The Smart Betting Club Podcast

In this new Betting Clever episode, Pete and Josh from the Smart Betting Club unpack a whole host of topics of note for those of us who enjoy betting, kicking off with the latest on the affordability nonsense that is dominating matters currently. The knock on effect of that has been growth in the black market, which we explore and just how betting is going further underground at the moment. They also unpack the motivations and flaws from many popular free tipsters and betting experts such as Tony Calvin from Betfair, who has come in for criticism recently about his form, yet for them the issues with him and others of his ilk lie elsewhere. With the launch of a new bookmaker in BetMGM recently, they also discuss just why they have opened in the UK, who's behind it all and how to take advantage of some of the profit boosts they are offering to customers. They are ideal for bankroll growth for those of you looking to generate some easy wins. They also tackle the crazy profit figures they have seen first-hand from a tipster purporting to have inside information. An ROI of 88% from 700 bets backs that up and despite both Pete and Josh being entirely cynical on this concept of such insider bets, they have had to put their hands up and say - there could be something here. Alongside that they also outline the more straightforward profits being made by service such as Chasing Steamers, Winner Odds and the free expert, HeadStart Racing. The goal of this podcast is to help you with your betting and provide opinions, insight and expertise you might not get elsewhere. (00:00) Intro - the return of the Betting Clever podcast (01:40) Josh goes too far after golf wins & we discuss our betting routines? (04:05) Politics & Betting - Affordability & The Gambling Commission (11:56) Pete's experience of the Black Market (16:05) Industry Big Wigs, Naive Regulations & Useless Beaureaucrats (19:80) Bet MGM (23:42) Tony Calvin, tipping early & free tipsters (29:00) Making money on European Basketball on Pinnacle (33:20) Inside Information- Pete & Josh's cynicism & being pleasantly surprised (39:47) Chasing Steamers - the perfect bank builder (48:45) Getting ahead of the bookies with a new Free Tipster Discover More: https://gamblersconsumerforum.com/https://www.betmgm.co.uk/promotionshttps://smartbettingclub.com/blog/chasing-steamers-review/https://smartbettingclub.com/blog/winner-odds-sbc-betting-record-and-guide/https://smartbettingclub.com/headstart-racing/https://smartbettingclub.com/subscribe/https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

I have a fascinating guest in Episode 64 in the form of Nick Goff who has been a professional football bettor for the past 7 years. Nick works as part of a football betting syndicate and is one of a group of experts who bet and win extensively on the beautiful game. Now it's really rare to get the kind of insight that Nick reveals in today's pod as big football bettors and groups tend to be quite secretive in their nature - Think Tony Bloom's Starlizard syndicate as just one example of this. So what Nick shares is really insightful and a rare peek behind the curtain of what it's like to be in the top echelon of football punting including the leagues and markets they target, when they bet, how often and just how they get on. Nick also explains his own angle as regards Antepost betting and just how he maximises value and manages his bankroll throughout a football season to find very big edges to exploit. As someone with a extensive history in the industry - Nick previously was the head of Football Trading at Coral, he also shares plenty on other topics of note from the current state of betting such as affordability checks, the Black market & the Minimum Bet Law concept. I really enjoyed chatting with Nick and learning about his work at the sharp end of the betting world and I think you will too. My thanks to Nick for being so candid and for sharing his time with me. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/@nickgoff79@sbcinfohttps://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking to Stephen Harris, a vastly experienced bettor and bookmaker with a speciality on both greyhounds and jumps racing. Starting out life as a bookmaker at the age of 20 taking bets on dogs, Stephen walks me through his early years on track, through to his time working at Sporting Index with some of the sharpest minds going, before his current role providing content and tips for Betting Expert. Along the way Stephen has learnt plenty on how the betting world works including who makes it pay and how, whether it be punting on course or online with both bookies and exchanges. Its through the latter where Stephen bets exclusively these days and he has plenty to share on how the betting markets now operate and the importance of adapting and evolving as a punter to survive. He also has some strong thoughts on the current mess surrounding affordability, the motivations of those at the Gambling Commission, through to how easy it is these days to bet into the black market. We also touch on his work at Betting Expert and his superb Free Value Angle column and its edge and educational approach. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://www.bettingexpert.com/news/horse-racinghttps://twitter.com/Stephenh61https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

Jason Trost is the founder and CEO of both the Betting Exchange, Smarkets and the up-and-coming bookmaker, SBK and he joined me in Episode 62 to talk about his time running both companies and the many challenges in the industry right now. Jason talks candidly throughout about his work first of all in setting up Smarkets, including taking on Betfair, the challenges of attracting customers and their goal to be different in terms of simplifying and improving the exchange experience. He also explains their approach to commission rates and liquidity, including the setup and usage of their own trading arm to provide betting volume across the range of markets on Smarkets. Not one to rest on his laurels, in 2019, Jason setup the bookmaker, SBK as a way of appealing to those who prefer a more traditional bookmaking setup, but with the advantage of better odds based on those available from the Smarkets exchange. He explains the challenges of this including advertising restrictions and their quest to replicate many of the more exotic bets that many regular punters look for such as multiples, yankees & lucky 15s. Jason also tackles the thorny topic of affordability limits and the various checks and balances forced upon all operators at the moment to comply with current rules. He has some strong opinions on why gambling is being singled out when other 'sin industries' are not and why banks should be more involved when it comes to these checks. He also rails against the double standards that has seen some bookmakers benefit from operating in offshore jurisdictions where betting is not legal and the unfair financial advantage that gives them elsewhere, including in regulated markets such as the UK. I really enjoyed my chat with Jason as someone happy to speak openly and honestly about not only running both an exchange and a sportsbook, but also the various challenges facing the betting industry as a whole. And for those of you on the fence, we do recommend checking out both Smarkets as a Betfair alternative and also SBK for the often best-value odds you can find in several markets. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://smarkets.com/https://getsbk.com/jason.trost@smarkets.comhttps://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

Due to the popularity of SBC Podcast Episode #59, we decided to follow up with another special podcast to answer questions from listeners on the '5 Stages Of Profitable Betting'. Dozens of you got in touch and after replying to some more specific questions directly, we settled down to answer everything else that came in. In this podcast, Rowan, Josh and I answer questions relating to: As you will gather from this chat, we all got something positive from it by discussing angles and resources that haven’t come up in our conversations before – we hope that you find it just as useful! The previous podcast which I referenced at the start is Episode #59; that is available to listen to in all podcast libraries and we would advise starting there if you haven’t heard it yet. Many of the resources that we discuss are available on our website at www.smartbettingclub.com, with extra detail and various other benefits offered to our members. Discover More: 5 Stages of Profitable Betting https://smartbettingclub.com/5-stages-of-profitable-betting/https://smartbettingclub.com/betting-exchange-sharp-bookmakers-tipsters/https://smartbettingclub.com/subscribe/https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

My guest in episode 60 is football bettor and trader, Jon Roberts, who balances his own work betting professionally with running the Predictology football data website and is also an innovator when it comes to embracing AI and Automation for bet selection and placement. Jon explains to me his methodology and strategies for both football betting and trading, the leagues and markets he bets in alongside how he gets on via Bet Brokers and Exchanges. One of his angles is to bet odds-on and often heavily so, an approach many punters shy away from, but one that Jon has found to be lucrative and which comes with many additional benefits. His love of football betting also shines through via his development of the Predictology football data and betting system website, which has grown to be a very popular resource and for good reason. Jon also explains how he utilises AI and machine learning when it comes to his football betting and his usage of automation and bots to get lots more bets down than he can do practically. It's a great chat for anyone interested in the world of football betting and looking to learn from someone at the sharp end of making it pay for several years. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/www.Predictology.coPredictologyBethttps://smartbettingclub.com/ai-football-tips/https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

In this week’s podcast, instead of interviewing a ‘traditional’ guest, I had the pleasure of being joined by two of my colleagues at The SBC, Rowan and Josh. All three of us bet extensively and with the launch of our new 5 Stages of Betting resource, we thought that discussing our own betting journeys (and what we have learnt along the way) would be helpful for our listeners. Different starting points, varying schedules to work around and risk appetite are all factors to consider and we discuss the realities of what any bettor has to think about when choosing a sport to bet on or a tipster to follow. We talk about the ‘dos and dont's’ for betting beginners, how to adapt as bookmaker account restrictions bite and why diversifying is so essential. Later in the pod, we provide content for more advanced bettors, why they will most likely need different services and how they can continue to make money from their betting, despite not having the luxury of ‘soft’ bookmaker accounts. It was great to have a chat with both Rowan and Josh as we (hopefully!) provided practical advice for all bettors and learning from each other is central to becoming successful. For ‘Part 2’, where we discuss the stages in more detail and link them to specific services, you will need a Smart Betting Club membership – a link for that is available below! Discover More: 5 Stages of Profitable Betting https://smartbettingclub.com/5-stages-of-profitable-betting/https://smartbettingclub.com/betting-exchange-sharp-bookmakers-tipsters/To sign up for a SBC Membership and access Part 2, click here:https://smartbettingclub.com/subscribe/https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

The Gamblers Consumers Forum (GCF) is a new organisation set up to represent the interests of those that enjoy betting and to raise the many concerns that punters have as regards the proposals put forward by the recent gambling white paper in the UK. I was joined by both Abbie McGregor and Andrew Woodman in this episode to discuss just why they have setup the GCF, including what it stands for, what it is against and their plans to help better represent the many people that bet in the UK , who until now have been overlooked. Starting with their opposition to the planned affordability checks mooted in the White Paper, which they describe as 'unnecessary, unworkable, unpractical and ineffective', Andrew and Abbie also outline why such measures will only serve to increase the usage of the black market, a precursor of which was seen during the 2022 World Cup with a 3-fold increase in visits to it. The very real prospect of a growing black market is also a concern for those dealing with gambling addiction and Abbie also outlines GCF's issues with what has been proposed in the White Paper and why such measures are not rooted in science and might ultimately do more harm than good. Through the chat, we also discuss what they would like to see change as per regulation and the Gambling Commission's role, alongside that of a better dispute resolution service, plus the importance of pushing back against those who make up the anti-gambling lobby. The vast majority of people who bet, have up to now not been represented when it comes to the debate around new gambling legislation and the GCF are here to fill that void and finally represent the average punter's interests and concerns. Please visit https://gamblersconsumerforum.com/ to find out more about their work. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://gamblersconsumerforum.com/https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

In this latest episode I had the pleasure of being joined by Johnny Dineen, one half of the popular Upping The Ante show from the Racing Post. Originally a bookmaker by trade and one with quite the reputation for doing things differently, Johnny is now a professional punter and he talks with me about what the reality of that is like, both in terms of getting on and how the work/life balance of this suits him. Johnny also speaks candidly about his time bookmaking, the highs and lows, why it appealed to him and ultimately why the growth of Betfair alongside the recession in Ireland saw him shift to being a professional punter. He also has plenty to say on other topics that many bettors will nod in agreement about, from affordability limits to the black market and the terrible way bookies treat many of their customers these days. We also round things off with a chat about his media work, including his very popular stint on Upping The Ante - which won Silver in the Best Betting Podcast category in the 2023 SBC Awards. Johnny also won Silver in the Best Betting Expert category too - just being pipped by his Racing Post, stablemate, Steve Palmer. All told its a fascinating chat with a man working at the heart of betting and bookmaking for many years and someone always willing to do things differently. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiwkrPXPGzgnAxAV3zYJWGrRZMB45sfSmhttps://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

My guest in today's episode is Stanley, the man behind the golf stats, data and betting advice website tour-tips.com Betting on golf is a very popular market for many a smart punter and Stanley's website provides an exceptional amount of data and information to inform and educate shrewd bettors. In our chat he outlines the variety of data on offer, those of most importance when it comes to finding value golf bets prior to the event and the growth of golf stats and data over the years. We also talk about the different tours, the pros and cons of each from a betting perspective, including how his site's stats and tips can help guide as to value away from the main competitions. For those of you wanting access to just quality golf tips, Stanley also outlines how they work, why he only tips into liquid markets and the excellent record of performance over the years, including the 35% ROI made on the PGA Tour. The Smart Betting Club reviewed their performance a few years ago and many members of our service have been following them in profitably for sometime now. As someone who's day job involves work helping out on the bookmaking side, he is very well placed to advise, guide and also tip on golf so sit back and listen to my chat with Stanley on Tour-Tips.com Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://tour-tips.com/https://www.tour-tips.com/record.htmhttps://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

My guest in this latest episode is Andrew Mount, a man very familiar to those in racing betting circles thanks to his popular Trend Horses series of books and his years as a tipster and columnist for the likes of GG.co.uk and the Racing Post. Andrew has experienced it all when it comes to betting, including working for both online and on-course bookmakers, extensive work as a broadcaster and author alongside several years making a living from punting alone. This includes some really big wins betting on the Tote Scoop 6, so it is little wonder he is now an ambassador for the Tote and in our chat, he explains just why it might appeal to modern day bettors. Andrew also explains more on his process in terms of finding winners, his usage of systems and software such as ProForm and how that helps especially given his high volume approach to racing betting these days. He also shares his take on the industry at present, getting bets on with bookmakers and everything else in between. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://sportslens.com/uk/news/author/andrewmount/GG.co.ukhttps://gg.co.uk/author/andrew-mount/https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

In this latest episode I was joined by James, one half of the team behind the very interesting Tennis Pilot tipping service. The focal point of a recent SBC Tipster review, I was keen to find out more on how James and his business partner, Nicholas work and the edge that they have been able to develop betting on Tennis. Having made a profit for over 7 years and nearly 7000 bets at around 17% ROI, James talked me through all aspects of his edge and how he finds value. Having a deep understanding of Tennis and many of the players and their relative strengths and weaknesses, James and Nicholas have been able to identify vulnerabilities in how bookmakers price up certain markets and have taken full advantage. We also talk about their background at Oxford university, the development of a Tennis AI program they also use to find value, plus of course how bookmakers approach tennis and those who bet on it. All told, its a fascinating exploration of how this duo have manifested a very strong edge for several years in the tennis betting markets. There is also a 25% discount available on all Tennis Pilot subscriptions for members of the Smart Betting Club. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://tennispilottips.com/https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

In this special episode, I am joined by friend of the show, Anthony Kaminskas (AK) to talk about his new online bookmaking website - akbets.bet and his shift from being a high staking, winning punter to that of bookie. AKbets was launched in early March 2023 and has attracted a lot of interest from punters due to AK's desire to do things differently to the large 'corporate' bookmakers and to offer better, more personal customer service and to accept bets they might otherwise refuse. In this chat we explore all aspects of how AK deals with smart punters, with some specific examples of when and where he is happy to lay bets, especially when the information is useful to him and the market is liquid enough to take it on. We also discuss his disdain for 'arbers' and why he can't and won't accommodate people who are in his words 'taking the mick' and why he does his best to engage and explain his decisions on what he will and wont take to customers. That in itself is a mightily refreshing take on bookmaking and he speaks with honesty and transparency about not only this, but his business, why he decided to be a bookie, including the decisions he made on skins, licenses, technology and more. Starting out as a licensed bookmaker, especially online is a intense, costly business but if anyone can, AK can and my thanks go to him for being so open and honest about the reality of betting and bookmaking. If you are interested in learning about bookmaking and more on whether you should open an account with him, this podcast will tell you all you need to know. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://akbets.bet/https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

In this latest episode I was joined by David Lovell, one of the brothers behind the Welsh based bookmaker, DragonBet on the reality of running both an online and on course bookmaking operation. With a long established on course bookmaking presence as begun by their father, John Lovell, David and his brother James recently launched their own website - DragonBet to take bets online. Dragonbet is one of a growing number of smaller, independent firms branching out into online offerings and David talks frankly about all aspects of this, from using a white label solution, to the intense work involved to maintain it all and how its an all encompassing job. We also get into how they approach sharp money and laying bets from smart punters and their desire to be an approachable firm that does things differently, both online and on course. With a strong presence in Wales and the promise of top of the market odds on Welsh sport, they are also hoping to appeal to punters both based in Wales and with an interest in betting on teams and events based in the country. All told, its a fascinating insight into the reality of running a bookmakers and the challenges it poses operators in 2023. My thanks go to both David and James Lovell for sharing their story in this podcast episode. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://dragonbet.co.uk/https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

My guest on today's episode is Ryan Bruno - also known as the 'Smart Sports Trader' and someone who has made a 6 figure profit betting and trading over the past 5 years. Starting out with matched betting, bonuses and arbing, he evolved his betting into using tipsters and more recently onto the betting exchanges as he lost his final 'soft' bookmaker account in 2022. His is a story of dedication, patience and the nous to build up a bankroll and develop what he bets on and how he bets based on the challenges faced as he built up profit. Combining his betting with a full-time job, he was able to make almost £40,000 from his punting in 2022 alone and with a renewed focus on pre match and value trading, is gunning for more of the same via the exchanges in 2023. Ryan is a source of inspiration for those of you looking for an example of how to make money betting in today's restrictions-heavy climate. So sit back and enjoy my interview with Ryan Bruno. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/SmSportstraderhttps://smartsportstrader.com/https://smartsportstrader.com/making-a-million-from-sports-betting-2022-review/https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

Episode 50's podcast guest is Craig Edwards, a former professional snooker player turned winning punter and someone with a very clear edge over the bookmaker. Growing up playing in snooker halls where betting was never far from discussion, Craig developed a keen interest in punting and was able to carve out a good profit for himself betting after he retired from professional sport. With a unique understanding of some of the psychological challenges of elite sport, plus the right approach and attitude to seeking out betting value, Craig has been the scourge of many a bookmaker, especially on his 2 chosen sports - snooker and golf. This was proven when employees from one major bookmaking firm joined his tipster service, in order to get priority access and to slash their own odds on the tips he put forward and takes himself. That is just one story Craig shares in today's episode, alongside more on his edge in the betting markets, why he often works backwards in order to find value and the huge amount of research he puts in. Craig's tipster service was also the focus of a recent detailed SBC review, which we also discuss in this interview, alongside the discounts available for SBC members, where up to 20% can be saved on the cost of a subscription to his service. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/ @EdwardsTips_https://edwards-tips.co.uk/@sbcinfohttps://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

For the very first time I have a guest returning for his 2nd podcast interview with me, yet with plenty to talk about, its an absolute honour to have top racing judge, Quentin Franks back on. One of the main discussion points is Quentin's very popular racing tipster service, which has a 16% ROI over nearly 10000 bets since 2014. The great news is that from 2023, Quentin is bringing his service over to us at the Smart Betting Club and we discuss why, including some of the major adjustments we are making to ensure the service is easier to follow. Perhaps most crucially are the changes to improve odds availability with a membership cap, bookmaker-only focus and fair odds quotation policy being put in place. For those of you interested in racing tipsters, its the chance to explore some of the many talking points about getting on, how and when to use exchanges and adapting to the betting market. We also explore the figures from the recent analysis SBC performed on his service including why he has no edge at Betfair SP, what to expect in terms of losing runs and drawdowns and how and when to increase stakes. Finally we also spend a good amount of time discussing independent bookmaker options and just why Quentin uses them and why other punters who have been chased away by major firms should consider them too. Whilst you won't find them on sites like Oddschecker, many of these independents are run by on-course layers who are used to operating a proper book and will lay you bets at fair odds, even if a winner. We explore several firms that are fully licensed and currently go under the radar but who offer everything from online betting through to Whatsapp, Telegram and even app options to get your bets. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://smartbettingclub.com/sbcracinghttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tm_1alZfLNyaBBdCfujVXCqwx9WQb2i6Tzy5-lB9A9U/edit#gid=0https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/ Independent Bookmaker Links Macbet https://macbetbookmakers.com/EN/ Goodwin Racing https://goodwinracing.co.uk/ Ostlers Racing £1000 LTL from 11:00 https://www.ostlersracing.com/ McCartenbet (Telegram) https://mccartanbet.com/ Joe Jennings (Telegram) https://joejennings.co.uk/ Kalooki Sportsbook https://www.kalookisportsbook.co.uk/

It's an episode with a difference today as my guest is Simon Nott - a man more used to posing the questions then answering them via his very popular Betting People interview series. Simon is someone steeped in betting having worked in the ring for several on-course bookmakers for several years and now perhaps most famous for his interviews with some of the biggest movers and shakers in the betting world. We explore Simon's vast experience working on course and the buzz this used to generate for both bookmakers and punters alike with the need for quick thinking, excellent math skills and a very thick skin. Simon also discusses how bookmaking has changed these days and the challenges on course layers face, yet also why punters might wish to consider venturing back to the racecourse to get their bets on and some of the up-and-coming firms trying out new approaches. He also shares his thoughts on the Betting People series of interviews and some of the guests he has had on, how it all began, the guest he most regrets not having on and the plans to develop it further in the future. As well as being someone with a wealth of experience in the betting world, Simon is also one of the nicest guys you would ever hope to meet and so it was an absolute pleasure to spend time talking to him for this episode. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://www.simonnott.co.uk/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Skint-Mob-Tales-Betting-Ring-ebook/dp/B00HUWR8REhttps://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

In this latest episode I was joined by expert racing tipster and professional bettor, Declan Meagher to talk about his 20 years making a living from betting. Declan combines his own punting on the Betfair exchange, which derives the majority of his income alongside running his Learn Bet Win racing service, which continues to put up some excellent numbers. The focus of a recent in-depth SBC review, its made a 16.9% ROI to fair bookmaker odds over the course of more than 5000 bets since it began in 2014. We talk about all aspects of his success in finding regular winners both for himself on Betfair and his customers with bookmakers and the challenges this brings. Including how he uses sophisticated modelling and sectional timing to aid racing analysis and find value bets plus the practicalities of getting bets down, staking strategies, responsible tipping practices & working efficiently. Declan is one of the best racing judges and tipsters out there and it was an absolute pleasure to chat to him and learn more about what makes him so successful. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://www.learnbetwin.com/https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/

This episode is the second of our 2 part series exploring concerns about the data that bookmakers collect on those of us who bet with them and what you need to know about this as a smart punter. Once again I am joined by experienced punter and betting expert, Neel Shah to discuss some of the options available to you as a smart punter including a look at Virtual Private Networks and Servers (also known as VPN's and VPS's) as well as Virtual Machines, Proxifiers and other tools and techniques to consider to protect your information and help you get on. We also look at how useful mobile phones can be when betting, especially to help 'hide in plain sight' as a winning bettor plus the software that allows you to run your phone screen on your laptop for ease of use. With trust in big bookmakers running at an all time low and an increase in complaints about accounts closures, delayed withdrawals and just general awful customer service, the more you know about how they operate and how in turn to get your bets on and get paid, the better for you as a smart punter. If you missed it you can download Part 1, which is episode 45 via the Smart Betting Club podcast feed available on all major podcast directories. Discover More: https://smartbettingclub.com/https://mybettorlife.com/Brianacoplin0https://www.vysor.io/https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/