Until five years ago Jamie was a maths teacher; a job that he enjoyed, but did not find particularly exciting. In her spare time, Jamie started to write as a creative outlet; first funny and quirky Facebook posts, or long Instagram captions, before moving to Medium in order to flex his skills in longer form.
How to In Play Horse Betting
If you are a newcomer to the world of betting on horse racing then you might not be familiar with the term ‘in play betting’. This is a relatively new form of betting that has been made possible by the development of the internet and mobile phones over the last 20 years or so. In play betting, sometimes called live betting, is an exciting form of betting that can bring you plenty of thrills as well as the chance to win some well-chosen bets.
So read on, and you’ll find out how you can shape an in play betting horse racing strategy that you can rely on!
In Play Horse Race Betting: Key Points
Stay up-to-date with all the latest news, results and stats.
Keep a record of your bets so that you see where and why you were successful.
Always concentrate and watch the race carefully.
Stay calm and in control.
Don’t chase losses with silly bets.
Shaping an In Play Horse Racing Strategy: 5 Key Lessons
In play horse race betting can be very exciting indeed. We recommend, though, that you do not dive straight into live betting on horse races if you are not especially experienced in betting generally. Before you do any in play horse race betting you need to be very familiar with bet types, how to read odds and how to place bets. Live betting is very fast moving and any gaps in your wagering knowledge will be ruthlessly exposed.
If you are confident and have gained a reasonable amount of betting experience already, however, live betting can be a lot of fun. You still need to have a plan to be successful at it, though. Read on to find out more about how to shape a successful in play horse racing strategy.
Follow the News and Know the Stats
As with any type of betting, sporting knowledge is always vital if you want to enjoy some success with live betting on horse racing. The old phrase ‘studying the form’ still rings true in the world of betting on the horses. These days, checking on the recent performances of horses and jockeys has never been so simple. If you head online to horse racing sites, bookies and new sites you can find heaps of useful information about horses and jockeys. If you want to shape a successful in play betting horse racing strategy, it is vital that you keep up-to-date with as much of the latest news and statistical information about the sport as you can.
For the kind of in play betting horse racing fans can do, this sort of knowledge is even more important. Live betting moves so quickly once a race has started that any gaps in your knowledge will soon be exposed. You need to have good knowledge of all the runners and riders in a race to come up with a successful in play horse racing strategy. Any factor might be important, so every nugget of knowledge that you pick up is useful.
It is also important to look back and reflect on the things that made you succeed or fail in your bets in a certain race. This is why it is important to keep a record of your betting, as this can be a vital tool in shaping a successful in play betting horse racing strategy.
Keep a Record and Reflect on Success and Failure
The type of in play betting horse racing fans enjoy can appear complex and confused, largely because of the pace at which events occur and how quickly you need to react to them. This is why keeping a record of your bets is important. You can note which bets were successful, and keep a record of which horses and jockeys have served you well. You can also note the conditions under which they succeeded.
You can then check these notes before your next planned betting session. You should study them carefully and compare them with your research on the form and fitness of horses and jockeys. A particularly important thing to keep a record of is the weather and ground conditions in which certain horses succeeded. This can be a vital part of your strategy and will really serve you well.
Another important thing to note is the distances at which certain horses do well. If you can tally this up with details like ground conditions, the venue of the race and the jockey on certain days you can soon shape a strategy that will bring you success in the future.
Stay Calm at All Times
In play horse race betting is fast moving and events can soon overwhelm you if you are not careful and attentive to everything that is happening in the race. This is why it is vital that you stay calm at all times. Do not do any live betting on a horse race if you are feeling angry and frustrated. You will find that your focus is not where it should be – on the horses and jockeys.
Being calm will also help you to concentrate on the stream of the race on which you are betting. You need to be calm, so that you can focus on placing the right bets at the right time. The importance of focused concentration is something that we’ll look at next.
Concentrate on the Races
As well as staying calm, you also need to retain a razor-sharp focus on the race on which you are betting. This is a really vital part of any in play horse racing strategy that you shape. Live betting means that you are reacting to events during the race, so allowing your focus to shift can be terminal for your chances of success.
You need to be watching a live stream or television broadcast of the race too. Your eyes need to be keen to see any kind of slip, stumble or tactical move from a jockey. You need to know when certain horses are likely to be strong, especially if they tend to finish races well. This stuff can’t be done by guesswork, you need to be watching how events unfold. The closer you are watching, the better, as you need to be attentive to every possible nuance and subtlety of the race.
Don’t Chase Your Losses with Silly Bets
One thing that many experienced bettors will have experienced is the temptation to chase their losses when they are in an unlucky streak of bets. You know the feeling – your sure shot selection has just finished last, and you’re down to your last 50 dollars. Rather than giving up for the day and opting to try another time, you decide to bet 20 bucks on a long shot. After all, your thinking goes, if it wins at odds of 9.00 then you’ll be collecting wins that will cover most of your losses so far. Then that bet loses, so you bet your last 30 bucks on another long shot. Then that nag loses too, and you’re skint.
That pattern of behaviour is known as ‘chasing your losses’ and it can lead to all kinds of problems in your life. You can end up with financial problems and mental health issues if those problems become serious. Betting like this is never a good idea and merely serves to exacerbate stress and negative emotions.
Your in play horse race betting strategy should always include a resolution to be rational and cool, and accept losses as part of betting. Remember that betting is supposed to be entertainment and something that you do for fun. If things get too much and you are getting angry and frustrated you will make silly decisions. Walk away if things get like this.
Check out Horsebetting.com’s Other Wagering Guides
Now that you have found out a little bit about how to shape an in play horse racing strategy, you might want to broaden your betting knowledge by checking out some of Horsebetting.com’s other wagering guides, like our “Each Way Bet Explained” article. You can find out how to place saver bets when wagering each way, as well as how to choose the best overall horse racing betting system. We also have guides available on how to hedge your bets when you are placing wagers on a big field of horse, and some great content about how to hit the jackpot with a pick six bet.
Conclusion
As you can see, putting together a strategy for in play betting horse racing is not too different from strategy for more standard types of betting. You certainly need the same levels of knowledge and statistical research as you do in other types of betting. But you also need to be able to keep cool under pressure and concentrate on the race on which you are betting. Keeping a record of your wins and losses so that you can detect patterns and tweak your strategy is also important. In play horse race betting can be very exciting and thrilling, but you need to keep cool and stay rational while you are doing it.