Below is a list of different online sportsbook/betting websites that you may wish to join. When consodering a sportsbook to use you need to consider the following things:
Is my money safe? Does the site have protection from hackers?
Does the website have a good reputation?
Is the site easy to use?
Are the odds comparable or better than the competitors?
Does it offer a wide range of sports to bet on?
I have only included websites that I personally think answer yes to the questions above. There are so many websites out there offering you the chance to bet on sports but these are the premier companies to trust.
My personal choice for most of my betting. Coral offers very good odds on a very wide range of sports and specials. A great extra is their virtual football season where you can bet every 90 seconds on premiership mathces. Free 10 pound bet when you join.
Gamebookers is not too well known but I have had only good experiences using their site. It has a simple, easy-to-follow setup that anyone can navigate. They offer good odds, particularly on American sports such as baseball and basketball.
Bet365 is a big name in online betting. They have a great reputation and are as safe and secure as you could hope for. Along with a great sportsbook section they also have some great games including virtual horse racing allowing you to bet 24/7.
Sporting Index is the first of two sports spread betting firms I would like to introduce to you. They offer good value tight spreads across many markets. Spread betting offers the user greater rewards than fixed odds betting but also a greater level of risk. Make sure you fully understand the bet before you place it.
BetHiLo is the second spread betting firm and are in fact a subsidiary of Sporting Index. The advantage here appears to be smaller minimum bets are allowed so this is probably for spread betting beginners.
The following bookmakers are also very reputable but I have no previous experince with them.
William hill Coral Blue Square Betfair Paddy Power Eurobet Victor Chandler
Here is an article I have published on the topic of betting, feel free to visit http://betting-guides.blogspot.com for more pearls of wisdom.
To Bet Or Not To Bet? Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Happy, Healthy Gambler?
I placed my first bet when I was at university. I did not do it to make money, that was just a by-product of what I was really after – the thrill. You see, my first bet was for a total of 50 pence and if it won it was only going to make me 4 or 5 times my investment, but after placing it I felt a rush unlike any other. I was now in direct competition with the bookmaker and I wanted to beat him.
It just so happens that I lost.
I had just challenged a seemingly unbeatable force and lost, but I felt great. Just to have tried was enough to fill me with a great sense of satisfaction, and even though it took me another 5 bets before I won, after each loss I still felt good about myself.
I still place bets today and I still get that same feeling. I have gained experience, I have gained knowledge and as a result my bets are slightly higher these days, but that’s only as part of the battle I fight against the bookmaker. I still don’t care much about the money; I only increase my bet size as a defiant message to the bookmakers saying that I will not be broken. Because after all, isn’t that what they are trying to do?
They have no morals, no sense of right or wrong, all they want to do is squeeze every last drop of money you have as fast as possible and leave you to clean up after you have given them that very pleasure. I have not given them that pleasure.
We all know that gambling can be very addictive, but it does not need to be. All it needs is the right mentality, a positive mentality.
Even when I lose I still count myself a winner. The bookmaker has got my money but I have something that they will never take from me; my self control. To lose this to them would ultimately lead to financial disaster and I am not willing to allow this. As long as I am in control over my bets I still have the upper hand; they may win many a battle but they will never win the war.
If everyone were to bet like this then the bookmakers would lose. They would have lost the only thing that keeps them going – their superiority over us. To have a strong mind in tough situations, to take a loss on the chin and still come out fighting are priceless qualities and gambling could very well help you achieve these properties.
I know that I am a stronger person for it. I have great confidence in myself now, knowing that I am always going to be in control. Nobody can make me feel small because I am in control.
This is how to bet; bet with your head not with your heart. Be smart not foolish. If you aren’t having fun when you bet, then do not do it; if you cannot realise that winning isn’t everything then you, my friend, are destined to lose your own personal war with the bookmakers and I would hate to see that happen.
“Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories” – Sun Tzu (ca. 500BC)
