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Stephanie Sorrell

Many of us can find ourselves quite intimidated when we first try our hand at betting in-play, especially if we’re relatively new to <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide">sports betting</a>.

Everything seems to happen so fast - and the moment you settle on a suitable selection, the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-to-read-betting-odds">odds</a> change on you, leaving you to decide whether to accept worse odds or to start again from scratch.

With all this high-pace confusion, you could be forgiven for thinking <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/in-play-betting-explained-in-depth">in-play betting</a> isn’t worth your while, and that the risks of ending up with a poor value bet are too high.

However, there are ways to take advantage of the in-play odds you see, while minimising the risk of unfortunate odds changes.

In this article, we’ll run you through how in-play odds work, and give you our best tips to get the most value for money out of in-play betting.

In-play betting (sometimes known as live betting) is, as it sounds, the practice of betting on an ongoing event.

It can apply to pretty much any sport (although not all bookies will have in-play markets for every sport, especially niche ones), including <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-to-bet-on-horses">horse racing</a> - though for racing-related sports, it can also be referred to as in-race betting.

Because you’re betting in the midst of the action, in-play betting is usually fast-paced, with the odds changing constantly depending on what’s going on in the game.

That means you’ll probably have to act quickly when you decide you want to place a bet, as the odds for your selection won’t stick around for long.

There’s often a delay on in-play bets being placed, which is designed to neutralise any advantage bettors may have if they’re physically present at a fixture, as opposed to watching a live feed, which is usually subject to a delay of a few seconds.

In-play betting hasn’t always been around, and even now not every bookie offers it. From a bookie’s view, it can be a logistical challenge to update odds as frequently as needed for an ongoing match or race, especially as they could compromise their profits if their software failed to keep up with events.

Usually, a bookie will therefore offer a limited range of in-play markets on an event, with less popular or more obscure markets being available only up to the start of the match or race.

They’ll also suspend some markets at crucial moments within a match (e.g. when a goal is scored, or when a red card is shown), so that it isn’t possible to bet for or against an event that might already have happened.

All this effort is well worth it, because in-play betting can be a huge money-spinner for bookies, and they will often heavily promote betting in-play, with many promotions being specific to in-play betting.

Not that they exactly have to persuade most bettors to get on board with in-play betting.

A lot of regular punters love to bet in-play, basing their decisions on small swings of momentum between the opposing sides - and many of those punters might not have the expertise or detachment to make the wisest choices, especially at moments of high excitement.

Odds in sports betting are based on the simple principle of telling the bettor how much they stand to win if their bet is successful. High odds mean they’ll win a large amount, while low odds mean a relatively small amount, when compared to their original stake.

Inevitably, odds also correspond (sometimes more loosely than others) to probability. A bookie is always going to be willing to pay out more if an outcome is considered unlikely to occur, and less for what is considered a highly likely outcome.

For this reason, odds can also be viewed as an indication of probability. Low odds indicate a high chance of something happening, whereas high odds indicate a low chance of something happening.

Of course, probability isn’t the only <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-are-betting-odds-determined">factor bookies use to determine their odds</a> - they have to make a profit too. This is accomplished through their margin, a certain percentage added to a bookie’s odds to ensure a profit.

They’ll also adjust their odds to encourage customers to bet on particular selections, with the aim of achieving a balanced volume of bets on both (or all) sides of an event.

In-play odds work in exactly the same way, just at a much faster pace, which is why in-play betting can be such a dramatic, fast-paced activity.

As with pre-match betting, finding good odds relies to a great extent on having knowledge and experience of the game.

It’s certainly wisest to watch the match or race live if you’re planning on betting in-play (something many bookies facilitate on their own sites), to ensure you understand what’s going on in the match and why the odds might be shifting.

It can be a good tactic to do your research in advance of a match or race, and to decide on what you think would be worth betting on at what odds.

Then when the event has started, you can wait to see odds that you’d consider good, depending on the way the game has gone, and immediately place a bet as soon as the odds hit that target.

Because in-play betting moves so quickly, it’s difficult to compare odds between all bookies to find the very best available, because the chances are they’ll have changed by the time you come to place your bet.

However, it is still possible to keep an eye on a smaller number of bookies, keeping track of whose odds tend to be the best, and choose your bookie on the grounds of which is usually offering odds at the higher end.

You might not manage to find the very best odds available anywhere, but you’re likely to end up with better than average odds.

The most obvious pitfall of in-play betting is the fact that everything moves so quickly. If you’re a bettor who likes to take their time, think through their decisions and double check their selections, you’re likely to find in-play betting a struggle.

Acting decisively is therefore necessary for successful in-play betting - but it can also be a risk. It can result in emotional rather than logical decision-making, which is rarely the most successful for sports betting.

Bettors can also find that the high pressure and excitement of in-play betting can make them more likely to fall prey to <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/gamblers-fallacy">gambler’s fallacy</a>, or to chasing their losses.

If you’ve placed a couple of in-play bets and then immediately seen their chances of winning drop, you’re at risk of falling into this trap.

In a desperate attempt to salvage your likely losses, you might end up making hasty, poorly thought out bets, which, if anything, are going to make your situation even worse.

If you’re going to engage in in-play betting, it’s wise to work out a plan before you start and then stick to it, to ensure you don’t make a decision in the heat of the moment that’s likely to be to your detriment.

In-Play Betting When <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting" target="_blank" title="">Matched Betting</a>

The fast-paced nature of in-play betting makes it much harder for matched bettors too.

You see quite a lot of in-play offers, and it’s natural to want to take advantage of those. But while play is ongoing, it’s often the case that what initially appears to be a great match will have shifted, sometimes substantially, between placing your back bet and <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-lay-betting">lay bet</a>.

Sometimes, this can be to your advantage - it’s perfectly possible for the odds to shift in your favour after your back bet, meaning you could end up with an <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-arbing-or-arbitrage">arbitrage bet</a> when you place your lay bet, resulting in an instant profit.

However, it’s just as possible for the odds to shift against you, meaning that you may no longer be available to find any kind of reasonable match at all.

In that scenario, you’re forced to choose between placing a lay bet that guarantees you a more substantial loss (or lower profit) than you’d like, or simply leaving your original bet and hoping that it goes on to win.

Of course, you could also wait and see if the odds shift back again over the course of the match - but as there’s no guarantee of that happening, this isn’t much better than leaving your original bet and hoping for the best.

There are ways to minimise this risk when Matched Betting in-play, though, which we’ll explain below.

Tips And Tricks To Get The Most Out Of In-Play Betting

Especially if you’re Matched Betting, waiting until half time, or set breaks for sports like <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/tennis-betting-guide">tennis</a>, can be the best way to avoid running into issues caused by odds changes.

Although you’ll typically still see some odds movement during breaks in play, there’s much less going on, so those odds tend to be steadier.

If you really know what you’re doing, there’s scope to capitalise on bookies being slow to update their odds in response to events in a game or race.

It must be said that this is definitely a tactic for experienced bettors, as you need to be in a position to confidently identify situations where a bookie hasn’t caught up with events.

However, if you know what you’re doing, there’s a lot of potential value to be had from getting one step ahead of the bookies.

This is why practices such as <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-courtsiding">courtsiding</a> (having a representative physically present at a game or match and passing on significant events before the odds can be updated) and <a href="https://outplayed.com/products/steam-chaser">steam chasing</a> can be so profitable - and why bookies do their very best to prevent them.

<a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-hedge-betting" target="_blank" title="">Hedge betting</a>

This is another tactic best used by experienced bettors, but the changes in odds over the course of a match can sometimes put you in a position to benefit from hedging an existing bet.

For example, if you’d placed a bet before the match on Chelsea to win, and Chelsea then go on to score the first goal, you might well find that you can bet in-play on their opponents at great odds, putting yourself in a position to profit from a win for either team.

This does depend on the course of a match or race, though, and it won’t always be possible to hedge your bet. Even so, once you’ve gained some experience of in-play betting, it’s worth keeping your eye out for hedging opportunities.

In-play odds are volatile and fast-moving, which can make in-play betting a stressful experience, especially for newer sports bettors. And if you’re Matched Betting, trying to find a close match that stays put long enough for you to back and lay it can be a real nightmare!

Betting during half time, or during breaks in play, can help to mitigate this problem - although the chances are you’ll still have to move fairly quickly.

For more experienced bettors, exploiting delays in odds changes or looking for opportunities for hedge betting can make for excellent value bets - but do be careful! In-play odds changes can result in rushed, emotional decision-making, which is never a good thing for your profit.

If you’d like to find out more about Matched Betting, check out our <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">beginner’s guide</a> or <a href="https://outplayed.com/user/register#1">sign up for our free trial</a> to start making profits today!

A Guide To In-Play Odds

Ollie Hickmore

Ever wonder if some casino games are just built to lose more money than others? Well, yes.. they actually are!

What determines how severe this is, and how much of a "house edge" the casino takes, is the Return To Player (often called RTP for short).

RTP in gambling is a measure of how much you can expect to get back, on average, over millions of spins on that game.

Now, of course, you won't actually be playing millions of spins on a game, but this is how the RTP is calculated by a computer when casino games are regulated.

A slot with an RTP of 97% would mean that, on average over millions of spins, for every £100 you spent on that slot, you would expect to get back £97. In other words, the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-casinos" title="">casino</a> would expect to make £3 profit on average for every £100 you spent. This margin of 3%, is the casino’s house edge.

In a nutshell, you don't want to play a game where the casino has a large edge over you, when you could instead be playing a good game with a higher RTP.

This is particularly crucial when you're doing an offer from a casino. It can be the difference between getting terrific value out of a promotion, or getting no <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-expected-value" title="">value</a> at all.

The higher the RTP of the casino games that you use, the higher the returns you'll achieve on average.

Remember that this isn't a guarantee for every single spin and every single offer; after all, casino games' payouts can vary a lot on a spin by spin basis. But, in the long run, it makes all the difference.

Let's say you're completing <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/matched-betting-casino-offers-explained-in-a-nutshell">casino offers</a> with Outplayed and you keep having a choice between a 94% RTP slot or a 97% slot for your qualifying wagering.

If you were to wager £10,000 a year (about £27 per day), then the average difference in returns here would be £300. That's £300 extra profit in your pocket just by playing a more favourable game!

I'm sure you can now see how crucial it is to play the highest RTP games available.

It's all well and good that you now know what RTP is all about, but how do you really know if a game's RTP is good in the grand scheme of things?

This is where the terms of the casino offer come into play - if you have a list of 5 eligible games that are available for the promo, there's no point picking a different game, even if it does have a high RTP. You wouldn't want to play a game that doesn't even qualify to earn your free rewards!

In general, table games (e.g. Blackjack or Roulette) have a higher RTP than slot games. So if you can play them for an offer, then you should jump at the chance. They've got a very low house edge and are low variance games (which means your profits/losses won't be swinging around all that much).

Slot RTPs can massively vary from slot to slot;&nbsp;they can range anywhere from 80% to 99%. You're usually aiming for a game above 96% RTP to use for casino offers, but it can all depend on the value of the rewards and how large the wagering is. That's where Outplayed is a saviour since we work out all the fine details of the value and display it clearly.

Here's a table of some of the best RTP games you can play. They're very commonly used for profitable casino offers:

This is just a very small selection of games that are out there. Another thing to keep in mind is that the same slot can have different RTPs at different <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-casinos" title="">casinos</a>; we'll talk more about that later.

Some games will have a portion of the RTP that goes towards a progressive jackpot. This is a jackpot that continues to get larger with every spin anyone does on that slot across all casinos. As you can see below, they can reach a hefty amount!

Slot providers like Playtech or Red Tiger will only have a small amount of the total RTP going towards a jackpot (around 0.5%-1%). Other games, like Mega Moolah will have a whopping jackpot contribution of 5%+.

You'll want to avoid playing games with large jackpot contributions for casino offers if you can help it, since a sizeable portion of the payouts are going towards a prize that's incredibly hard to win.

Would You Ever Want To Find The RTP Yourself?

First of all, when we post a guide to a casino offer at Outplayed, we'll always give recommendations for games with a high RTP. So for the most part, you won't actually need to go through the trouble of finding it yourself;&nbsp;we do the hard work for you!

There can, however, be exceptions. Sometimes you'll want to find a specific game RTP for yourself. Perhaps it's for an "invite only" offer that you've received in an email, or maybe you just want to try a different game from the ones we've suggested.

Some sites will have an "info" section that shows the RTP before you open the game. Be warned that the casinos don't always get the RTP right on these pages. The RTP found after loading the game will always be the correct one.

The same game on a different site won't necessarily have the same RTP. In particular, NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Play N' Go and Red Tiger slots can vary drastically, which is why it's important to double check before playing! Don't just assume that Starburst has a 96.09% RTP because it did at another casino.

Casino games are required by law to specify the RTP somewhere within the game's settings. However, finding this isn't always easy at first glance. But don't worry, here are some general things to keep an eye on:

Look out for question marks ?, i symbols, "help", "settings", cog symbols, paytable as things to click that might reveal the RTP to you.

Below, you will find specific instructions on how to find an RTP with certain game providers. It's not an exhaustive list of all providers, after all, there are so many of them! But you will find all the main ones, and particularly the game providers most commonly found for casino promotions.

Click the question mark &gt; Scroll to 'RETURN TO PLAYER'.

Mobile: Tap three lines &gt; Swipe to question mark &gt; Tap question mark &gt; Scroll to 'RETURN TO PLAYER'.

Common NetEnt slots for offers: Starburst, Steam Tower, Blood Suckers.

Click HELP &gt; Scroll down to the bottom.

Mobile: Tap HELP &gt; Scroll down to the bottom.

Common Red Tiger slots for offers:&nbsp;Rainbow Jackpots, Blood Suckers Megaways, Cash Volt.

Click question mark &gt; Return to Player

Mobile: Tap three lines &gt; Tap Help &gt; Tap Return to Player

Common Evolution Live games for offers:&nbsp;Infinite Blackjack, Lightning Roulette, Crazy Time.

Hover over cog symbol &gt; Click Help &gt; Scroll down to the bottom.

Mobile: Tap three lines &gt; Swipe to Help &gt; Tap Help &gt; Scroll down to the bottom.

Common Playtech slots for offers:&nbsp;Golden Tour, Age of the Gods: God of Storms, Halloween Fortune.

Click three lines &gt; Table symbol &gt; Click arrows until you find game rules.

Mobile: Tap three lines &gt; Table symbol &gt; Tap arrows until you find game rules.

Common Blueprint slots for offers:&nbsp;King Kong Cash, The Goonies, Fortunes of Sparta.

Click i symbol &gt; Click arrows until you find game rules.

Mobile: Tap i symbol &gt; Scroll down until you find game rules.

Common Pragmatic Play slots for offers:&nbsp;Gold Train, Big Bass Bonanza, Book of the Fallen.

Click Help &gt; Wait for pop-up to load &gt; Click Return To Player (RTP)

Mobile: Tap question mark &gt; Scroll down to the bottom.

Common Microgaming slots for offers:&nbsp;Immortal Romance, High Society, Couch Potato.

Click question mark &gt; Scroll down until you find SLOT RULES.

Tap three lines at the top &gt; Tap RULES &amp; PAYOUTS &gt; Scroll down until you find SLOTS RULES.

Common Eyecon slots for offers:&nbsp;Lucha Rumble, Rebets Splendour, Fluffy Favourites.

Click MENU &gt; Click PAYTABLE &amp; INFO &gt; Click arrows until you find RULES.

Mobile: Tap MENU &gt; Tap PAYTABLE &amp; INFO &gt; Tap arrows until you find RULES.

Common Greentube/Novomatic slots for offers: Lucky Lady's Charm Deluxe, Dolphin's Pearl Deluxe, Book of Ra Deluxe.

Click three lines (this may take a few seconds to show) &gt; Click the i symbol for Rules &gt; Click arrows until you find Game Rules.

Mobile: Tap three lines at the bottom &gt; Tap i symbol &gt; Scroll down to the bottom.

Common ELK Studios slots for offers:&nbsp;Wild Toro, Pirots, Kaiju.

What Does RTP Mean In Gambling?

To err is human. But still, we’d prefer not to.

And when you first <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">start Matched Betting</a>, you’ll probably be particularly worried about screwing up. One of the biggest advantages of Matched Betting is that it’s risk free, so long as you follow the instructions correctly. So what if you make a mistake?

In most cases, there are ways to correct an error, so there’s probably no need to panic! But the best option is simply not to make an error in the first place, and the best way to achieve that is to be aware of the potential pitfalls in advance.

We’ve compiled some of the most common Matched Betting mistakes and explained what they are, why they’re a problem, and how to make sure you avoid them.

The 14 Most Common Matched Betting Mistakes

1. Placing your lay bet before your back bet

New matched bettors often wonder why exactly this matters. You’re placing two bets designed to cancel each other out - aren’t they roughly equivalent?

Not really. As a general rule, you’re placing a fixed amount (say, £5 for a qualifying bet, or a £5 free bet) as your back bet, and your lay bet is calculated based on the odds to match it.

Odds can sometimes change quite quickly, however, and inevitably at some point you’ll find that the odds have changed between the placing of your first bet and your second.

If you’ve placed your back bet first, you can simply adjust the lay odds in the calculator and place your lay bet with the updated odds without any difficulties. If you’d placed your lay bet first, however, it would be far more difficult to adjust the back bet to avoid excess losses.

Solution: Don’t forget always to place your back bet first.

2. Forgetting to check the terms of an offer

Bookies will often place restrictions on the terms of an offer, and you need to know what they are before you go ahead and start placing bets.

The most common things to miss are the minimum odds and the number of selections for a bet builder or accumulator bet. You may also need to have made a deposit with a particular payment method (usually a debit card).

It sounds straightforward enough to check the terms and stick to them, but we’re all human, and capable of doing incredibly silly things from time to time. I once opted in to a snooker-based offer and, with great confidence, went on to place a qualifying bet on darts, then wondered why my free bet hadn’t been credited.

There can also be quite narrow restrictions for the promotion dates, or a requirement to place your qualifying (or free) bet on a particular event - but so long as you’ve paid attention, you’ll know exactly what you need to do.

Solution: Always double check the terms of an offer before you place your qualifying bet.

3. Mixing up the names of events/competitors (especially horses)

This may sound like too basic a mistake to make, but you should always double check both the event and the competitor you’re betting on, particularly with horse racing.

There are a number of races at each racecourse on race days, and it isn’t difficult to mix up a 15:45 and 17:45 race, or even to mix up similar courses like Newbury and Newmarket (that’s one I’m definitely guilty of on occasion).

And with the sheer number of race horses competing in races, sometimes their names will be similar enough to cause confusion.

Always check that both the name of the horse and the odds match up with what you’re expecting, and you shouldn’t ever end up placing a bet on the wrong one.

Solution: Double check the details of your bets before you place them.

4. Forgetting to change the calculator settings between Normal and Free Bet mode, or using the wrong calculator

Hopefully, you’d notice before actually placing your bets if the calculator was in the wrong mode - the qualifying loss/profit figures would look quite odd - but nonetheless, it’s best to double check.

When moving on to using the advanced calculators, you should always make sure you understand exactly what they’re designed to do before using them. Newer matched bettors should work through the easier offers to build their confidence before moving on to more challenging ones that require advanced calculators.

For example, the <a href="https://outplayed.com/calculators/racing-refund-calculator">Racing Refund</a>, <a href="https://outplayed.com/calculators/bonus-lockin-calculator">Bonus Lock-in</a> and <a href="https://outplayed.com/calculators/refund-if-calculator">Refund If</a> calculators all cover fairly similar situations, so it’s important you understand the differences between them. Each calculator has its own guide, which we strongly recommend reading in full before you begin.

Solution: Make a habit of selecting the calculator mode every time you use the calculator - even if the default ‘Normal’ mode is the right one - so you can’t forget to change it when you need to.

5. Forgetting to check the available liquidity in the exchange

When you find a really close match at great odds, it can be all too easy to get carried away and place your back bet before you’ve checked the availability in the exchange.

It’s such a disappointing moment when you attempt to place your lay bet only to discover that there’s a total of £2 available at those perfect odds, meaning you have to settle for worse odds and less profit, especially when it was so easily avoidable.

To avoid similar small tragedies, use the ‘Availability’ filter in the Oddsmatching tool, and set it to something comfortably higher than the rough amount you want to lay. There’s always a chance that the availability will decrease just as you’re trying to bet, especially on very popular events, but this is much less likely to happen with a healthy amount of liquidity in the market.

Solution: Use the ‘Availability’ filter whenever you use the Oddsmatcher, so that only matches with enough liquidity are shown.

6. Trying to bet with insufficient funds in your account

This one almost seems too obvious to mention, but nonetheless it does happen. Experienced matched bettors tend to keep significant sums in their exchange accounts, so it can be easy to forget that you might run out if you place several bets with large liabilities.

Given the speed at which odds can change on some events, you really don’t want to have to top up your exchange account having already placed your back bet, causing a potentially unprofitable delay. So, always do a quick check that you’ve got plenty of cash available in your exchange account - handily confirmed for you on the Outplayed Oddsmatcher if your accounts are linked - before you start placing your bets.

Solution: Keep track of your cash, and top up your exchange accounts if they get too low.

7. Placing an unmatched or partially matched bet

Placing an <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-are-unmatched-bets">unmatched or partially matched bet</a> can be a consequence of number 5 - there being insufficient liquidity in the exchange. An unmatched or partially matched bet occurs when you go ahead and place your lay bet at those odds regardless.

Your bet is unmatched because there isn’t currently anyone who’s placed a back bet at those odds to match your lay bet to. It’s possible that your bet will be matched as the event draws nearer, but it’s safer to cancel the unmatched portion of your bet and try again, placing the remainder at whatever odds have enough availability. Otherwise, you risk your bet remaining unmatched, which could result in an overall loss from the bet.

Solution: Ideally, use the ‘Availability’ filter to avoid placing an unmatched bet - but if you do end up with your bet not fully matched, our <a href="https://outplayed.com/calculators/fixabet-calculator">Fixabet</a> tool can help rectify the error.

Matched bettors aren’t too popular with bookies, funnily enough, and they use every tool at their disposal to detect behaviour indicative of Matched Betting.

So don’t make it easy for them! Focus on popular events that you’d expect genuine punters to be betting on. You may have found an incredibly close match on Swedish second division football, but the small amount of extra profit you might make on that particular game isn’t worth potentially losing your account.

For more tips on how to blend in, take a look at our guide to <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/top-tips-to-avoid-being-gubbed">avoiding being gubbed</a>.

Solution: Stick to major events as far as possible. If you don’t already support a particular football team, it’s not a bad idea to start supporting one - and placing bets on them every so often.

It may not sound very exciting, but it’s important to keep a record of all the bets you make, whether you use Outplayed’s handy <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/matched-betting-spreadsheet">Profit Tracker</a> or a spreadsheet of your own.

It’s easy to become confused if you’re betting frequently, and having detailed records ensures you never miss any free bets you’ve earned, or forget to check on the outcome of an event. Especially with horse racing, it’s important to have a record of your bet, so you can go back to the bookie and check the results.

If your horse ended up not running, for example, your bet would have been voided both at the bookie and the exchange - for a free bet, you’d usually need to place it again. Meanwhile, in the event of a <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/rule-4-deductions-explained">Rule 4 deduction</a>, your profits may have been a little lower than expected - or in the case of <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/best-odds-guaranteed-in-matched-betting">Best Odds Guaranteed</a> being invoked, they could also be significantly higher.

Solution: Use either a Profit Tracker tool or your own spreadsheet to keep track of your betting activity.

Similarly, you need to know where your money is. Although it can be a pleasant surprise to find an unexpected tenner lurking in one of your little-used bookie accounts, it’s far more sensible to ensure you have a record of all your deposits.

As you become more experienced, you’ll probably end up maintaining a reasonable sum in all your most-used bookie accounts, to save yourself having to make constant deposits and withdrawals, but you’d be wise to keep a note of how much you have with each of them nonetheless. To make this easier, Outplayed include a balance sheet in your account to keep track of exactly where all your money is.

Solution: Use a spreadsheet or our handy <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/matched-betting-spreadsheet">balance sheet</a> to keep your records up to date

Winning too much can be a trigger for gubbing, so some matched bettors reason that the easiest way to avoid this is never to win your back bets. After all, if your matched bets always win on the exchange side, the bookie will only see that they’re making money from you, and consider you a good customer.

The problem with this is that it means you end up placing all your bets at very high odds, in order to reduce the likelihood of the back bet winning. But that doesn’t mean that the back bet never wins, and when it does win at high odds, a large chunk of your money has gone straight back to the bookie, leaving you at square one.

Although you should be careful about behaviours that might identify you as a matched bettor, you should bear in mind that real gamblers will win at least some of their bets, so you don’t always need to lose to blend in. You’re better off placing a few <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-mug-betting">mug bets</a>&nbsp;to divert bookie suspicion.

Solution: Place a mug bet, that isn’t tied to an offer, from time to time, to look more like a regular punter.

When you start seeing profits from your Matched Betting, it’s very tempting to spend them right away. However, it’s a much better strategy to build up your bankroll first. With a larger bankroll, you’re able to make the most of whatever offers come your way, which will add up to significantly higher profits in the long term.

It’s up to you to decide the point at which you feel you’ve got enough money built up to be worth withdrawing it and spending it on whatever you’ve been working towards - a holiday or a car perhaps, or just extra funds to tuck away for a rainy day - but whatever you decide, make sure you leave enough in your bankroll to make more profits in the meantime.

Solution: Set yourself a minimum threshold for your balances (for example, £300 in an exchange) and only withdraw when you’re over that balance. This will allow you to enjoy your profits without harming your ability to make more of them.

If you’re new to Matched Betting, the idea of becoming complacent is probably quite hard to imagine. When they first get started, most people double, triple, quadruple and quintuple check everything before they bet, just in case they missed something on the first four passes.

But as with anything, the more Matched Betting you do, the easier it gets. The vast majority of mistakes, including most of those listed in this article, stem from rushing, paying insufficient attention, or becoming complacent. No matter how experienced you become, it’s important to remain careful, and not to place bets when you’re distracted or in a hurry.

Solution: No matter how experienced you come, remind yourself regularly to be careful! And don’t carry out your Matched Betting when you don’t really have time for it.

This is perhaps the biggest potential danger, and the most important thing to avoid. Matched Betting is not gambling, but it does put you in touch with the gambling world, and for some people that can be a strong temptation.

If you’ve placed a back bet at high odds and it ends up winning, it’s easy to look at the comparatively small profit you’ve made from the matched bet and reflect that if you hadn’t matched it you’d have ended up much, much better off. But you’d be forgetting about all the high odds back bets that didn’t win, which is exactly the trap the bookies are hoping you’ll fall into.

Bookies make money because real gamblers pretty much always lose. If that weren’t the case, they wouldn’t be in business. As a matched bettor, you have to be disciplined to avoid becoming just another punter yourself.

If you’ve struggled with a gambling addiction in the past, we strongly advise against taking up Matched Betting. It may not be a form of gambling itself, but it’s close enough to be unsafe for anybody at risk of falling prey to a gambling addiction.

Solution: If you find that your Matched Betting is tipping into gambling for real, get help. <a href="https://www.gamstop.co.uk">GamStop</a> are a great place to start if you feel as though you’re losing control and need to get back on track.

2. If you’re a member of a Matched Betting site such as <a href="https://outplayed.com/">Outplayed</a>, follow the step-by-step instructions for an offer closely. They check all the terms such as minimum odds on your behalf, so if you follow along you won’t go wrong.

3. Don’t bet when you’re pushed for time

4. Double check the odds before placing a bet

5. Make use of the filters on the Oddsmatcher (especially Availability and Minimum Odds)

6. Keep track of your available funds

It does occasionally turn out that an error will work in your favour. For example, you might find that you’ve made an unlayable back bet that ends up winning, resulting in pure profit.

However, the likelihood is that a mistake will be to your detriment, not to your benefit. Even if you discover a mistake that’s resulted in a greater profit than expected, you should never rely on getting lucky. Just be glad that you escaped without losing any money, and take extra care not to let it happen again!

If you realise that you’ve made a mistake, don’t panic. A lot of mistakes are fixable, especially if you’ve followed our general guidelines.

Our <a href="https://outplayed.com/calculators/fixabet-calculator">Fixabet</a>&nbsp;calculator allows you to fix any mistakes with overlaid or partially matched lay bets, so in the majority of cases you’ll be able to salvage the situation. And if you find it tricky to work out what you need to do to fix your mistake, our expert <a href="https://outplayed.com/contact">customer support</a> agents are available every day to lend you a hand.

Now that you’re aware of the most common pitfalls when Matched Betting, you’ve got all the information you need to avoid them.

Of course, everybody makes a mistake from time to time, and even the most experienced Matched Bettors aren’t immune. The most important thing is always to pay attention to what you’re doing - and don’t forget that in most cases a small error isn’t the end of the world.

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