Bookmaker Arb: What does a Newcomer Need to Know?

Before you start betting on betting arbs, you should learn all the details of working with them. In this article we will try to tell you as much as possible about arbs, as well as give some valuable recommendations for novice players.

What are “betting arbs” and how do they appear?

Betting arbs is a mathematically calculated arbitrage situation that allows you to bet on all the opposite outcomes of the competition in different betting shops. You get income at any outcome of the match!

There are several reasons for the appearance of bookmaker arbs, here are the main ones:

  1. High competition between bookmakers, as a result of which often exaggerated odds are set.
  2. Bookmakers simply do not have time to keep track of each other, because of what the difference between their odds appears.
  3. Errors of bookmakers themselves, which lead to incorrect calculation of odds.

If you want to learn more about why arbs appear and how they work, check out our additional article “How does it work?”

Types of betting arbs

  1. Pre-match arbs are arbs that arise due to the difference in bookmaker odds before the event.
  2. Live arbs are arbs that arise due to the difference in betting odds in Live Betting mode (bets during the game).

The main differences of pre-match arbs from live

Bets on pre-match arbs are made before the event (match, race, etc.). In live, you will have to make bets during an already-running competition that is bet during the game.

Changing bookmaker odds in pre-match is much slower than in live. Therefore, we recommend that beginners start their work with pre-match arbs because it is easier to make the necessary bets on them.

In live, you can find a lot more highly profitable arbs than in pre-match. This is due to the fact that bookmakers do not have time to keep track of all the odds in Live Betting mode. As a result, one can find a lot of overestimated odds and calculate a large number of profitable live arbs.

The live bookmakers rather difficult to recognize an arber in you because unlike pre-match, they have almost no time to analyze your bets. Accordingly, the risk of obtaining sanctions from betting companies is much lower.

The return of the bank, and, consequently, profit growth in live is much faster than in pre-match. This is due to the fact that in order to get your profit it is enough to wait for the end of the match. In pre-match, you will have to wait for the start of the event and, accordingly, receive your winnings up to several days.

Pseudo-arbs: how to recognize them and why they appear?

Pseudo-arbs are arbs that are caused by incorrect bookmaker odds. There are several reasons for the appearance of such arbs, here are the main ones.

  1. Errors or delay in updating the betting odds in our scanner.
  2. Error on the side of the bookmaker: for example, he made a typo and instead of “Total Under 100.5” put “Total Under 1005”.
  3. Commands with the same name. Because of this, the odds from a completely different event are substituted into the arb.

Bids on such arbs can lead to the loss of part or the entire amount of your bets. Therefore, in order not to fall for pseudo-arbs and, follow a few tips.

  1. Check the odds of the bookmakers and compare them with those displayed in our scanner.
  2. Make sure that the bookmaker has set the correct odds (there are no typos), and there will be no refund on it.
  3. Before making bets on the arb, make sure that the same teams participate in it.

What sports should a newbie choose?

Our service scans 25 sports in pre-match and 9 in live. If you are new and have no experience with arbs, then in live mode we recommend starting with football or hockey. These are the most common sports in bookmakers, in addition, they simply enough to have time to close the arb, even a novice player. For players in pre-match, the choice of a sport is not fundamental, but for beginners we also recommend starting with football or hockey.

How much money does it take to get started with arbs?

There are no financial restrictions! You can start absolutely from any amount of the initial bank, but it should be understood that the average yield in pre-match is about 10% per month, in live — up to 25%. Accordingly, the larger the size of your “bank” and, accordingly, the rates, the more profit you will receive.

For beginners, we recommend starting with smaller bets. So you can “fill” the hand and in case of unsuccessful bets lose not too much money. Over time, when you learn to work with arbs, you can increase the size of the bank and make larger bets.

Pre-match

Especially for those who are taking their first steps into pre-match, we have prepared a number of useful tips and recommendations. By following them, you save yourself from the frequent mistakes of beginners.

In order to successfully work in pre-match, for the beginning let’s see what advantages and disadvantages the pre-match arbs have.

Advantages of pre-match arb

  1. Large selection of events. In pre-match there is an opportunity to find arbs among the many championships, tournaments and competitions that will begin in the future. Thanks to such a wide selection, you can always find “unique” arbs for your bets.
  2. Large selection of arbs. A huge number of sporting events that will begin in the near future, allows you to calculate a lot of pre-match arbs, which cannot be said about live.
  3. Slow change in odds. In pre-match, the bookmaker odds change rather slowly, so it’s easy to make all the necessary bets and, accordingly, close the arb.
  4. Easy to work. Thanks to a variety of events, and accordingly, arbs, any beginner can find suitable arbs. Slow change of betting odds will allow you to reasonably and accurately make all the necessary bets.

Disadvantages pre-match arb

  1. High competition. Due to the simplicity of pre-match, a fairly large number of arbers works. Actually, it is because of this that the arbs are loaded, which attracts the attention of bookmakers and, accordingly, leads to sanctions against arbers: lowering the maximum rates, blocking the account.
  2. Less profitable arbs. In pre-match bookmakers are quite cautious, they always have time to reconcile their odds. Therefore, to find an arb with a yield of more than 10% is a great success.
  3. Slow bank return. Having made a bet on the pre-match arb, you will have to wait for the return of your money and, accordingly, profits up to several days. This is due to the fact that the events on which you bet, do not begin immediately, but after some time.

As mentioned above, due to the large choice of arbs and the slow change in bookmaker ratios in the pre-match, a huge number of arbers work. In order to find unique arbs and bet on them, without fear of sanctions from bookmakers, we recommend following a few tips.

Some useful tips

  1. The first thing that can attract the attention of a bookmaker to your account is the sum of your bets. It is advisable to avoid large and maximum rates on arbs, as this will cause suspicion and may lead to limited maximums in your account.
  2. If, after calculating the arb, you need to put the sum in the form of a non-integer number, for example, $98.37, then it is better to round it to an integer, in this case, to $100. You may lose a little in profit, but you will not attract the attention of the bookmaker to your bet.
  3. Having received confirmation or refusal to accept your bid, do not send it to the request again. Repeated bets are one of the right ways to betray yourself to a bookmaker, since an ordinary player is limited to only one bet per event.
  4. Quite often, many players start betting on fat arbs. Remember: the more bets on the same arb, the more reasons for the bookmaker to check it. Try to find for yourself only unique arbs. You can do this by setting filters in your account.
  5. Do not bet on pre-match arbs with a yield of more than 10%. With a high probability, the bookmaker will make a refund, referring to a typo or error in the line. You will be lucky if you have time to block the open shoulder with a bet in another shop, or your second bid will play, otherwise you may lose your money.
  6. Any request for payment of money is a reason to check your account. Try not to make payment requests too often or immediately after the deposit — this can lead to a thorough check of your account. Suspecting even minor violations, the bookmaker can reject the payment to clarify the circumstances.
  7. Try to avoid arb betting in unpopular championships and on unpopular outcomes. In them, due to the small number of bets, you will be quite easy to calculate.

If you are an arber beginner then pre-match arbitrage betting — your best choice. However, high competition requires a competent and balanced approach to work.

Live

To get the highest possible income with minimal risk, you need to know how to work with live arbs. About the nuances of working in live and will be discussed in this article. To make it easier for you to understand everything, for a start, let’s consider the advantages and disadvantages of live.

Advantages of live arbs

  1. More “fresh” arbs. Because of the speed of the events taking place in live, bookmaker odds change quite often. Accordingly, the number of “fresh”, just appeared arbs, is much more than in pre-match.
  2. More profitable arbs. In pre-match events, arbs with a yield of more than 10% are very rare, and if they do occur, they may be a commonplace bookmaker mistake, which will result in a refund of your bet, or “bait” to find an arber. As for live, arbs with a yield of more than 10% are common.
  3. Less risk. Since the events in live change very quickly, bookmakers do not have enough time to analyze your bets, which means that it is much more difficult for them to identify an arber in you. Consequently, in live the risk of getting sanctions from bookmakers is much less than in pre-match.
  4. Quick bank return. By placing bets on events that have already begun, in order to get the winnings you just have to wait for the match to end. Consequently, you can scroll the same bank several times a day, which will bring you much more money than in pre-match, where you have to wait a few days or longer to return the bank.

Disadvantages of live arbs

  1. Short “life” of arbs. The bookmaker odds in live change so fast that there is almost no time for reflection — you need to count and make bets instantly.
  2. The risk does not close the bet. In some cases, an arber may have time to bet only on one shoulder. The reason for this is the change in the odds of the second bookmaker due to the rapid changes in the current event: points, lines, change of the favorite, etc.
  3. Differences in the rules of bookmakers. Rules of work in different bookmakers may differ, so before you make a bet, you need to carefully study the rules of bookmakers. This will avoid possible errors and problems.

Dealing with the disadvantages of live arbs is easy if you follow our recommendations. Especially for you, we have prepared several valuable tips that will help minimize risks and maximize your income. Check them out before you start working with live arbs.

Some useful tips

  1. Start your job in live with small bets. This will help you to “get a hand” and avoid big losses in case of failures.
  2. You may be faced with various rules for “accepting” and “calculating” bets in bookmakers. Therefore, for a start, you need to understand the rules of each of the working betting shops and after that begin to bet.
  3. Avoid last minute, set or match bets. Many bookmakers close the line 3-10 minutes before the end of the match. Consequently, if you place a bet on one shoulder of the arb in the last minutes of the inning, you risk not having time to bet on the second shoulder, since the line at the second bookmaker will already be closed.
  4. Quite often, arbs appear at the end of the first half for a total over/under. It is important for you to understand that the first bet should be made on Total Under on one bookmaker, and then Total Over on the other. There is one caveat: if you do not have time to bet on Total Over, then you risk losing the entire amount, so you need to act as quickly as possible.
  5. If you did not have time to bet in one of the bookmakers on the odds you need, use the “close odds” option. Then you can choose from the drop-down list of another bookmaker with the appropriate odds and you will have time to bet to close the arb.

By setting the filter correctly, you can easily find the right live arbs and make bets on them. And following our additional tips, save yourself from common mistakes beginner make.

However, do not take all of the above tips literally. We only give you recommendations designed to make it easier to start working with live arbs, and you can already customize filters on your own.

What are betting arbs?

To begin with, let’s understand a little about the “basics”, namely: what kind of arbs can be, including in the list of issue of our scanner.

So, the betting arbs (or, as they are also called, arbitrage situations) are divided into several types, depending on the number of outcomes and on the start time of the event.

By the number of outcomes

The simplest betting arb consists of two outcomes (for example, Home — Away, Under — Over), but more complex three-entry arbitration situations (for example, 1-X-2) are also widespread.

You can also find arbs with the participation of three outcomes that intersect with each other. This means that in certain cases, you can win several bets on one arb at once, or there will be a simultaneous win on one bet with a return on the second one. The simplest example of such an arb is 1X-12-X2.

We want to immediately note that in the filter settings of our scanner, you can always choose the number of arb outcomes with which it will be more comfortable for you to work with.

By the start of the event

As for the separation of arbs at the beginning of the event, they are all divided into Pre-match and Live arb situations.

Pre-match arbs occur on events that will begin after a certain period of time. This type of arbs more easy to work with, and so it is on it, experts recommend pay attention to arbers beginners.

Live arbs are arbitration situations that are generated by events taking place at a given time. It should be noted that working in live requires certain skills from the player, due to some specific features of this type of arbs (fast change of odds, etc.).

More tips for choosing arbs

After setting all the parameters for displaying arbitration situations, you just have to decide directly on the choice of arbs for work. Here, for our part, we would also like to give you some useful tips:

  1. It is better to choose arbs on events from popular leagues. The fact is that bets on unpopular leagues, and even more so on large sums, may attract unnecessary attention from the bookmaker to you and lead to subsequent sanctions.
  2. You should not take odds for betting on one outcome or another, which is radically different from other BS. Simply, this may well be erroneous or specially increased odds by the bookmaker, and betting on it will often not lead to anything good. To view the odds of the bookmakers for one arb or another, you can use the “close odds” function, but below we give a vivid example of how the odds of the NT may differ for a particular outcome.
  3. Try not to take in the work of the arb, which is supposed to return. I.e. it is better to put an arb on the outcomes of Under (2.5)/Over (2.5) than on the arb Under (3)/Over (3), even if the latter is slightly more profitable.
  4. It is better to choose arb situations for those events that begin before the others. Here it is important to understand that the faster the event ends, the faster the money will return to your balance. In this case, you will be helped by sorting by the start time of the event, which is in the on-line issue of our scanner.
  5. You should also pay attention to those arb situations that can be put down the fastest (for example, where bookmakers participate, with a direct transition to a coupon).

The right choice of arbitration situations will allow you to more effectively manage your bank, because its turnover will be faster, and the money will not be idle.

You can also reduce the risk of being hit by bookmakers for large bets on unpopular leagues or rates on inflated odds.

Existing risks in betting on arbs

Risks accompany any activity related to money, and betting arbs are no exception. Nevertheless, a large number of arber trucks around the world successfully earn on arbs, which means that avoiding risks is quite real. It is only necessary to understand all the details and have patience, and our article will help you with this.

Types of risk in arb rates

Cancellation of bids

A betting shop can cancel bets if errors were made in the odds: one of the outcomes is incorrectly marked (for example, Home (+2) instead of Home (+1)), teams or players are confused.

Any bookmaker can make a mistake, however, solid BS cancel out of this bet extremely rarely. While unscrupulous bookmakers err by canceling bets, even if the odds were specified correctly. Therefore, it is important to work only with good reputation boomers.

How to reduce the risk?

  • Do not be tempted to bet on odds that are clearly erroneous. A prime example: a arb with a profitability of more than 25%.
  • First bet on the less popular BS. So you can make sure that the odds of interest still has the opportunity to put the desired amount.

Arbers errors

Frequent mistakes made by the players themselves: the events are mixed up, the size of the bet is incorrectly calculated, the bet made is not the wrong ratio. When making bets, an arber should always be collected and attentive.

How to reduce the risk?

  • Check all information on arbs: odds, event participants, date, etc.
  • If you’re new, don’t bet on contests that start in a few minutes. You may not have time to not only correct any errors, but also close the arb.

Changing odds

For example, you made the first bet in one BS and are going to make the second in another BS. However, the second shop changed the odds to the outcome you are interested in, and because of this the arb became unprofitable or less profitable. By the way, the loss in this case will be small — only 1-2% of the amount for which you bet.

How to reduce the risk?

  • If you are a beginner, then do not mess with arbs, in which the factors for an event change very often.
  • Learn how to bet quickly in several BS so that the odds do not have time to change during the time of the betting.

Maximum limits

Bookmakers have a negative attitude towards arbs and because of them cut the highs. Bookmakers can be understood, because the arb is a win-win strategy, when an arber receives income in any case, and the bookmaker, on the contrary, suffers losses. Although there are a number of reputable BS, which are neutral to arbs.

Finding that you are working with arbs, a bookmaker, can reduce the limit for bets up to 1 dollar. Of course, then  you can forget about arbs.

How to reduce the risk?

  • Round the bet amount to a whole number, for example, put 55 instead of 55.66.
  • Do not bet large amounts on unpopular leagues, for example, the third Australian league or the second German football league — the bookmaker will certainly suspect you of an arber.
  • Whatever attractive erroneous odds may be, do not bet on them if you do not want to arouse suspicion in the BS.
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