A bettor who wants instant success in his young sports betting journey will do whatever it takes to win right away, including placing money on both teams. This is what scalping is all about.How does scalping work? Take note of bettors making multiple bets on different sportsbooks just to assure them of victory whichever team wins in a particular game. Like other schemes, scalping also comes with a risk every bettor must be aware of all the time.
GAIN PROFITS REGARDLESS OF THE GAME’S RESULT
Scalping, which is also known among sports betting circles as arbitrage, is the act of placing money on both sides of a game through different sportsbooks to guarantee a bettor of a profit no matter which side wins.
For example, a bettor sees the Phoenix Suns listed at +120 in sportsbook A, while the Chicago Bulls are -110 in sportsbook B. Based on this example, there is a USD10 difference from those lines. So if a bettor placed his money for Phoenix at sportsbook A for USD100, he would claim USD220 if the Suns won (his USD100 stake plus USD120 in profit).Since the punter also bet on Chicago at sportsbook B for USD-110, and should the Bulls win, he would win USD210 (his USD110 stake and USD100 in profit) to complete the scalp.From this example, the bettor will make USD10 no matter which team wins.
MOBILE BETTING MAKES SCALPING EASIER
The evolving reach of bookmakers to mobile phones has made scalping from one sportsbook to another much easier before lines move. Back in the day, punters had to rush from one sportsbook to another to catch a scalp by placing their bets personally.Instead of basing their decisions manually, punters can rely on a web-based program like the Arbitrage Calculator to calculate his scalp for him to eliminate the guessing game and minimize mistakes.Punters will also need a lines program to avoid the tiring practice of manually visiting each sportsbook to check the latest lines. Through line services, bettors can view the latest odds from dozens of sportsbooks at once and in real-time. There are also built-in scalp alerts into the program to provide users an audible alert or pop-up once a scalp is available.
HIGH RISKS IN SCALPING FOR UNDISCIPLINED BETTORS
Bettors must understand that they should look to make lots of small, low-risk gains in scalping, and one mistake can be very costly. Just like athletes, punters must have discipline when they resort to scalping to make calculated judgments and avoid further losses, especially to those who don’t have deep pockets.Risks in scalping vary in any sport, but bettors should be cautious in horse racing. Once a bettor resorts to scalping on horse racing, don’t let your bets run “in play,” meaning punters must always be alert before the jump. Once a bettor lets his bet horse run into play, he’s going to end up having one race where he blows his entire bankroll in just one hit.In soccer, there is a chance a team concedes a goal, leaving a punter who bet on that team with a negative position, and he needs to decide, drift and never come back below the odds of his back bet.
BE MINDFUL OF SCALPING IN EACH COUNTRY
Not all sportsbooks in each country have the same rules on scalping applied to everyone, meaning punters must research and be aware of each country’s rules before making a move.Bettors can only make trading sports over the phone in Australia, causing sudden shifts in prices by the time a punter places the bet. Not all markets have good liquidity – meaning some may not have enough money in the market, and a punter’s bets won’t get matched. Some markets may have too much money that will produce a flat market that isn’t conducive to trading.Bettors can seek refuge in the United Kingdom, where scalping is effective, as well in other overseas trade markets.
