Punting can be as simple as putting down $1 on a horse to win a race, or as complicated as placing $5,000 on a box quinella, depending on how daring or experienced the punter is. Betting on sporting events in Australia is a popular hobby among many people; some just place the odd dollar down on their home football team, but for others it is a keen lifestyle choice which has built up over the years.
Punting nowadays is a whole lot easier, more convenient, and accessible with the dominance of online bookmakers. Previously, a punter would have to be at the event, or at least travel to their local betting agent. However with wagering online, it can be done by anyone, at anytime, and from anywhere, as long as that person has online facilities. However, for people who are new to gambling, and specifically online gambling, the whole process may seem slightly intimidating. With various terms, conditions and definitions used on websites, gambling may seem daunting – but once broken down it really is a very simple procedure.
HORSES:
Betting on a horse race can often seem complicated due to the array of options available to punters. With thousands of horse races taking place every year throughout Australia, there is certainly a lot of gambling which takes place, but the first thing a punter should do is check out horse form coming into the race they are going to place a wager on. If the race is over 1,000 metres, and for horses two-years-old, then a punter should have a look at races of the same structure, and see which horses have done well – this bases their bet on substantial grounds.
Most bookmakers offer the same options to their punters and below are some definitions of terms you may come across:
Win – A punter picks the horse they think will win the race.
Place – A punter picks a horse to come in either first, second or third spot.
Each way – A punter has an equal wage on a horse for a win, and a place.
Exacta – A punter picks the top two horses in the right order.
Superfecta – A punter picks out the top four horses in the correct order.
Quinella – A punter picks the top two horses in any order.
Trifecta – A punter picks the top three horses in the correct order.
Box Trifecta – A punter picks the top three horses in any order.
Standout Trifecta – A punter picks out the winner and then second and third in either order.
These are the basics and there are often other options, which are called ‘exotic wagers’ and usually vary depending on the popularity of the race you are wagering on. There are often options such as head-to-head, jockey wagers, doubles, trebles, quaddies and so many more – just have a look!
SPORTS:
Betting on sports can often be a loyalty wager as opposed to a financial benefit bet. For example throughout the AFL Season a punter may only wager on Freemantle because that is their home team, and it does not matter to them if they are facing an opponent such as St Kilda who would be favourite, because as a punter they are showing loyalty by sticking to their team’s side.
Continuing with AFL as an example, there are, once again, a huge amount of options available to punters when betting on the sport. One of the main markets is which team will win the league overall and these odds are often offered before the season begins. Then there are options such as which state will have the most wins, whether a team will qualify for the top eight, top four and the final, will win the wooden spoon, and which team will be the highest placed from a certain state.
Most common is the week to week punting, for each round throughout the season, and the odds change each week depending on who a team is playing. This is often where the loyal bets are laid. There are also options for the various tournaments and cups which occur during the season, specific trophies which are given out, such as the best player – the options are endless, and each bookie offers something different.
This goes for so many sports ranging from baseball, basketball, soccer, snooker and the list goes on. Again it is also not just for domestic events but international, for tournaments, entertainment markets (i.e. the Oscars) financial markets and political markets also exist.
PLACING A BET:
Deciding what horse race, or sport market to place a bet on is the easy part – many beginner punters get thrown off the gambling scent when it comes to actually placing a bet as it all seems too intimidating, but really it is not.
The first step is to have a look around and check out the vast array of online bookmakers. See which ones offer the sort of bets you are interested in, as some specify in horse racing, some in sport and some in exotic markets. Once you have decided that you are happy with the bookie you have selected, it is time to sign up with them. This is normally a quick and simple procedure of filling out some personal details, which results in your own account with that website, making it easy next time you want to place a bet. During this registration, you need to pay a small fee, which can be via credit card or any other online payment method.
Each bookmaker normally has a step-by-step set of instructions to walk you through the process of actually placing your bet. It is usually a simple procedure of literally clicking on which market it is you are interested in and following instructions.
Once your event is over, and you have won, the bookmaker will pay your winnings either into your back account or into your registered account with the website which you place future bets from.
So with a little break down, the initially intimidating process of online gambling is really not so overwhelming, and the winnings are certainly worth it. So rather than spending a day travelling to betting agents, spend half an hour looking online for a bookmaker who suits you, and place a dollar or two on an event that interests you! With online bookmakers it has never been easier or simpler to place a bet, you can do it from anywhere at any time, and more often than not on any event you desire!