A To Z Journey To Victory In Your Football (soccer) Investment For 2010

2010 has arrived

2010 has arrived. This is also the time when the football season in the English Premier League and many major elite leagues is halfway through.

The time, when the league standings start to form a picture.

The time, when the team managers are allowed to rectify the short-comings of their squads through the January transfer market.

So, this is the time, when MANY THINGS ARE DISCUSSED AT LENGTHS AND SHOULD START TO CHANGE.

And this is also the time for all soccer punters to take stock of their soccer business...

So, what does your report card show? Do you brighten up with glee or wallow in misery?

For those punters who have made a fortune in 2009, CONGRATULATIONS! For those who are struggling to make an impact in your soccer investment, I wish to share with you this A To Z Journey To Victory In Your Football (Soccer) Investment For 2010.

A - ACHIEVE YOUR DREAM TO HAVE A PROFITABLE 2010 IN YOUR BETTING BUSINESS

To achieve this dream, the key is to treat your betting as a business investment, not as a recreational activity to pass your time.

When you run a business, you aim to make a profit in each business transaction. You do not enter into a business contract just to have fun.

The same should apply to sports betting. The winning punters devote much efforts and time to running their betting investment as a business. They will do utmost to maximise profit and to STAY SOLVENT during the nine months football season.

B - BET ON WHAT YOU KNOW

Even in a league which you are very knowledgeable in, such as EPL, there are times when it has been difficult to obtain reliable information on key players, a factor which may influence your betting decision.

Do not be tempted to bet on a match of a league you know little about, and just because the match is televised live on TV or highly recommended by some sports experts.

C - CUT LOSS WHEN NECESSARY

This is especially crucial in livebetting. The typical mindset of most punters is to hang on till the last minute, hoping that your bets will come good.

Be decisive and cut your loss as soon as you realise the match is not going as per your expectation. Such decisiveness can save you bigger losses in the end.

D - DISCIPLINE

In betting, discipline is the WILL to religiously follow preset rules and criteria irregardless of one's emotion at that moment, even when the punter is on a winning streak or on a losing run.

Why is discipline so important?

Because without discipline:

* even a successful punter can lose all his winnings

* a losing punter can lose even more

* the punter cannot win in the long run

It is impossible to make everyday a winning day BUT it is possible to make everyday a losing day if the punter is not disciplined.

E - ENJOY YOUR BETTING BUSINESS

Enjoy punting on each betting day. Enjoy your business. The mind works wonders. However, on those days when you do not find your punting enjoyable due to some reasons, then it is time to TAKE A BREAK. Step back from betting for a while. Return when you are refreshed.

F - FOCUS

Do keep a cool mind and remain focused especially in livebetting. Watching a match, or tracking the odds movements, is an emotional roller coaster.

When the chips are down, guard against being swayed by emotion. Stay calm and assess the situation objectively.

G - GREED

It is human nature to want to make a fast buck. But be mindful of the wise saying "THERE'S NO FREE LUNCH IN THIS WORLD".

When the bookmakers make you an offer that's "too good to be true', it probably is. They are in the business to make your money, not to dish out charity. They do not make mistakes. Such offer is a trap to entice the greedy ones to part with their money.

Also, do not be tempted by the big payout for a combo bet (accumulator) as the risks are also multiplied many folds. Unless you are an extremely lucky punter, you are unlikely to win often.

H - HAVE A PLAN AND STICK TO IT AT ALL COSTS

The pros stick to their plan at all time. Of course this is easier said than done. We are human beings and there are always temptations to stray from the plan. And we usually have no problem to come up with a good reason to justify it.

The winning punters know what they want to achieve from their betting plan, and steadfastly adhere to it.

I - IGNORE DISTRACTION

Be very clear with the punting goals you have set. Be diligent in following them through. Do not allow distractions along the way.

J - JUST DO IT IF THERE'S VALUE

If your analysis reveals the value lies in the underdog (for example, Fulham having a +1 goal advantage playing against the reigning Champion Manchester United), be courageous and follow your conviction. JUST DO IT. Of course, it is a nervy decision as the whole world is putting their money on Manchester United.

K - KEEP A BETTING LOG

Documents all your bets in the betting log. The log will show you: why you win, why you lose, which league is your weakest, which period of the football season you performed the worst (beginning, mid or end of season), etc.

Learn from your mistakes. DO NOT BE THE SAD LOSERS WHO REMAIN CLUELESS EVEN AS TO WHY THEY HAVE LOST. This is what separates the winners from the losers. The winners learn from their mistakes and they know what they have to do to avoid making the same costly mistakes.

L - LOOK AT YOUR LOSSES IN PERSPECTIVE & LEARN, LEARN, LEARN

Accept that a losing streak is inevitable in a long football season. Do not let emotional outburst become a habit. Do not allow your life and the lives of those around you be adversely affected by your losses.

Remain focused, learn from your mistakes and ride the negative tide.

M - MONEY MANAGEMENT

The wise punters know the importance of sound money management rules. They know that even if they win more than half of their bets, overall they may still lose if they stake more $$$ on the losing selections.

So, efficient money management is important as it reduces the chances of wiping out your betting fund, while maximising the chances of making a profit.

The principle behind efficient money management is to ensure that the betting fund can remain SOLVENT to allow the punters to weather any downward swings in the long betting season.

N - NO 'SURE WIN' TIPS

'Sure win' and 'Insider' tips are often disseminated over the Internet. Guard against such tips as they may be 'leaked out' by interested parties to influence the market to move in a certain way. Any information gathered from the Internet must be thoroughly vetted.

Do your own analysis and research. It's your hard earned money on the line. Following blindly is the most foolish mistake any punter can make.

O - OPTIMISTIC (EVEN WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN)

Those punters who expect to be winning every week will be disappointed. Even the pros encounter streaks when they have their highs and their lows.

Be optimistic to accept any loss in the short run, but never lose sight of your betting business in the long run. YOUR PRIORITY IS TO MAKE SURE YOUR BETTING FUND IS NOT DEPLETED.

P - PSYCHOLOGY

Dealing with several losses in a row can be a real psychological challenge. Many punters do not understand that one essential element of winning is the MANAGEMENT OF THEIR EMOTIONS. The inability to do so can lead to serious problems such as poor discipline and poor money management.

The skill to handle a losing streak "unemotionally" is the key to open the door to return to profitability. It is practically impossible to be completely devoid of emotion. But the more we understand how our emotion can influence our betting decisions, the better will be the result.

Q - QUITTER NEVER WIN

Yes, quitters never win, and winners never quit. So, if your half-season report card is less than satisfactory, which camp would you be? The quitters or the winners? It's your call.

R - REMAIN POSITIVE

All successful punters accept losing streak is part of the game. They will not lose sight that their main objective is to stay in the betting business longest possible. Irrespective of whether they are 10 down (10 losses) or 10 up (10 wins), they will act the same way according to their preset plan. They know they are not less intelligent when 10 down and they also know they are not more intelligent when 10 up. Of course, it is natural to feel great after a winning streak than after a losing run. It is also easier to make the next bet after going 10 up. This is really the gist of the whole positive outlook, that is, whether a punter can pick himself up to place the next confident bet after going 10 down.

Remain positive and patient. Do not forsake the preset plan that have brought you winning smiles before.

S - STAKING PLAN AND STAKING SIZE

Your money management should start off with a betting fund which consists of money set aside for your betting business, the money you don't need for anything else.

When you bet you must have peace of mind. Betting with money set aside takes a lot of emotion out of your decision-making. If your mind is always wandering around worrying about bills to pay, your judgement will be impaired.

Next you should decide on an efficient staking plan and staking size taking into consideration your risk profile. The higher the risk, the bigger the stake. Conversely, the smaller the stake, the lower the risk.

There is a delicate line between the desire to achieve higher profit and the discipline to manage risk. The bottom-line is, whatever staking plan and staking size you choose, they should be within your comfort zone.

T - TAKING PROFITABLE CHANCES IN LIVEBETTING

Livebetting has now developed in such a way that it has been compared to stock investing.

The Internet and live telecasting of matches have made livebetting immensely popular.

The greatest advantage in livebetting is the punters have exactly the same information as the bookmakers as the matches are being played.

In livebetting, THE ODDS TELL A STORY. The movement in the odds is an indication of the performance of the teams playing at the time. So, if the punters have the ability to 'DE-CODE' THE ODDS AND 'READ THE GAME', there are countless money making opportunities on every betting day.

U - UNREALISTIC EXPECTATION

Most punters do not seem to realise that any betting system or guide is to be used for the long term. So, be realistic in your expectation. You cannot judge the system/guide's profitability on a daily or weekly basis. Judge it at the end of the football season. This means you must have cash in your betting armory.

Apart from selecting winning bets from your system/guide, you need to have the most efficient betting fund and staking plan in place. YOU MUST ALWAYS REMAIN SOLVENT. The liquidity means you always have money to bet with.

A good system/guide can let you pick winners BUT you need the discipline to complement it with good money management to WIN CONSISTENTLY.

An indisciplined punter who fiddles with his money management will usually end up with busting his betting fund, and he will then blame the system, even though the SAME system is producing tons of profits for the disciplined punters.

V - VALUE, VALUE, VALUE

Value hunting is universal. It is applicable to both life and business, and to football betting as well.

In sports, the true value of the outcome of a match is expressed by the probability of that outcome happening. If the punter can get a price which is HIGHER than the one indicated by the probability, then he has found value.

The prices (or odds) offered by the bookmakers are related to the probability of that outcome happening ACCORDING TO THE BOOKMAKERS. If you can 'fish out' those selections where your own estimations of the probability chance of winning are higher than that of the bookmakers', then you have found your value bets.

W - WISDOM IN LEARNING FROM YOUR PAST MISTAKES

There's a football betting wisdom that one key to achieving long term profit is in the bets that you leave out rather than the ones you punted on. This simply means that if you miss out a good bet, you do not lose any money. However, if you back a losing selection, you are already some $$$ down.

So, be wise to learn from your past punting mistakes and do less of what's wrong, and more of what's right.

X - XTRA EFFORTS

Some punters believe in luck. They believe they have the gift of an acute sixth sense, that they can always 'feel and smell' the winners. Simply, they are basing on hunches. Yes, hunches do win games, once in a while.

But be realistic, how long can hunches win?

There are dedicated punters who make the EXTRA EFFORTS to study, analyse and acquire knowledge, and THEN have good 'feel' for a certain game. This 'feel' is not 'luck'. It comes from the confidence they have from the extra efforts they put in.

There is a saying that knowledge, diligence, discipline, patience and luck are the five jewels of success. When you have perfected the first four, the fifth, which is luck, will show itself. Some people consider luck the output of hard work.

Y - YIELD

Many punters feel that any yield from their soccer investment at the end of the year which is better than putting the money in the bank is already an achievement. If you are looking for instant fortune, try the lottery.

Z - ZERO IN ON YOUR DREAMS

If you have followed the above A TILL Y, I am confident you have joined the elite group of punting winners.

So what makes a punter profitable and successful?

Simply, he aims to make money in his betting business in the long run. He does not want to win only from one match, or from one betting day, or from one betting weekend. His desire is to win at the end of the soccer season.

And he will always be mindful that he must remain solvent. CASH is his King, Queen, Prince and Princess. Period. Without cash, he is out of business, and without a chance to make a comeback.

CONCLUSION

The above A To Z Journey To Victory is not a New Year wish-list. I hope it is every punter's next 12 months highway of Do's and Don'ts in your journey to betting success.

So let's clean out our 2009 betting closet. Let's addressed all that are not working in 2009, and move on to a profitable 2010 in our betting investment.

Remember, the more willing you are to explore proven strategies, the more willing you are to learn from the punting experiences of those who have spent thousands of hours going through the betting mill, the faster you will gain an edge in your punting chances. You will only regret what you didn't try, not what you did.

You can also create your own A to Z betting finishing line. But do stick to it with optimism all the way in 2010.

Now, let us all find our niche in our football betting in 2010.

HAVE A PROFITABLE BETTING YEAR AHEAD.

by: Stanley Ong

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