighting for Catterall’s WBO inter-continental super-lightweight title, Davies has changed his approach in the lead up to this encounter. Typically loud, brash and unsavoury, Davies has kept his comments to himself in the lead up to Saturday’s bout, as the 26-year-old looks to continue his winning run after losing his unbeaten record last July against Josh Taylor.

Now to Chicago. Matchroom boxing’s ‘Worlds Collide’ card sees a multitude of scraps for varying titles; the headline act is Jessie Vargas vs. Thomas Dulorme, a welterweight contest to become the mandatory for Shawn Porter’s WBC crown. Dulorme is tough, but the 1/4 price for a Vargas win looks well priced.

Briton Callum Johnson is also in the fight of his life on this card. Making the step up to challenge for Artur Beterbiev’s light-middleweight world title is a huge ask for the British champion, but one he and his team are preparing to grab with both hands.

Also on the bill, Daniel Roman looks to defend his WBA super-bantamweight world title against Doncaster’s Gavin McDonnell. McDonnell failed in his last attempt to gain world honours against the impressive Rey Vargas, however, with just one defeat on his record, the 32-year-old is preparing to come again. A 5/2 punt on the plucky Brit is worth a small stake.

So, where does the value lie on Saturday night?

Jack Catterall to beat Ohara Davies @ 8/11 (BetVictor)

This is a dangerous fight for the champion. Catterall will be aware of the threat that Davies possesses, however, with the turbulent year that the challenger has had it’s a challenge that ‘El Gato’ should be comfortable in taking.

Catterall shows great counter punching exploits as well as showing real strength fighting on the inside; the fact that he fights in the southpaw stance is also a big positive for Catterall seeing how Davies struggled with the stance of Taylor.

Both are big punchers, so it’s best to avoid the way of victory market. Catterall hasn’t tasted defeat yet as a professional, I think think this fight has come at the wrong time for Davies.

Artur Beterbiev to beat Callum Johnson by KO @ 2/5 (BetFred)

‘The Beast’ Beterbiev is a massive puncher. All of his wins so far as a professional have come by the way of knockout; twelve wins against opponents varying in level. This may have come too soon in the career of Callum Johnson. The Brit has received massive praise for taking this fight off the back of a victory over Frank Buglioni, but the step up to world level is a big one.

This is Johnson’s first fight out of the UK and the occasion may just be a little overwhelming for ‘The One’. The Russian will be a constant threat over the twelve rounds; I can’t see Johnson lasting the distance.