During 2024, Outplayed’s Pro and Pro Plus tools became more powerful than ever, and one member, Ellis11, has been making the most of it.

A long-time user of Outplayed and early tester of our new <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/golf-master">Golf Master tool</a>, Ellis11 has quietly built up over £52,000 in profit using a combination of Pro and Pro Plus tools.

Ellis has been kind enough to share their journey, from getting started as a student to now operating with a five-figure bankroll and betting around 30 hours per week.

Whether you’re new to <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-value-betting">value betting</a> or already using the <a href="https://outplayed.com/pro">Outplayed Pro</a> and Pro Plus tools yourself, there’s a lot to learn from Ellis’s approach.

From Student Side Hustle To Serious Profit

Ellis first discovered Matched Betting in early 2021 while studying at university and built up a bankroll from their profits before starting value betting with the Outplayed Pro tools last year.

“I started Matched betting through a friend of mine. I’ve now finished uni and work part-time, but I’ve been value betting since late 2024.”

Ellis has been an Outplayed member for over four and a half years now, steadily progressing from Matched Betting into more advanced strategies.

As of today, Ellis’s profit using the Pro Tools sits at over £52,000.

While Ellis uses most of the tools available through the Outplayed Pro membership, the main focus has been on:

Each plays a different role in the strategy, but the Steam Chaser is where most of the weekly turnover happens.

“I’ve made over £52,000 from the Pro Tools overall. The Steam Chaser is the one I use the most during the week.”

Ellis tracks everything carefully using both the in built profit tracker and spreadsheets to manage results. Check out some of Ellis’s results so far:

Steam Chaser: 1762 bets placed using the Steam Chaser making a total profit of £20841.61

Extra Place Master: 6675 bets placed using the Extra Place Master making a total profit of £26724.15

2UP Master: 538 bets placed using the 2UP Master making a total profit of £3335.48

When it comes to Steam Chaser, Ellis sticks to a focused setup and avoids cluttered markets.

“I mainly bet on Football and Basketball, but mostly football. I turn off half-time results and avoid corners/bookings. I focus on Match Result, Handicaps, and Match Totals.I have found a lot of success with Asian handicaps, especially 0.0 (also known as Draw No Bet)."

Ellis also configures these Steam Chaser filters to the following:

Markets: Winner, Handicaps, Match Totals

As one of the early testers of the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/golf-master">Golf Master</a>, Ellis has already seen encouraging results, despite some near misses.

“The Golf Master is a great way to get value on weekly golf tournaments, especially majors. So far, I’ve made £289 profit with an expected value (EV) of £679.I’ve been unlucky recently - finished 2nd in four straight tournaments - but the EV is there.”

A Week In The Life: Time, Setup, And Routine

Ellis treats this like a serious side hustle - putting in around 30 hours per week.

“I usually bet between 9am–12pm, especially on Saturdays.&nbsp;That’s where most of the value is. I also target big events like Cheltenham, Royal Ascot, and the start of the football season.”

It’s also good to hear Ellis’s set-up is refreshingly simple:

“I just have a laptop and phone. That’s all I’ve used since I started.”

Ellis now manages the following separate bankrolls across different value betting strategies:

Ellis uses quarter Kelly staking to stay consistent and to manage variance during the inevitable downswings.

“My biggest downswings were around £4,600 on horses and £4,800 on Steam Chaser. It’s tough, but I stay focused on getting EV. Long-term, it evens out.”

Avoiding Gubbings And Protecting Accounts

When it comes to <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/top-tips-to-avoid-being-gubbed">avoiding being gubbed</a> and account longevity, Ellis takes a cautious but deliberate approach:

“On new accounts, I start slowly - I take lower-value bets and mix in some mug bets. Over time, I’ll gradually increase my stake size and go after more valuable bets.I also avoid huge EV bets, like 130%+, as I think those get flagged more easily.”

With over four years of experience and more than £50k in profits, Ellis’s advice is clear and grounded:

“Pick a strategy and stick to it. Focus on grabbing as much expected value (EV) as possible and don’t give up when you hit a bad run.&nbsp;Preparation is everything. Make sure you have accounts opened and money ready. You need to be quick to get the best prices.”

From a student just starting out to a serious bettor with tens of thousands in profit, Ellis’s journey is a brilliant example of what’s possible with the right tools and consistent effort.

The value betting tools, like Steam Chaser, Extra Place Master and Golf Master, are powerful - but they work best in the hands of someone who treats value betting with discipline and patience.

If you’ve got your own success story to share, we’d love to hear it. Just reach out to the <a href="https://outplayed.com/contact">Outplayed team</a> or post in the forum.

How This Long-Time Member Made £52,000 From Value Betting Alone Last Year

Outplayed’s Golf Master is a powerful tool designed to help you take high-value each way bets on golf.

Available exclusively to Outplayed Pro Plus members, it’s built for advanced bettors who want to extract value from bookmaker odds each week.

If you’ve ever used the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/extra-place-master">Extra Place Master</a> in No Lay mode, you’ll feel right at home.

The Golf Master works in a similar way, but specifically for golf, by analysing every player in a tournament and highlighting which bets have the highest <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-expected-value">expected value</a> (EV).

That means no more guesswork. Just clear, data-backed bets that show which golfers are worth backing.

In this post, we’ll break down how the Golf Master works, when to use it, and how it can help you consistently place smarter, more profitable bets each week.

The Golf Master scans upcoming golf tournaments to calculate the expected value (EV) of each golfer.

Once calculated, the bets are listed in order of EV, so the most profitable opportunities appear right at the top.

You don’t need to work out the maths yourself or second-guess which odds might be worth taking.

The Golf Master is intuitive to use, and filters make it easy to focus on the bookmakers, tournaments, and EV ranges you care about.

It cuts through the noise and highlights real high value bets allowing you to take a large amount of value in a short space of time across a wide range of bookmakers.

The Golf Master is designed to be used before a tournament begins, typically between Monday and Thursday morning (depending on when tournaments begin).

This is when markets begin to form. Bookmakers often include additional extra places for golf due to the high number of players in each tournament; these extra places often mean there is even more value available.

You can place golf bets at any time of day - morning, afternoon, or evening - as long as it’s before the tournament tees off. Once play begins, bets will no longer appear on the software as the tool doesn’t support in-play betting.

The Golf Master is a <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-value-betting">value betting</a> tool for no lay betting, so it's best suited for those comfortable with variance. That means you won’t win every bet, and that’s expected. But by consistently taking +EV bets, the long-term edge is firmly in your favour.

If you're new to value betting, start small and build gradually. Always double-check that the bookmaker is still offering the number of places shown in the software before placing your bet.

One of the biggest advantages of golf betting is how stable the markets are compared to horse racing.

In horse racing, odds can move rapidly, especially an hour or so before the race.

With golf, odds tend to hold steady for much longer, giving you more time to find and place value bets without feeling rushed.

This makes the Golf Master ideal for placing bets around your schedule.

You don’t need to be glued to your screen waiting for the perfect moment; you can scan the software, filter by your preferred bookmakers, and place your bets at any time of the day before the tournaments start.

Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of the Golf Master:

These habits will not only help protect your accounts but they’ll also ensure you’re consistently getting the best value available.

The Golf Master unlocks a high-value betting opportunity in a sport many people have never profited from before.

It finds huge +EV each-way bets across golf tournaments, all without needing free bets, promotions, or complex strategies.

You can even use gubbed or restricted accounts, making it ideal for those looking to get more out of accounts they thought were finished.

Because golf runs all year round, the value doesn’t stop and with stable odds, flexible timing, and a fresh new edge, the Golf Master adds a profitable new layer to your value betting strategy - one that’s easy to overlook, but hard to ignore once you see the returns.

The Golf Master: Take Massive Value Every Week

Horse racing is one of those subjects that seems to be absolutely crammed with baffling terminology.

If you follow horse racing only casually, or you’re just starting to <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide">get into sports betting</a>, you’ve probably looked at least once at the information at the top of a racecard and thought that you haven’t got a clue what any of it means.

A ‘handicap’ horse race is one where all the horses have been levelled up by the addition of extra weight, with the aim of equalising their ability.

It might sound like it should be a rarity, given that the point of a race is normally for the best runner to win, but some of the biggest horse racing events in the world are handicaps - the Grand National, for example, and the Melbourne Cup in Australia.

If you’re already au fait with all the finer points of horse racing, you probably aren’t in need of this article - but if you want to understand what handicap is, how it works, and why it exists, read on!

There are a lot of horse races across the world each year, with a wide array of categories and subcategories. The two basic types of race are jumps and flat, which are, just as they sound, either races including jumps, or races on flat ground.

Within each major type of race, there are various subcategories of race, with varying rules and restrictions.

Group races are some of the best known flat races in horse racing, featuring the highest performing horses. These are subdivided into Groups 1, 2 and 3, with Group 1 being the highest level.

Group races are usually restricted by age and/or gender of the horse - e.g. a group race might be exclusively for three year old fillies.

Group 1 races feature the very highest quality horses, and are considered highlights of the racing year. Some of the very most famous Group 1 races are the Classics - five races with centuries of history, all of which are contested only by three year old horses.

Groups 2 and 3 are still considered very important races, but aren’t of quite such high quality as Group 1 races.

Listed races, meanwhile, are another step down from group races, but otherwise follow the same format.

Graded races are jump races, which follow the same format as group races. Grade 1 races are the highest level, and include such note-worthy events as the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle. As with group races, grades 2 and 3 are the next levels down from grade 1, though still of high importance, and listed races of slightly lower quality again.

Jump horses tend to be older than flat racing horses, competing from a minimum age of three, with many starting later than that. Jump races come in five main formats:

As you probably gathered from the name, selling races are those designed to sell some or all of the horses competing.

These races tend to feature inexperienced horses, whose owners hope their horse will perform well and be snapped up by someone looking for the next big thing.

Usually, the winner of a race will immediately be put up for auction afterwards - although sometimes the original owner may themselves put in a bid for their horse.

Finally, we come to handicap races. These can be jumps or flats, but in either case the horses will receive a handicap rating and have weight added to their saddles, the aim being to level out the playing field before the race begins.

The majority of horses, except those racing at the very highest level, will compete in handicap races. Most handicap races are run by somewhat older and less valuable horses, however this isn’t universally the case - some of the great races are handicaps, including the Grand National, as well as quite a number of other races internationally.

Horses are assessed to determine their ability level, which is based on their performance in previous races. Horses must generally compete in at least three races to be given a handicap rating, and thus to be allowed to enter handicap races.

Based on their performance figures, horses are given a handicap rating, which may be adjusted after every race, depending on their performance.

Each horse competing in a handicap race will carry an additional specified weight, known as the impost. The aim is to put all horses on an equal footing (or should we say hoofing?) to ensure a competitive race, even with significant discrepancies between the abilities of the horses involved.

The very concept of a handicap race is likely to strike someone unfamiliar with horse racing as very odd. What is the point of a race, after all, but to establish which is the fastest competitor?

Horse racing, however, is a sport that has been intrinsically linked to betting for almost as long as it’s existed - which is a very long time indeed. And betting becomes much more interesting - and profitable - when more of the runners have a real chance of winning a race.

A competitive race is also far more enjoyable to watch, so handicap races have the advantage of appealing both to audiences and to punters. Plus, the more races that can be held, the better for the horse racing industry as a whole.

Compared to the millennia of <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/horse-racing-history">history of horse racing</a>, handicapping is quite a new development - though it still goes back as far as the 19th century, and is credited to Admiral Henry John Rous.

The Admiral had an illustrious career in the Navy, which he joined at 13, serving in the Napoleonic Wars, before going home to become MP for Westminster. Horse racing isn’t the only sport he had an instrumental role in developing; in 1827, he organised Sydney’s very first Regatta while visiting Australia.

Having returned from his seafaring adventures, he was made a steward of the Jockey Club in 1838, and in that role devised the weight-for-age scale still used for the highest levels of horse racing today. Although modern handicap races don’t use the weight-for-age scale, instead basing a horse’s handicap on performance, it was Admiral Rous who paved the way for modern handicap racing.

The ratings system differs slightly between races run on the flat and jump races. On the flat, handicap ratings are between 0 and 140, while those in the National Hunt are rated between 0 and 170.

The higher the horse’s rating, the better its ability has been judged to be, and therefore the more weight it has to carry to balance out its performance.

A horse’s rating determines exactly the amount of extra weight it must carry - one pound of weight for every point difference. So, for example, a horse with a rating of 90 must carry 5lb more than a horse with a rating of 85.

A horse’s rating also determines the races it can participate in. Horses of the very highest ability will not be able to compete in handicap races, but must compete against the best racers in graded or group races. Handicap races, meanwhile, will have a specified range of handicap ratings, and only horses within that range will be eligible to take part.

Every race will have a class, which indicates the ratings bands for its competitors as follows:

Class 1 - includes the Classic races, and all Group races. For horses with an Official Rating (often shortened to OR) of 96+

Class 2 - Official Ratings ranges of 86-100, 91-105, 96-110

Class 3 - Official Ratings ranges of 76-90 and 81-95

Class 4 - Official Ratings ranges of 66-80 and 71-85

Class 5 - Official Ratings ranges of 56-70 and 61-75

Class 6 - Official Ratings ranges of 46-60 and 51-65

Class 7 - Official Ratings range of 0-45

Class 1 - includes Grade 1, 2, 3 and Listed races

Class 2 - Official Ratings range of 0 - 140+

Class 3 - Official Ratings range of 0 - 135

Class 4 - Official Ratings range of 0 - 115

Class 5 - Official Ratings range of 0 - 95

Class 6 - National Hunt flat races and Hunter’s Steeplechases

The <a href="https://www.britishhorseracing.com/">British Horseracing Authority</a> employs handicappers to assess the performance of horses in all races, and gives them a Performance Figure accordingly.

Having produced the performance figures for a race, the BHA will then decide upon a horse’s initial rating, if the horse has just completed their third qualifying run, or whether an adjustment should be made to a horse’s existing rating.

If a trainer believes that a horse’s rating is unfair, they can speak to the handicapper who assigned it to find out the reasoning behind the rating. If they’re unable to resolve the dispute via discussion, though, the BHA has an appeals process for trainers to follow. Trainers would also be able to follow this process if the BHA has refused to give a horse a rating altogether (which usually happens if they feel there isn’t enough information to rate the horse fairly).

Handicapping isn’t a perfect process. Although the aim is to produce an equal field, it’s never the case that a race finishes in a dead heat between all competitors.

A handicap rating can never account for the variability of a horse’s performance, and the handicapper is also unlikely to judge every horse to perfection. For this reason, many bettors see opportunities to exploit what they consider to be flawed handicap ratings. A bettor may feel that a horse’s odds are overlong, and that it is more likely to win than its rating might imply.

Some bettors will even compile their own private handicap ratings for horses, allowing them to make informed decisions about their betting.

For most people, this is far more work than they’re willing to put in, when all they want is to have a bit of a flutter on a race. One alternative, that makes matters of performance and handicap completely irrelevant, is to <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">have a go at Matched Betting</a>. A matched bettor will always come out of a race with a guaranteed profit, no matter the outcome, and has no need to worry in the slightest about the complexities and consequences of handicapping.

If you’re still not convinced that it makes any sense for the horse racing industry to devote enormous sums of money and countless hours of work to a system designed to prevent the best horse from winning a race - well, you’ve probably got a fair point.

But the fact remains that they do, and it certainly produces exciting races and more worthwhile betting opportunities, both for bookies and for punters. Hopefully, you’re now better informed than you were about handicapping in horse racing - though of course, if you stick to Matched Betting, you probably won’t need to be.

Stephanie Sorrell

How Does Handicap Work In Horse Racing?

If you’re already placing lay bets, why not get rewarded for it?

BetConnect’s ‘You Lay, We Pay’ offer gives you the chance to earn up to £30 in cash just for placing your usual lay bets through the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/betconnect-integration-outplayed">Betconnect integration</a>.

Whether you're a seasoned matched bettor or just starting out, this is an easy way to add extra value to your betting.

From 1st August 2025 to 31st Augusty 2025, you can earn £5 cash for every £1,000 in lay stakes placed, up to a maximum of £30 (for £6,000 in lay stakes).

The more you bet, the more you earn!

There are plenty of reasons to take advantage of this generous offer:

How To Take Part In ‘You Lay, We Pay’

You can get started today with this offer by following these simple steps:

Why Take Advantage Of ‘You Lay, We Pay’?

If you're already laying bets, this is essentially free money!

It’s a simple way to boost your betting profits without any extra effort.

Don’t miss out - opt in and start earning cash back on your lay bets!

Be sure to read the <a href="https://info.betconnect.com/terms-conditions-outplayed-you-lay-we-pay/">full terms and conditions for the offer here</a>.

Get Paid For Laying Bets With BetConnect

An Each Way (E/W) bet consists of two bets combined into one. You’re splitting your bet for your chosen selection to “win” or to “place” (in the number of places predetermined by the bookmakers).

This gives you a higher chance of winning if your selection fails to win but finishes in the places offered by the bookies.

Each Way (E/W) betting has become a very popular <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide">way of betting</a> and is most commonly used in Horse Racing betting but is also used in other sporting events too.

In this article, you’ll learn how an each way bet works, how to place them and how you can use them to make a profit.

To place an each way bet you first need to choose a total stake you would like to bet on your selection.

With each way bets, the two bet elements are calculated differently due to the fractions the bookies use on the place part. You can use an <a href="https://outplayed.com/calculators/each-way-bet-calculator">each way calculator</a> to work your bets our accurately.

As an example, let’s say you placed a £10 E/W bet on Liverpool to win the Premier League at odds of 8.0 (7/1) and the E/W terms are 1/3 for 2 places. If Liverpool won the league:

Win Part - This is as calculated as a normal win bet &amp; you would multiply the stake by the odds. £10 x 8 means you would get £80 returned.

Place Part - This calculation differs in that you have to deduct 1 from the original odds and then divide that by the fractions for the place part and then add one back on.

8-1 equals 7, then 7 divided by 3 equals 2.33 and then you add one back on for 3.33.

You then multiply you stake by these odds so £10 x 3.33 = £33.33.

Your total returns would be £80 + £33.33 = £113.33.

If Liverpool finished 2nd then you would only use the above Place Part element and your returns would be £33.33.

A punter decides they quite fancy the chances of Amerjeet winning or being close in the 3pm at <a href="https://www.lingfieldpark.co.uk/">Lingfield Races</a>.

Because they aren’t certain it will definitely win, they decide to back it each way at Bet365. Not wanting to go mad, they decide to back £10 each way at decimal odds of 11 (10/1 in fractional odds).

The win odds here are 10/1 but Bet365 are offering 1/5 of the win odds on the top three places.

The below image shows how the bet looks:

So the total bet is £20 (£10 to win and £10 to place in the top three)

You’ll see the possible outcomes of your bet once the race has finished.

Outcome One: The horse wins

Outcome Two: The horse finishes second or third

Outcome Three: The horse doesn’t win or place

As can be seen, placing each way bets gives customers a slightly better edge to win some money. However, the returns aren’t as great as just betting on the win only.

People usually do each way bets to provide them with a bit of protection if they back something that might have a chance of winning but is by no means guaranteed.

Ideally, you’ll back something that has at least a small chance of winning but this is easier said than done when it comes to backing horses.

As with our previous example, it’s more suitable to avoid short odds bets and do each way bets with longer odds (usually 5/1 or above).

This is because you have a better chance of at least breaking even, if not making a small profit. Betting each way on shorter priced selections will offer little value unless you are value betting or using free bet credits.

What Are The Advantages Of Each Way Betting?

What Are The Disadvantages Of Each Way Betting?

Placing Each Way Bets On Different Sports

Whilst horse racing is considered to be the main market for each way betting, there are other sports that offer it as an option including Football, Golf and Cricket.

Let’s take a look at some examples of how each way bets work for different sports.

As mentioned, Horse Racing is undoubtedly the biggest market for each way betting.

Placing the each way bet is quite straight forward. Click on the odds next to the horse of your choice, enter your chosen each way stake (remember, the total stake will be double the amount that you enter), tick the E/W option and then place your bet.

The below example is a horse called Tideways Hero that is running in the 4.28 at Wexford. The win odds are 21 (20/1) and the place odds are 1/5 of the total odds. Therefore, you’re placing £10 at 21 (20/1) for the win and £10 at 5 (4/1) for it to place.

Should Tideways Hero win, you would get £260 returned (£10 x 20/1 = £200 for the win part) &amp; (£10 x 4/1 = £40). Once you remove the original stake, your profit is £240.

Placing each way bets on Football is mostly done for outcomes that are in the future such as winners of the Premier League, FA Cup Winners and Teams to be Relegated. There are other markets such as Top Goal Scorer which offer 4 places on each way bets.

Always remember to check the E/W (Each Way) terms when placing an E/W bet as the place fractions can differ depending on the markets you are betting on. As an example, the place fractions for the Premier League are 1/3 for 2 places and the Top Goal Scorer is 1/4 for 4 places.

Paul Trevor

How Does An Each Way Bet Work?

Horse racing refunds are extremely worthwhile if you’re looking to enhance your long-term <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting/">Matched Betting profits</a>.

They are super simple, quick to do and available through the week. On certain days such as Saturdays, there are more opportunities available for horse races shown live on ITV.

These races typically have a lot of free bet incentives associated with them as different bookmakers compete for your custom.

In this article, you’ll learn what horse racing refunds are, how to find them and how you can add them to your routine to maximise your returns.

A horse racing refund is when a bookmaker offers to refund your bet stake as cash or a free bet if your horse meets certain criteria, typically if your horse wins or finishes in a specified position.

There are different racing refunds available each day, here are a few examples of the types of variations you’ll see:

Horse Racing Refund Matched Betting Example

A common horse racing refund you can take advantage of is a refund if your horse finishes in a certain position, typically anywhere from 2nd to 4th.

Sky Bet frequently run the best “cash back” version of this offer. Here is a horse racing refund offer they have stating they’ll give you money back as cash if your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd.

The simplest way to complete this offer when Matched Betting is to do a <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/qualifying-bet-guide">normal qualifying bet</a> on any horse which will give you the smallest qualifying loss - if your horse finishes in 2nd or 3rd position in this instance, you’ll get £10 cash.

For this offer, close to the start of the race there was a good opportunity available on the horse “Le Cameleon”, that gave a qualifying loss of around 30p for using a £10 back stake.

As a general rule - aiming for a qualifying loss of around 50p per £10 stake is suitable so this cheap 30p qualifying loss is ideal.

This is the simple way to complete horse racing refund offers, take a small qualifying loss and move to the next offer.

If the horse “Le Cameleon” finishes 2nd or 3rd, you’ll get £10 cash leaving you with around £9.70 profit (£10 cash minus the qualifying loss). If “Le Cameleon” finishes in any other position, you’ll make the small 30p loss.

The key aspect to these horse racing refund offers is keeping the qualifying loss to a minimum and to remember it’s a long-term strategy. One winner will cover many of yoru small qualifying losses and over time you’ll be handsomely in profit.

How To Lock In A Profit From Horse Racing Refunds

Most Matched Bettors will use the method explained above and simply place a back and lay bet on a horse to take a small qualifying loss and move to the next offer - it’s efficient and effective.

However, it’s possible to lock in a small profit from some horse racing refund offers.

The alternative way to complete these offers is to use a “<a href="https://outplayed.com/calculators/racing-refund-calculator">racing refund calculator</a>” and extract a profit regardless if your horse comes in the correct position or not.

Here’s an example of how the racing refund calculator works on the same offer as above:

The first step would be to choose the type of refund offer you’re doing which in this case, you’ll get cashback if your horse finishes in 2nd or 3rd place.

The next step is to input the back and lay odds of the selected horse as you would for any qualifying bet.

As Sky Bet are giving you £10 cashback. The bonus amount is therefore 10, and the retention is 100% (you get to keep all of the £10 amount as it is full stake cashback and not a free bet).

Outplayed Blog

Matched Betting

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