The universe of sports, especially cricket has this aura about itself when we think of betting. It is not something everyone can indulge in easily. They can indulge, but they would probably end up losing more than they had bet. Betting, therefore, requires appropriate knowledge and skill.
With the advent of technology, betting has become even more accessible than before. Big Time Gaming, Plank, Booming Games, Tom Horn, and Hacksaw Gaming are just of some the sites you can employ for sports betting. And yet, it is not for everyone as there are certain pros and cons that one needs to keep in mind.
Let us go through them one by one.
First, let us have a look at the pros.
- Multiple tournaments in a single game: When you think of any game, especially one like cricket, there are so many competitions to choose from. Cricket is played by countries like India, England, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and so on. And each of these countries has its own competitive tournaments. That means you will be spoilt for choices when it comes to choosing a competition to bet on. You can choose the Cricket World Cup or the English Cricket League or the Indian Premier League, or even the ODI Series.
- Quick and easy betting: If you are a seasoned perennial in the world of sports betting, then you know who to place your bets on. You can select the odds according to your preference. You can increase the quota by combining different markets. There is something called a system bet that you can try as well. You can make a wrong bet in such a situation and yet not lose much. This keeps you entertained throughout the exercise.
- Not just about luck: Luck is not the only factor that can help you win or lose a bet. You need to have knowledge of the sport so that you know how to make predictions. Those with additional knowledge about the tournaments have an extra edge. For example, someone with more understanding of the matchups will be able to win more than a novice. The latter will consider issues like injuries and rosters of prime importance. A veteran will investigate aspects such as mismatches, coaching styles, and specific flaws. A veteran will also be able to figure out that while a team looks strong on paper, its offensive measures will ultimately tell the story.
- Large number of games to choose from: Cricket is not the only game that you can bet on. There are a variety of options from which you can choose. In fact, you can also choose the game that you are more comfortable with. You may like to play football or basketball and therefore can bet on those. If you’re into basketball, you might find that college basketball is a great place to start as you’ll find good value picks as there are so many games played each day. Sites like Doc’s Sports basketball picks cover all the NCAAB action, making your search for the best value picks easy and the best part, for free. You do not have to bet on team sports always and can choose something like tennis or golf as well. It is usually a challenge to figure out the outcome of a game featuring 22 players. The same cannot be said about boxing or a wrestling match. You can even bet on college-level sports as opposed to the major championship leagues.
- A fun activity: Despite victory or loss, sports betting (especially cricket betting) is always a fun activity. There is a layer of excitement associated with the overall activity, which of course increases manifold if you win. You can even have such betting sessions with your friends to improve the prediction ability of each other. As long as the game is going on, you are glued to your seat. You even watch the performance of the rival team with keen interest. That’s what betting is supposed to be about mostly – fun. At the same time, you can win up to INR 200,000.
Now that you know the pros of betting let us also have a look at the cons.
- Not possible with cash: Betting is mostly done online and not via cash. So, it is important that you know how to conduct online transactions. This is because online payment is a much safer option compared to the use of cash. There are so many options of online payment such as RuPay, UPI, NetBanking, Visa, MasterCard, and EcoPayz. You can also pay in different currency formats such as USD, EUR, and INR.
- False idea of control: Betting can be addictive for some people who think too much of themselves. An undefeated streak may induce this overconfidence among people that they can never go wrong. It is almost as if they have choreographed the game altogether and are aware of everything about to happen. The truth is, nobody knows what is going to happen. Even the most veteran of players can lose huge sums of money because of a miscalculation. What you need is to have a proper strategy of bankroll management so that losses can be avoided.
- Extra edge for the Bookies: Bookies are those who run the business of betting and therefore know more about the game as well as betting practices than others. Their agenda is to incur maximum profit from the game. With the advent of technology, they have more advantages in their hands. As a result, if you are betting against the bookies, your chances of losing are very high. Therefore, it is advised to bet only if you know the game thoroughly. You should also draw limits on how much you can afford to lose and then place a bet. For bookies, however, these things do not matter mostly because of years of experience.
- Loss of control: I did mention that betting is a fun activity. But an excess of everything may also be an invitation to trouble. It is essential that you have some form of control over your betting habits by creating a plan for the entire exercise. Never bet on a team based on your emotions or bet on something in which you have already suffered a loss. When you don’t follow these two suggestions, you will start losing control. If you want, you can also quit, especially if you think that you have lost your betting mojo. Always take baby steps when you are about bet somewhere instead of pretending to be a professional just to impress your friends.
