Welcome to the third instalment of our Betfair Strategy series. In our first two articles we went through the basics of the Betfair exchange, including understanding the markets and knowing the difference between backing and laying a bet. Click on the links below to check out the first two articles in the series.
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Understanding Back and Lay Betting on Betfair.
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Understanding the Betfair Markets.
Now that you’re familiar with the basics at Betfair, it’s time to move on to some plans and strategies that you may want to employ to make sure you’re giving yourself the best opportunity to succeed. First off, we’ll take you through some well-known staking plans that punters use to stay in control of their bank roll.
Staking Plans
Level Staking
A really straight-forward staking plan is to use ‘level staking’. This simple method involves investing the same amount of capital on every wager you place. Most commonly, punters that utilise level staking will place 2-5% of their bankroll on every wager.
Martingale Staking
The ‘Martingale’ strategy for staking is one that is used by punters looking to recover funds from a losing wager, or as some would say, to ‘chase’ their losses. This method is used most commonly by casino regulars or punters that bet on markets that are a 50-50 chance (e.g. heads or tails). This staking strategy requires the punter to double their wager amount after every loss, so that the first win will recover all previous losses plus win a profit equal to the original stake.
Fibonacci Sequence Staking
A similar staking strategy to the Martingale is the Fibonacci Sequence Staking strategy. The key difference between the Fibonacci Sequence and the Martingale is that staking with the Fibonacci Sequence is determined by a sequence of numbers and the result of the previous wager. If the punter loses a bet, they move up one step on the sequence, and if they win, they move down two steps on the sequence.
Proportional and Percentage Staking
One of the simpler staking methods is the Proportional and Percentage Staking strategy. Punters using this method will invest a certain percent or proportion of their bankroll regardless of how big/small it may be. When your bankroll fluctuates the amount you stake will adjust accordingly.
Dutch Staking
This staking method is most commonly used in horse racing when a punter is interested in backing two or more runners. Dutch Staking involves diving your stake over a number of selections so that the same amount is won regardless of which of your runners wins.
The five staking methods listed above are the most commonly used and can each be effective in their own right when used correctly. That wraps up this week’s Betfair Strategy piece, but make sure to check back in regularly to see future instalments.
