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Biggest Accumulator Wins

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The dream of most punters is to win big on an accumulator. One of the biggest draws of accumulator bets is the chance to win life-changing sums of money for relatively small bets.

Below we list some of the biggest accumulator wins ever recorded. These punters bet from just 50p up to £100, and while only two of them topped a million pounds, all of them ended up extremely happy with their lucky wins.

We would love to here what your biggest accumulator win is – please post in the comments below!

£823,000 accumulator on a £19 bet

One of the all-time largest accumulator wins happened in April 2017 and resulted in Coral making its highest ever pay-out on horse racing, a staggering £823,000 on just a £19 online bet.

While the gambler has decided to remain anonymous, we do know he lives in Leicestershire. Describing his win as “the realisation of a lifetime dream”, we can only add that he is not alone in his dreams; winning such a life-changing amount of money is a dream that many of us share.

The £19 accumulator was placed on five horses on a Friday afternoon meeting at Punchestown. A regular accumulator player, he says that he has been placing accumulator bets nearly every day during the last 20 years. This is the first time he has made a big return, though he has come close on a few occasions, though losing out in the last legs.

His father was a bookmaker and as a result he had been into horseracing since he was very young.  His first winning bet was on desert Orchid in 1986. However, he says he never places singles bets; he always bets using accumulators with a minimum of three bets in the accumulator.

On this occasion he didn’t realise he had won until the following day. He went out on the town with some friends on the Friday evening and it wasn’t until he returned home and checked the racing results that he discovered he had won a fortune.

The accumulator consisted of:

  1. 10/1 Das Mooser
  2. 9/2 Woodland Opera
  3. 7/1 Definite Ruby
  4. 10/1 Bacardys
  5. 33/1 Canardier

The bets consisted of five £3 fourfold accumulators and one £4 fivefold accumulator.

 

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£223k accumulator from a £5 bet

Perhaps one of the most impressive accumulator wins was a twenty team football accumulator. This occurred in December 2016 when the punter’s win was sealed by a 2-1 win by Tottenham over Burnley. The win can just in time for Christmas too.

The punter, who has decided to remain anonymous, is from Burnley. While some of his bets were easy wins, several were knife edge triumphs. On one occasion it was a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal scored in the 88th minute that kept his winning streak going. Another tense time was when Sheffield Wednesday scored the only goal in the game against Brighton in the 94th minute  and on another even more nail biting occasion it was a  95th minute goal by Brighton against Birmingham.

The chances of winning the accumulator had been diminishingly small with overall odds of 41,548/1. It just shows how lucky you can get.

 

£650k accumulator on a £100 bet

Another big football accumulator happened in November 2014 when a lucky punter won a £650 accumulator on  a £100 bet. Again it had been a nail biting win in the final leg when a 91st minute goal by Coventry against Leyton Orient.

This time it was an in-play accumulator and involved some brave decisions. Probably the bravest was to bet on a draw in a West Ham versus Stoke game at a time when West Ham had a two goal deficit and the odds being offered were 18/1.

The accumulator consisted of:

  1. 13/20                 Arsenal  to beat Burnley
  2. 18/1                 Stoke vs West Ham  draw
  3. 13/10                Cardiff  to beat Leeds
  4. 29/20                Blackburn  to beat Reading
  5. 7/5                 Wigan vs Fulham  draw
  6. 3/1                 Charlton vs Sheffield Wednesday  draw
  7. 5/4                Bristol City  to beat Oldham
  8. 5/2                 Leyton Orient vs Coventry  draw

The bets consisted of eight £10 sevenfold accumulators and one eightfold accumulator.

 

£1 million accumulator from a 50p bet

In terms of profit margin this must be one of the biggest accumulator wins of all time. The punter was Fred Craggs, who turned out to be a very lucky Yorkshireman. A fertiliser salesman, Fred had placed the bet on his 60th birthday.

The bet was an 8 horse accumulator placed with Willian Hill high Street betting shop in Thirsk. Some of the horses he bet on were: Isn’t That Lucky racing at Sandown, Racer Forever racing at Wolverhampton and A Dream Come True racing at Dubai. With names like that it seems he most likely bet on the names rather than their form; they were all offered at long odds.

He didn’t realise that he’d won until he went down to the bookmakers to make another bet. After discovering his lucky win, he sat through a family meal before telling anyone.  Now as well as being a millionaire he has an entry in the Guinness Book of records.

 

£1,450,000 accumulator from a £2 bet

What must be the biggest horse racing win of all time is the £1,450,000 accumulator won from a £2 bet by Steve Whiteley in March 2011.  A plumbing engineer from Tawton in Devon, Steve was an occasional racegoer who used his then recently issued bus pass to travel down to the course.

He selected the six winners in the Exeter Tote Jackpot. His winnings before tax were £2,035,538, but taxes reduced this to £1,450,000. Still, Steve wasn’t complaining. He vowed not to give up his £500 a week job and even returned to work the day after receiving his cheque.

His accumulator was:

  1. 2/1 Semicolon (favourite)
  2. 12/1 Black Phantom
  3. 16/1 Ammunition
  4. 16/1 Mr Bennett
  5. 5/1 Lundy Sky
  6. 12/1 Lupita

By the time it got to the final race, he was the only punter nationwide to have a chance of winning the accumulator. It was a hurdles race and the winning horse had last won a race three years before  in a flat race. It was also the first win for jockey Jessica Lodge.

You may not be able to replicate those kinds of wins, but you can make up to £500 per month with our number one recommended betting system here. 

 

 

 

 

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Diamond Jubilee Stakes Provides a Tricky Field for Punters

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The final Group One of Royal Ascot 2017 is the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, taking place on Saturday, June 24. The six-furlong race gets underway at 16.20 and comprises a competitive-looking field that is sure to have the majority of punters scratching their heads as they aim to unearth this year’s winner.

 

The 2016 running of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes was won by Twilight Son at a price of 7/2. Ryan Moore was on board the Henry Candy-trained four-year-old to cap off a magnificent festival for the jockey. He finished ahead of Gold Fun and Signs of Blessing, although the first five home were only separated by just a length.

Only nine ran in the contest 12 months ago but this year’s renewal looks set to be significantly more competitive with a larger field full of in-form candidates.

The Diamond Jubilee Stakes is the fourth race on Saturday’s competitive-looking card immediately following the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes and Henry Candy is aiming for back-to-back successes in this contest.

Limato didn’t compete in last year’s renewal, with the ground not adequate enough for him. The predicted temperate climate in Berkshire leading up to the five-day festival should be more suited to his needs on this occasion.

Candy’s runner is expected to go off as the favourite, but with less than a week until the final Group One race, he can still be backed at around 5/1 for success.

Limato failed to land a blow in the Al Quoz Sprint in Meydan at the end of March, where he finished tenth in a 12-runner race under the stewardship of Harry Bentley. The rain-softened ground was blamed for the inadequate display. The Irish-bred five-year-old has run twice at Ascot, finishing first and second, with both races competed on good ground. Limato looks likely to get his favoured going in this year’s renewal.

His trainer is confident that Limato can get back to form at the festival stating that he is “happy with him” and confident of further improvement this season. That being said, the July Cup winner will have his hands full against a quality field.

The Tin Man is also likely to be prominent in the betting and the runner-up in the Haydock Sprint Cup is likely to run a big race for trainer James Fanshawe.

The five-year-old has been in action fairly recently when coming fifth at York in the Group Two Duke of York Clipper Logistic Stakes on May 17. He finished just five lengths behind the William Haggas-trained Tasleet.

He is another runner who is familiar with this track, having won the QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes in October. The race was both on good ground and over six furlongs, with very similar conditions as expected on the final day of Royal Ascot. 

The Tin Man is one of a number of distance specialists in the field, winning 50% of its races over the six furlongs. Connections are confident of a big run.

Magical Memory is another one who thrives over this length and could lay down a significant challenge to the top two in the market. Charlie Hills has a very good record with sprinters and will have his charge ready for this contest. Frankie Dettori is booked to ride the Irish-bred star but suffered a fall at Yarmouth recently, plunging his participation at Royal Ascot into doubt. Luckily, the Italian jockey avoided any serious injury and is likely to be fit enough to partner Magical Memory in Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

His last racecourse action came at York in the same Group Two race as the Tin Man finishing second – just two and a half lengths behind the winner. The Hills runner is back for another crack at the Diamond Jubilee Stakes after finishing a close fourth in last year’s contest.

This year’s renewal looks to be one of the most difficult races to predict at the festival and there aren’t always enough hours in the day to assess every runner’s chances across each of the five days. Daily tips can be found at comparison sites including Oddschecker from pundits such as Andy Holding and Sam Turner to help steer punters in the right direction ahead of the top-class action.

Looking for a third top-level success is Quiet Reflection, who could go off at a double-figure price for trainer Karl Burke. She rattled home in the Commonwealth Cup at last year’s festival and is likely to be competitive in this event. The trainer believes she will be fitter for her run at Haydock at the end of May. The four-year-old finished a disappointing tenth in the Temple Stakes but that run should have blown away the cobwebs. She enjoys running over the six furlongs and was successful in the Sprint Cup.

There are a number of runners at much bigger prices who could potentially reward connections and punters alike. Long on Value travels over from the USA and is aiming to make the extensive commute worthwhile. Trainer William Mott believes his charge can land a surprise over the six furlongs on the final day.

The six-year-old came second in the aforementioned Al Quoz Sprint, narrowly losing out to The Right Man but relished the damp conditions underfoot. Long On Value has been preparing for the race on the gallops at Newmarket with his handlers praising their stable star, suggesting he looked “totally relaxed” in the UK.

The Meydan runner-up is likely to renew hostilities with his conqueror The Right Man, who is priced up at around 14/1 for success at Royal Ascot with a week to go until the event. The French-bred horse has his work cut out on better ground, with many of the field aiming for revenge this time around.

 

Goldolphin send Jungle Cat for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and trainer Charlie Appleby is confident of his chances over the six furlongs. The five-year-old is also entered in the Darley July Cup Stakes at the end of next month but also has the option to race at Curragh the following day.

Appleby has won just twice with Jungle Cat since taking over the reins from Mark Johnston, although it ran a creditable fourth at last year’s festival. William Buick rode the Meydan winner to a narrow defeat behind Clive Cox’s Profitable, who gamely held on to claim the King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs.

Finally, Signs of Blessing returns to the scene of last year’s third place finish and is looking to go two better this time around. The six-year-old has also been entered into the King’s Stand Stakes on the opening day of the festival and the choice of race will be decided nearer the time.

The French-bred horse prepared for the festival with a convincing victory at Deauville on May 13th, beating the aforementioned Profitable by two lengths. Having won eight of its 21 starts and placing at the Berkshire track twice in 2016, connections are confident of another huge run, whichever contest it may come in.

There are a number of odd-on favourites competing earlier in the week with many bookmakers fearing the worst at this year’s festival but Saturday’s card looks particularly tasty. The Diamond Jubilee Stakes is set to be extremely competitive and a bigger price winner would not prove at all surprising. Limato could thrive back on his favoured ground but there are a number of distance specialists who will be waiting to pounce if Henry Candy’s runner doesn’t live up to expectations. Raiders arriving from overseas will be aiming to repay their travel fees with success and it is set to be a mouthwatering contest to bring the curtain down on Royal Ascot 2017.

 

 

 

 

How to Find a Reliable Horse Racing Tipster Online

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With access to statistics, results and replays at the touch of a button, these days it is easier than ever to spend hours studying the form ahead of a race meeting. However, few people have the time to spare in their hectic daily schedule with work and family taking priority. They often put their faith on online tipsters to do the work for them but how easy is it to find one who will help you make a profit?

 

If you’re lucky, or unlucky, enough to be glued to social media, you are likely to have noticed the rise of online tipsters selling their product to the general public. Some of them will be making a healthy profit through hard work and diligence pouring over the stats each and every morning whilst others are largely relying on guesswork.

There are other ways of selecting which horses to back. The Racing Post NAPs table is an established force but wading through around 40 tips a day can be almost as time-consuming as looking at the race card itself!

The advice is to simply take your time; don’t rush in. Select a pool of tipsters and follow their selections for about a fortnight using imaginary cash and see if you’d have turned a profit. Of course, every expert is allowed an off day and there is little you can do about a horse’s path to the finishing line being blocked off or an inexperienced jockey making a blunder at the final fence. Generally, you should have made a small profit at least during this period.

Check their staking system. You don’t have to win every bet; however, sensible staking can lead to success. There are plenty of staking systems online which can help advise and point you in the right direction. If you spot a tipster being liberal, reckless or not using any kind of staking system at all: avoid.

 

Some services rely solely on one bookmaker and use their odds regardless of better value elsewhere. This is lazy. A decent tipster will offer a selection in the race and often declare which bookmaker offers the standout price, this helps long term profit to be made for all subscribers. If you suspect there may be better value elsewhere, then it may be worth taking a look at the range of betting offers in the UK to find out where you should be placing your next bet. Many bookmakers provide welcome bonuses to new customers in the form of free bets, such as a “bet £5, get £20” offer, so it may be worth opening accounts with different operators in order to take advantage of the various bonuses.

Finally, a good tipster will always own up to their losses! If their NAP loses heavily and it never gets mentioned again or any trace of it is scrubbed off their profit/loss column, this is a very bad sign. Transparency is the key here. It is vitally important that there is trust between tipster and subscribers. Too many services lie about their profit, focusing on those glorious winners and discreetly scrapping those three consecutive losses which made a dent in their monthly total.

There are a number of honest and profitable tipsters out there who have a loyal customer base making a profit each month but they aren’t always easy to find. It may feel like a long and laborious process separating the wheat from the chaff but it will be worth it in the long run just to see your wallet bulge! 

 

 

 

Royal Ascot Day One Tips

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Day One of Royal Ascot is finally here and what a day it promises to be. The feature races today include the Kings Stand Stakes at 3.40 and the St James Palace Stakes at 4.20 plus there are four other top class races to boot.

We have two tips below which are provided courtesy of Big Race Bookie Busters, a tipping service that has made over £5,600 profit to just £10 stakes since starting in late 2014.

Ascot 2.30 – Mutakkayef 1 Point Each-Way @ 15/2 (Bet365)

Ascot 3.05 – Click here to unlock this tip for £1

Ascot 3.40 – Goldream 1 Point Each-Way @ 14/1 (Bet365)

Ascot 5.00 – Click here to unlock this tip for £1

You only need to pay £1 once to unlock the two tips above. Your £1 will give you 30 days of access to the Big Race Bookie Busters service, including all their tips for Royal Ascot.

Have a great day and enjoy Day One of Ascot!

 

 

 

 

What makes sports betting exciting?

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The wide world of sports provides many exciting competition for fans around the world. These sports also provide opportunities to make some cash with different types of betting. Sports betting has provided another way for fans to enjoy their favourite sports.

Online bookmarkers have made wagering much more accessible. No longer do people need to find a local bookie, if there is even on locally. They can simply go online to place their bet. There are a number of sports betting sites which also means the consumer can shop around for the site providing those with the most favourable odds that would equate to a better payout should they win. Online sports books also have a wide range of sports from which to choose with many being international events. Not only are the major leagues represented by minor and local teams as well. The specific aspects of the competition on which wagers are placed vary as well.

Sports betting is also favourable to many as online bookmakers typically offer bonuses. These aren’t available from traditional bookies. The types of bonuses will vary from deposit bonuses that are rewarded based on the amount of funds deposited. Reload bonuses work much in the same manner for bettors with established accounts.

Unfortunately, all sports fans much deal with the offseason when their preferred sport or team isn’t being played. Since sports bets cannot be placed, many fans prefer to keep the excitement going by playing sports themed slot machine games such as those mentioned in the gaming club review. These machines are inspired by different sports and include features taken from the sport itself.

So whether your favourite sport is in the throes of wild competition or on break for the offseason, both sports betting and playing sports themed slot machine games can provide an additional level of thrill for sport fans.

 

 

 

Assessing U.S. Chances at This Year’s Wimbledon

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When it comes to tennis, Brentwood has quite a history. We are home to one of the most popular tennis clubs in L.A. and have a long history of producing proficient young tennis players. We can also point to the fact that both Serena and Venus Williams and John McEnroe trained on a private tennis court in one of our most exclusive properties.

Unfortunately, though we have quite a few young players that have done well in the amateur game, we have yet to have our own homegrown Brentwood Grand Slam winner. And while it might seem like grasping, we’re still proud of the fact that both Serena and Venus Williams knocked balls around with Pete Sampras and John McEnroe right here in our neighborhood.

However, with the news that Serena is out, we got to thinking who, besides Venus, would be our best hope of a U.S. winner at Wimbledon.

Venus is the eighth seed for the ladies’ singles title, and one would like to think that with Serena out of the tournament that this represents her best chance to reclaim the title she last won in 2008. Having lost to Serena in the Australian Open, we’d love to see her get her first Grand Slam since that last win at Wimbledon, but another U.S. player may have something to say about that.

Madison Keys, seeded ninth, is only one place behind Venus in the WTA Rankings so far this year. Their head-to-head record is an even two wins apiece, so fingers are crossed they are fortunate with the draw. We might even see an all U.S. women’s final that does not involve Venus or Serena Williams.

When it comes to our chances of a first men’s title since Pete Sampras in 2000, our chances are quite slim. Jack Sock is our best hope, and he is an outside shot. Although Sock is having an extremely successful year, there are questions over his dedication to playing both doubles and singles. He’s the only player in the world with a top 20 ranking in both singles and doubles, and that is no minor feat. It’s hard to see him putting the likes of Djokovic and Federer to the sword though, so let’s hope he carries on the streak he’s on right now.

John Isner and Steve Johnson, ranked 23rd, and 25th respectively, would be our only other hopes, but with Isner given unfavorable odds, it seems highly unlikely that either will make it past the quarterfinals, at best.

It seems, rather, that our best hopes of a U.S. singles win at this year’s Wimbledon depends on Venus and Madison. And as unlikely as it might have seemed just a couple of years ago, this year could be the year we finally see the elder Williams step out of the younger Williams’ shadow. Whether it’s Venus or Madison, Jack or John, whoever is flying the flag for the U.S. gets our full support for Wimbledon. 

 

 

 

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Backing Irish Dominance at Royal Ascot Could Be Profitable

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Royal Ascot is the one the richest and most historic festivals on the racing calendar and this year’s five-day extravaganza will see a number of trainers from all over the world compete for huge prize pots once again. Visitors from France and the USA will be fancied for success by many punters but it could pay to side with the Irish to come out on top. 

 

Aidan O’Brien may have scaled down his Royal Ascot team but the Ballydoyle trainer sends an impressive string to Berkshire and he could be the trainer to watch at this year’s festival. One of his main hopes comes in the Ascot Gold Cup with Order of St George odds-on for the race over 2 miles and 4 furlongs. O’Brien has won this race seven times already and is hoping his charge can double up after a 10/11 success in this contest 12 months ago.

Churchill looked mightily impressive in the Guineas and headlines the first day of the festival partaking in the St James’ Palace Stakes. O’Brien will be hoping his stable star is able to add to his already impressive record this season. Caravaggio and Winter also feature prominently in their respective races. The former is unbeaten in four starts and is heavily favoured for the Commonwealth Cup whilst Winter is expected to make her class count in the Coronation Stakes.

Sports bookmakers including William Hill have a number of specials priced up for the festival, which can be found at http://sports.williamhill.com/bet/en-gb/events/royal-ascot and these include ‘Number of Irish Trained Winners’ and ‘Top Trainer’. Predictably, Aidan O’Brien is the odds-on favourite for the trainer title at the festival, priced at 1/5, but there is more value to be found elsewhere.

The bookies are offering 13/8 for ten or more Irish-trained winners and this looks the best bet here. Joseph O’Brien, Jessica Harrington and Willie Mullins are all sending a strong string of runners across to the Berkshire track and they could have a big say at this year’s festival.

 

Harrington sends a handful of runners including the impressive Brother Bear and Centauri, who are both unbeaten as two-year-olds. They are both well fancied in the betting, with the latter priced at 13/8 for the Albany Stakes.

The trainer who has had success at both Cheltenham and Fairyhouse already this year has admitted a Royal Ascot winner is her “next ambition“. Joseph O’Brien is also searching for his first winner here. The Irish contingent landed 10 winners at the 2016 festival breaking their previous record and there’s no reason why they can’t go one step further this time around.

Ambitious punters may be interested by the 10/1 on offer for ‘More Irish Trained Winners than the rest of the UK and US combined’. Aidan O’Brien’s name is likely to dominate the headlines at Royal Ascot once again but he is just one of many trainers who’ll have their impressive string firing on all cylinders and there looks to be value in backing Irish dominance once again.

 

 

 

Royal Ascot – A Look at the Key Races

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With less than a week until Royal Ascot gets underway, attention is now completely focused on one of the highlights of the flat racing season. The Epsom meeting, including the Oaks and Derby races, attracted plenty of media interest at the start of June but there’s nothing quite like Royal Ascot – it truly is the pinnacle of summer entertainment. With eight Group One races across five extraordinary days of action, the Royal Ascot meeting is always remembered as one of the great spectacles of the campaign. We took a look at five of the biggest races at the event and give our thoughts on who might come out on top…

Tuesday: Queen Anne Stakes

Without a doubt, the Queen Anne Stakes is the standout race on the opening day, and it may prove prudent to look no further than Ribchester, the current ante-post market leader. The BBC stated just how sublime he was when winning the Lockinge Stakes under an excellent ride from William Buick last month and he will take some stopping. However, Lightning Spear, second to Richard Fahey’s mount at Newbury, may come close. Some fabulous horses have won this race over the years and we could see a Frankel-like performance from Ribchester if Buick gets a clean trip around.

Wednesday: Prince of Wales Stakes

With a prize fund of £750,000 up for grabs, this is one of the more lucrative races at the meeting. Highland Reel, a convincing winner of the Oaks at Epsom, could run in this race and he will be there or thereabouts if he does. Plenty of tipsters, including some of those on this list, will be backing the O’Brien-trained star once again but if truth be told, this is a pretty open affair. So Mi Dar should be prominent but siding with Sir Michael Stoute’s Ulysses may be a wise decision. He has finished inside the top two in each of his last three runs in Group One races and he may just be the one to beat come June 21st.

 

Thursday: Ascot Gold Cup

On Thursday, the Ascot Gold Cup dominates talk in the betting ring and some of the world’s fastest, staying flat horses on the planet will compete in this titanic battle. The well-fancied Order of St George, a solid winner of this race last year in the opinion of The Irish Times, leads the ante-post market but will he manage to eclipse the record-breaking time of Sadeem from 1988? On that day, the winner completed the course in an astonishing 4 minutes and 15 seconds according to the below infographic from sports betting company Betway, and plenty of punters will fancy the Aidan O’Brien-trained thoroughbred to go close, especially if the ground is good. With Ryan Moore, arguably the best flat racing jockey in the business, onboard, this is definitely Order of St George’s race to lose…

Animal Kingdom Cup Infographic

Friday: Commonwealth Cup

This could be the race of this year’s Royal Ascot meeting. There are plenty of quality horses with leading claims in this race but three stand out from the crowd. As mentioned in The Sun, Caravaggio is the most talented horse in the race and must be respected in the betting market prior to the meeting. Last year, he romped home to win the Coventry Stakes but he is better than a Group Two event. With Ryan Moore on board, he will be the one to beat. However, both Blue Point and Harry Angel have potential and this isn’t a foregone conclusion by any means. You do not want to miss this one.

 

Saturday: The Diamond Jubilee Stakes

As of June 6th, Limato is at the head of the betting and rightly so. The Henry Candy-trained five-year-old is up there with the best sprinters in the business and plenty of punters will be expecting big things ahead of what could be a memorable summer for connections. Ascot is first up on the list but with a number of Group One races to come elsewhere, this meeting may not be top on the priority list and it may be worth looking elsewhere in the market. The Tin Man may challenge for favouritism come race day and Tom Queally, formerly jockey of the legendary Frankel, will be preparing himself for this opportunity to regain his place in the winner’s enclosure at the end of the week.

 

 

 

 

 

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Best Tips For 2017 Royal Ascot

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Royal Ascot is one of the leading flat meetings on the UK calendar and although it appears midway through the season, it is very similar to the Cheltenham Festival in that each division will hold a huge race where all the leading players will be expected to turn up.

Here is a look at the best bets for the 2017 meeting where full betting is already available on all the action across the five days at the Berkshire racecourse.

 

Queen Anne Stakes – day one

The betting for the opening race of Royal Ascot in 2017 is dominated by Ribchester who has been the odds-on favourite for this one-mile contest ever since his success in the Lockinge Stakes last month. The second on that occasion was Lightning Spear who will get another shot at his rival at Ascot where he looks a tasty price at 5/1 to reverse the form. David Simcock’s runner was making his first run of the year at Newbury and will clearly be much sharper for his next assignment.

 

Prince of Wales’s Stakes – day two

 

Jack Hobbs goes into the Prince of Wales’ Stakes on day two of Royal Ascot with the benefit of already having a run under his belt this season. The five-year-old scored in Dubai back in March in the Sheema Classic where he looked to be at his very best. Sadly John Gosden’s runner missed the majority of last season with an injury but he made an incredible return to action at Ascot on British Champions Day to finish third in the Champion Stakes. Jack Hobbs can be backed at Horse Racing odds of 3/1 with Paddy Power who made him their joint-favourite alongside Ulysses.

 

Ascot Gold Cup – day three

 

 

Vazirabad is making his first trip across to the UK later this month for the feature race on day three of the meeting, the Ascot Gold Cup. Alain De Royer-Dupre’s runner has been in excellent form already in the campaign this season and looks to be the best selection at 6/1 to take on the short price favourite Order Of St George. Dupre does not send his best horses over to the big meetings in the UK unless he believes they have a strong chance of coming out on top. The five-year-old has plenty of experience and is one of the few runners in the field to have won over 2m or further.

 

Commonwealth Cup – day four

The Commonwealth Cup is arguably the race of the week at Royal Ascot this year with Caravaggio, Harry Angel and Blue Point all entered in a cracking renewal of the three-year-old sprint contest. The preference goes with Harry Angel who boosted his reputation even further last time out at Haydock in the Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes. Clive Cox does an excellent job with his sprinters and this horse clearly has a huge future. Obviously the big danger in the race will be the Aidan O’Brien-trained Caravaggio, however, at the prices, Harry Angel offers much more appeal at 10/3.

Royal Ascot begins this year on June 20 and all the action from the meeting will be live on ITV1 throughout the five days. 

 

 

 

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Matchbook Commission Explained – Hint, it’s Complicated!

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Matchbook is a betting exchange where you bet against other punters rather than a bookie.

It operates in a similar way to Betfair and Betdaq, in that you can both back and lay bets on a variety of markets.

However, the way its commission is structured is a little different to those two exchanges and a little bit more complicated as well!

Below we take a look at how commission works at Matchbook.

 

Commission Summary

With a bookmaker, they offer you slightly worse odds than they should, so that they can make a profit. This is called their “overround.” 

What it means is that on a coin toss for example, they would offer you 10/11 or 5/6 on both outcomes rather than the true odds of even money.

With a betting exchange such as Matchbook however, you generally get better odds than you do with the bookies. 

On the above example of a coin toss, you could expect the odds on either outcome to be 2.0 or very close to it.

However, you have to pay commission – that is how the exchanges make their money.

With Betfair, it is very simple – you just pay commission on your winnings, whether you back or lay. 

With Matchbook though you pay commission on both and winning and losing bets (although at a much lower rate than Betfair) and differing amounts depending on whether you have accepted a bet or requested one.

We go through this in more detail below.

 

Commission for Offering Bets and Accepting them

At Matchbook, the commission you pay varies depending on whether you put in an offer in a market for someone else to potentially match, or whether you accept odds that are already there.

If you accept odds that are already there, then you would pay 1.5% commission.

If the bet wins, you would pay 1.5% commission on your profit and if it loses, you pay 1.5% commission on whatever is lower of your stake or potential profit/liability.  

You can get £50 cash back for opening a new account with Matchbook here. 

 

Let’s look at an example:

It is a tennis match in the French Open between Ostapenko and Wozniacki. 

Matchbook Ostapenko vs Wozniacki

As you can see from the odds, it is a close match and should be an interesting contest at Rolland Garros.

Now let’s say you back Wozniacki at 1.787 for £20. 

Backing Wozniacki at 1.787 for £20

If the bet wins, you would pay £0.24 in commission – i.e. 1.5% of your profit of £15.75. 

If the bet loses, you would also pay £0.24 in commission – i.e. 1.5% of the lower of your potential profit of £15.75 and your stake of £20.

 

Backing Example – Requesting Odds

Now let’s say you wanted to back Wozniacki, but instead of taking odds that are already posted of 1.787, you request slightly higher odds of 1.8.

Ostapenko vs Wozniacki - Requesting Higher Odds

Presuming the bet is matched, you would be looking at the following commission rates:

You would pay 0.75% commission if the bet wins. 

So that would be £0.12 commission – i.e. 0.75% of your winnings of £16.

If the bet loses, you would pay £0.12 in commission – i.e. 0.75% of the lower of your potential profit of £16 and your stake of £20.

 

So as you can see in this example, it is better to request a bet than accept it in terms of the commission you will pay.

Obviously you have to weigh this against the chance of not being matched, but in most instances where this is good liquidity, you have a fair chance of being matched if you request odds just one tick above the current price.

 

Commission on Lay Bets

It works in the same way for lay bets. Let’s have a look at an example:

In this example, we are looking at the tennis match between Kevin Anderson and Marin Cilic.

Kevin Anderson vs Marin Cilic - Lay Bets

 

This is a match where the market is expecting Cilic to win and has him as strong favourite. 

Let’s say you agree with the consensus opinion and choose to lay Anderson at 4.55 for a liability of £71 and a potential profit of £20 if he loses the match.

 

K Anderson vs M Cilic

If Cilic wins the match, you will win your bet and pay £0.30 in commission. That is 1.5% of your profit of £20.

If Anderson wins , the commission you will pay is £0.30. 

That is 1.5% of your potential winnings of £20 – i.e. it is the lower of your potential profit of £20 and layer’s liability of £71.

 

Example Two – Request Odds

In this example, we will look at a lay bet where you are requesting odds rather than accepting them.

Let’s take the same tennis match from the French Open, Anderson v Cilic. 

Anderson v Cilic - Requesting Odds

You want to lay Anderson for the match, but instead of accepting the odds of 4.55, you offer odds of 4.5 to lay £20 for a liability of £70.

Anderson v Cilic - Lay Bet

If the bet gets matched, you are looking at the following rates of commission:

If Cilic wins and your bet wins, you will pay £0.15 in commission – i.e. 0.75% on your profit of £20.

If Anderson wins and your bet loses, you will also pay £0.15 in commission – i.e. 0.75% on the lower of your potential profit of £20 and layer’s liability of £70. 

 

Summary

Matchbook commission is quite complicated and does take some explaining. 

However, here is a neat little summary of the key elements to it:

  • You pay a commission of 1.5% on your winnings if you accept odds that are already posted.
  • If you request odds and your bet is matched, you will only pay 0.75% commission on your profit if your bet wins.
  • If you place a lay bet at odds that are already there and your bet loses, you will pay 1.5% commission on the lower of your potential profit and liability.
  • If you request a lay bet by setting the odds yourself and your bet loses, you will pay 0.75% commission on the lower of your potential profit and liability.

So there you have it, basically you are paying between 0.75% and 1.5% commission depending on what happens.

You can see that there is an advantage to requesting a bet at slightly better odds than are currently available, as not only can you win more but the commission rate is lower.

So long as you give yourself enough time for the bet to be matched and make sure to amend it if isn’t matched as the start of the event approaches, then this appears to be a worthwhile step to take.

The other point to mention is that if most of your bets are winners (and by extension if you are backing largely at odds-on) then Matchbook may be preferable to Betfair in terms of the commission you pay, which could be as low as 0.75%.

However, if lots of your bets are losing, then you are paying commission (albeit small) on your losing bet as well as having lost money.

Overall though it is a good commission structure in our opinion and is well worth comparing to what you may be paying elsewhere. 

You can get £50 cash back for opening a new account with Matchbook here.