As one of the most popular sports across Asia, Table Tennis offers punters plenty of opportunities to win big – in a multitude of events.
Like many Olympic sports, the focus of the world’s media hots up on Table Tennis as part of the games but with regular ranking events, an annual World Cup and the introduction of the International Ping Pong Tournament in the UK – Table Tennis is enjoying somewhat of a resurgence in the public eye.
Here is our guide to how bet on Table Tennis intelligently:-
• Cash in on the Bookmaker’s Uncertainty
Table tennis – particularly in the Western betting markets – is not one of the prominent sports for punters and bookies alike. As a result, bookmakers often have no choice but to use the ranking system as their only guide when developing pre-match odds. This opens a window of opportunity for punters who can exploit over or under priced bets in specific events and hopefully win big.
• Target the Smaller Events on the Table Tennis Calendar
Table tennis is one of the very few Olympic sports that has a fully developed, worldwide calendar outside of the Olympic Games. Meaning, there are a wealth of events for punters to bet on – often with smaller prize money pots, in relatively obscure places around the world. The biggest names in Table Tennis have to compete in a certain number of events to retain their place on the world tour but often these lesser known ranking events can spring a few surprises – with the inclusion of amateur players in the draw often a factor too. Most of the biggest names in Table Tennis tend to save their best performances for the World Cups and the Olympic Games.
• Search for Value Outside of Asia
As one of the most popular sports in China, Table Tennis competitions are normally dominated by the Chinese on both the men and women’s side – with all of the medals at the 2016 Olympics in Table Tennis being won by Chinese players. There are a stream of talented European players however – particularly from Russia and Germany and bookmakers are often lulled in to offering shorter odds on the Chinese players – simply due to their nationality. Obviously, this betting strategy can fall up short but searching for players who come into each event in form and have strong odds in the head to head match up can be an effective betting ploy.
• Research Form and Head to Head Records
The number of events on the Table Tennis Calendar can be a huge help when looking to bet on the sport successfully as developing a database of results can be a simple task –with so many of the world’s best playing against each other on a regular basis. Researching player form, their head to head record against a specific opponent or even a certain type of opponent (e.g. left hander) can give crucial clues when looking to punt on Table Tennis intelligently.
• Embrace the In-Play Betting Opportunities
The enhancement of in-play betting opportunities across all sports has given a whole new world for punters to enjoy when betting on sport. Table Tennis is no different and with its long-haul scoring format of sets to 11 points (must win by 2 clear points) and race to 3 or 5 sets – it gives the bettor plenty of opportunities to stake on each set, the winning margin, bet with a handicap or even the outcome of each point. Following the action in play (through live streams) can greatly help the punter witness any momentum shifts or changes in performance from each player and bet accordingly.
