SBC’s Recommended Podcasts for 2023
Hello. I’m Josh, a full time punter and SBC member. I’ve started doing some work for The SBC over the last few months and thought I would share what I listen to whilst I’m typing away or flicking from one betting screen to another. I’ve no doubt missed off many great betting podcasts but there are only so many hours in the day!
Podcasts in 2023
The rate of new podcasts shows no sign of slowing in 2023 as more and more people collaborate to discuss anything from cooking or politics to sports or their personal lives.
This growth is also present in betting podcasts, with general racing chatter, football, gambling mathematics and other more niche subjects covered by one pod or another.
Here, I rank my Top 5 for 2023 (in no particular order) with a brief description of each. Most of these have quite general themes, so I also provide some more ‘specialist’ suggestions at the bottom of the page.
1. The BashCast
In a sentence: Hosted by Bookie Bashing founder Tom Brownlee, The Bashcast discusses betting from a mathematical point of view and is interspersed with Tom’s monologues about his week (with the odd guest appearance for discussions).
Who is it for? Anyone with an interest in betting, especially on horses, golf, football and darts. Tom explains the numbers behind betting odds and edges in a way that is easy to understand, providing extra context by discussing his own ups and downs with gambling.
Why it’s worth listening to: Firstly, because it’s great entertainment! Episodes have covered topics including a discussion of the probability that Mick Hucknall had at some point slept with your wife (if she was good looking) and how Tom’s attempts to diffuse a drunken argument by suggesting that he and his rivals ‘step outside’ went wrong.
Despite numbers and discussions of probability making up the core of the show, it is still light, covers lots of topics and is fun to listen to.
The second main reason to listen to the BashCast is what you learn along the way. Tom talks at length about how he and his team calculate ‘true odds’, how to exploit edges and the different strategies that listeners can use to make betting pay. Here at the Smart Betting Club we all use Bookie Bashing to profitable ends, so we can give our stamp of approval and assure everyone that Tom knows what he is talking about!
Where you can find it: A direct link is available here and The Bashcast can also be found on most podcast platforms.
2. The Barstewards Enquiry
In a sentence: A bi-weekly show (with a weekend preview released on Fridays and a ‘Sunday Sermon’), The Barstewards Enquiry, hosted by Lee Keys, is a hard-hitting horse racing podcast that talks about all aspects of the sport with both honesty and humour.
Who is it for? Horse racing aficionados, people interested in the gambling industry and punters looking for weekend selections (and advice about their own betting).
Why it’s worth listening to: The Barstewards Enquiry is a welcome relief in an industry that often skirts around the big issues, avoids offending at any cost and is compromised by commercial/vested interests. This podcast is completely independent and Lee, John ‘Jonjo’ Leng and Chris ‘Lorne Malvo’ talk about everything from their own punting and strategies through to the week’s news and the state of the gambling industry.
All of this is supplemented by regular guests, who share their advice when discussing the weekend’s racing in their competitive tipping competition. In addition, the pod has also hosted specials where they tackle issues in depth – an example of this came in a recent chat with Steve Donoughue about the industry which included the statement ‘Some of you may be wondering why these academics are smoking crack!’.
The Barstewards is entertaining, informative and well worth a listen!
Where you can find it: A direct link is available here and The Barstewards Enquiry can also be found on most podcast platforms.
3. Betting People
In a sentence: Hosted by recent SBC podcast guest and all-round nice bloke Simon Nott, the #bettingpeople series interviews a wide range of personalities from within the betting industry including jockeys, blood stock agents and trainers through to professional gamblers, traders and bookmakers.
Who is it for? Anyone who has an interest in betting. #bettingpeople is quickly approaching 300 interviews and most betting markets and topics have been covered at some point or another within that time.
Why it’s worth listening to: After learning of this series relatively late, I ended up going back to the beginning to listen to every episode. I did this because even though I may not have a personal interest in every interview topic, I have found every guest to be informative and have learnt so much about different aspects of sports and the gambling industry that I wouldn’t have elsewhere.
Simon is a great host and I can’t think of many interviews that have lacked flowing conversation. Personal favourites include the bookies’ ‘Enemy Number One’, Patrick Veitch, mathematical wizard, Matthew Trenhaile and the recent interview with trainer Tim Vaughan but like I said – every interview is worth a listen!
Where you can find it: A direct link is available here and #bettingpeople can also be found on most podcast platforms as well as YouTube for those who prefer to watch rather than listen.
4. Circles Off
In a sentence: Circles Off is an American-centric betting show co-hosted by podcast veteran Rob Pizzola and Johnny from Betstamp.
Who is it for? Those who have an interest in betting on North American markets and following the news from the major US & Canadian sports.
Why it’s worth listening to: I am a relative newcomer to this podcast but have enjoyed what I’ve listened to so far. Both of the co-hosts bet extensively so that makes up the bulk of the show as they discuss angles, the processes they go through and some software that helps them to price up events and find value bets.
This show has a similar feel to The Bashcast with the mechanics of odds being central to most discussions. The main difference is the markets discussed – I see it as the perfect gateway to North American sports if (like me) you are interested in getting involved in those markets.
Where you can find it: A back catalogue of all episodes on YouTube is available here and Circles Off can be found on most podcast hosting platforms.
5. The Smart Betting Club Podcast
In a sentence: Hosted by Smart Betting Club founder Pete Ling, The SBC Podcast has a library of more than 50 episodes interviewing the sharpest minds in the betting industry with a broad range of discussions centred on helping listeners to make their betting pay.
Who is it for? Anyone who bets or who has an interest in the betting industry. Guests normally discuss their careers and specialisms but conversations often include wider topics such as the industry, getting on with bookmakers and other things of interest.
Why it’s worth listening to: This podcast provides practical advice which is why I find it so useful. Guests often talk about their tipping services or profitable angles and this provides a lot of help for anyone looking to improve their betting or grow a portfolio (I have signed up to two services after listening to SBC pods and I wouldn’t have considered them but for listening to what the people who run them had to say).
The SBC Podcast is interesting to listen to, has guests from all sorts of backgrounds and has helped me in more ways than I can count in making my betting more profitable.
The host is okay too!
Where you can find it: A direct link is available here and The SBC Podcast can also be found on most podcast platforms.
Other podcasts to note:
From The Horse’s Mouth (available here): I tend to stay away from podcasts hosted by bookmakers but ‘FTHM’ is well worth a listen before a weekend’s racing. The panel is normally made up of Rory Delargy and Ruby Walsh, with trader Frank Hickey and Matt Chapman regulars too. Patrick Kennelly is a lively host, the pod is fun to listen to and it provides a good overview of what to expect from the big races on any given Saturday.
Upping The Ante (available on the Racing Post YouTube Channel): A relatively new podcast (it is 15 episodes in in its current format), Upping The Ante is an excellent horse racing podcast with co-hosts David Jennings and Johnny Dineen. They discuss the main races of the week, answer viewers’ questions and look forward to big upcoming races, doing it all in a way that is great to listen to.
The Probet Podcast (available here): Co-hosted by professional punters Mark Holding and Andrew Lowrie, The Probet Podcast is an excellent listen for anyone looking to improve their horse racing betting. Decades of experience are behind their discussions, with betting strategies, angles into races and a follow/oppose list being regular features of the show.
