SBC podcast

🎧SBC Podcast #83: Jose On How to Scale Edges & Betting Groups/Sharp Punting Insight (Part 1) 🎧

Posted on by Josh P

In the first part of a ‘double header’ for SBC Podcast Episode #83 I was joined by Jose, one of the most informed and well-connected betting people out there.
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Jose has a wealth of experience working with bettors from all over the world and instead of modelling or originating his own bets, he concentrates on meeting people who can and helping them maximise their profits.
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Getting on, masking sharp activity and sustainable betting are all hallmarks of Jose’s work and he has strong opinions about everything from the most efficient market makers, the best types of edges and CLV.
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In Part 1, we discuss all of this as Jose shares wisdom that can benefit bettors of all levels from beginners right through to hardened pros. Part 2 will be with you soon as we will answer some very common questions that bettors have!

You can support the SBC Podcast by visiting our brand-new podcast sponsor, Matchbook. You can get ​150 days, commission free with them via this link.

You can listen to Episode 83 now via Apple / YouTube / Spotify and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

 

In this chat, Jose and I talked about:

  • Introducing Jose
  • Betting, edges & scaling operations with others
  • Betting in practice: sustainability
  • Bet execution & the variance that comes with multiples
  • Pinnacle: is it still the same barometer it once was?
  • CLV
  • Good & bad practice in betting groups
  • End of part 1!

I have met and spoke to Jose many times in the past and he is at the cutting edge of the betting markets all across the globe, with contacts on every continent.

I learn a lot from him every time we talk – I am sure that you will too!

Enjoy!

🎧SBC Podcast #81 – 🎧Pisky On An Infamous (HUGE) Edge With One Bookie & How He Made It Pay🎧

Posted on by Josh P

In the latest SBC Podcast I am joined by Alex Piskopos (AKA ‘Pisky’), a serial betting winner and entrepreneur with some amazing stories to share – including details of the very successful betting operation he was a key part of and one which made him some serious profits!

You can listen to Episode 81 now via Apple / Spotify / YouTube and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

Pisky is a man with many strings to his bow, with extensive industry experience, podcasting and working with some of the sharpest betting groups all being part of his background.

First off though, he walked me through a quite remarkable story about his time at the Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation (OLG) and how he took serious advantage of an edge he spotted whilst working there.

After leaving OLG, he teamed up with his betting partner ‘The Fulldog’ and scaled up a very impressive betting operation that truly maximised the edge available to him. Its a story that gets to the heart of the logistics involved in running a larger betting operation with a team of runners, handling large sums of cash, arranging deals with shop owners and much more besides!

We also touch upon Pisky’s more current work as he diversifies away from betting 24/7 and grinding away for profit. Part of this relates to continued work with betting groups whilst he also has more experience than most in using cryptocurrencies alongside co-hosting his own podcast – ​Always Betting​.

You can also support the SBC Podcast by visiting our brand new podcast sponsor, Matchbook. You can get 150 days, commission free with them via this link.

 

In this chat, Pisky and I talk about:

  • An introduction to Pisky – where does the name come from?!
  • What Pisky is doing at the moment
  • A revenge story – exploiting a lucrative loop hole!
  • Building the infrastructure to exploit an edge
  • Practical advice for retail punters
  • Networking and its importance
  • Crypto – a growing betting space & a way to move away from traditional banking
  • The issues that come with both winning and losing
  • Diversifying and doing different work around full-time betting
  • Creating content and the ‘Always Betting Podcast’
  • How to find and communicate with Pisky online

To that last bullet point, for those of you who would like to follow Pisky on social media, you can do so on X/Twitter @RiskyPisky_, Instagram @RiskyPisky_ or @Pisky on Linktree and the Always Betting Podcast can be found here.

Enjoy!

🎧SBC Podcast #79 – Thomas Pearson On Punting, Tipping & How To Treat Customers Fairly!🎧

Posted on by Josh P

In the latest SBC Podcast I am joined by a fascinating guest who’s service was the at the centre of the latest SBC Magazine.

Thomas Pearson is the owner/operator of the service that bears his name and he has built up a very impressive record since he started his horse racing tipping at the start of 2023.

Big prices, big winners and 20%+ returns to Betfair SP have made him popular with a wide ranging audience and in this chat we discuss all aspects of his service alongside his journey to get here and his own personal betting.

Thomas’s Fair Odds Policy was also a big part of our chat as we went through what he does, why he does it and how this compares to the rest of the tipster market (of who many have no qualms in taking the best prices before markets have even formed!).

You can listen to Episode 79 now via Apple / Spotify / YouTube and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

You can also support the SBC Podcast by visiting our brand new podcast sponsor, Matchbook. You can get 150 days, commission free with them via this link.

 

In this chat, Thomas and I talk about:

  • An introduction to Thomas Pearson
  • Thomas’s punting – is he a full-time punter?
  • How ‘TP’ got here
  • Switching from being ‘degenerate’ to betting more selectively
  • Horse racing only? What else does TP bet on?
  • Thomas’s favourite types of races for betting & tipping
  • Tissue pricing & other ways to determine price
  • What makes a horse value? How does a race set up help?
  • Thomas’s favourite code & race types
  • TP Racing Tips & what came before
  • Data, drawdowns & tempering expectations
  • Fair odds, attainable prices & bad tipster practices discussed
  • An edge at BSP
  • How Thomas bets his tips
  • A very affordable price point
  • Betting on pool – a possible future service?!

Thomas was a great guest and the way he runs his service is both innovative and refreshing.

One quote that stood out in our chat was ‘One thing I would say is… a tipster’s record…if you’re following them, you should be able to better them.‘ – I wholeheartedly agree!

I hope that you enjoy the listen!

🎧Tipster Follow Up: Matthew Trenhaile On Tipsters🎧

Posted on by Josh P

As a follow up to SBC Podcast #78 (which I have linked up below incase you missed it), today, we were joined by Matthew Trenhaile to talk about all things tipsters.

Matthew has been a long time user of the Smart Betting Club (he even goes back to the Secret Betting Club days!) and he has many views on how to assess tipsters that were as interesting as you would expect!

Click here or on the image below to listen to this chat with Matthew, Pete and Josh – we have nearly 2 and a half hours worth of ‘Trench’ content from this week and you can get stuck into all of it from this page!

In this chat, Josh and I asked questions relating to:

  • Why tipsters do what they do and why ‘not being a millionaire’ is not a reason to ignore them
  • Trench’s favourite tipsters and services he rates highly
  • Matthew’s process for assessing tipsters and ‘bare minimum’ requirements he has
  • Intricacies between data driven selections and more nuanced expertise that tipsters can possess
  • CLV, bookmakers’ responses to bets and edges that can go unnoticed
  • Oddschecker’s ‘Betting Professor’

If you want to listen to the aforementioned SBC Podcast with Trench, you can do so here:

You can listen to Episode 78 via Apple / Spotify / YouTube and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

🎧SBC Podcast #78 – Matthew Trenhaile Answers YOUR Questions In This Special Episode!🎧

Posted on by Josh P

In the latest SBC Podcast I am joined by a guest that I have been chasing and cajoling for for a long, long time!

Matthew Trenhaile (or ‘Trench’) has worked in various roles within the industry for operators such as Mustard Bet and most recently, Pinnacle.

Alongside this, he has compiled odds for several sports, worked at spread firms (in both betting and finance) and developed an insight into the betting ecosystem that few possess.

Trench’s newest venture is a consultancy, Anubis Trading, and with the launch of his own business, he has been on somewhat of a ‘whistlestop tour’ of leading podcasts in Europe, North America and South America.

With that in mind, we did something a bit different for his appearance on the SBC Podcast, with an ‘Ask Me Anything’ special where you, the audience, posed questions.

Those questions and Trench’s answers can be found below with everything from sharp bookmaking, tipsters, moral questions and even ice cream covered. Enjoy!

You can listen to Episode 78 now via Apple / Spotify / YouTube and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

You can also support the SBC Podcast by visiting our brand new podcast sponsor, Matchbook. You can get 150 days, commission free with them via this link.

In this chat, Matthew and I talk about:

  • 97% lose – why do sportsbooks limit winners?
  • Why has Pinnacle not been imitated?
  • Pinnacle never restrict – or do they?
  • What does the future look like for crypto books?
  • Polymarket – what does Trench think?
  • Who is shaping the UK & Irish horse racing markets?
  • Steam Chasing
  • BSP betting – skill or variance? How do we assess this?
  • What are the best edges Trench has ever seen?
  • The best ever bettor in Trench’s opinion?
  • Why isn’t Matthew a pro gambler?
  • Racing punting and sharing picks publicly!
  • Using tipsters
  • The morality of the betting industry
  • Tips for a 20-year-old starting out
  • 5/2 on a coin toss – how much is Trench having on?
  • Ice cream discussion
  • Anubis Trading and where to find Matthew

This will no doubt be one of our most popular ever podcasts and the fact that it went well over an hour (whilst feeling like a lot less!) demonstrates how much we talked about!

Matthew mentions a topic very close to your collective hearts as SBC Members and followers during the chat and a follow up may be a lot sooner than you think. I will let you know when that’s set up – in the meantime, enjoy the show!

🖋️ Mads Kindberg Nielsen: Mastering The Mental Game In Sports Betting 🖋️

Posted on by Josh P

Mads Kindberg Nielsen was a recent guest on SBC Podcast #77 (links for which are below) and at the end of that chat, he talked about betting psychology with some practical tips to improve performance, whatever level of bettor you are! With Mads’ permission, we have translated a post where he writes about this (that he released in Danish at https://monetosbetting.dk/kindbergs-corner-hold-styr-paa-hovedet/)to read here. No edits have been made to the text – here it is:

Mads Kindberg Nielsen, co-owner of Monetos and long-time successful sports bettor, writes blogs on relevant topics within the betting world. The blog only expresses the writer’s opinion. 

You have to master the mental game in sports betting.

If you don’t have your head down, you can’t call yourself a good sports bettor. It’s that simple in my world. With the exception of responsible gambling/bankroll management, it is the most important feature in sports betting.

‘But what about my mathematical skills, my ability to read a football match or my large database of all sorts of statistics,’ you might think.

My answer: It doesn’t really matter if you piss off the entire month’s profit – or MUCH worse all your money – on one bad day, because you have played badly and irresponsibly and not been there in your head!

We sports bettors are constantly practicing to get better. We put an extra column in the spreadsheet with new numbers, so our model is (possibly) 0.3784% more accurate. We see extended highlights instead of just the goals. We read more and more news about each team and its players. Perhaps one more piece of news is just what gives us an advantage in the market?

In other words: We are working on our A-game. We optimize our A-game. All the time. And that’s fine enough.

But we forget our B- and C-game.

Same mechanisms as in poker

I once read a book called The Mental Game of Poker written by American Jared Tendler. It’s about poker, but the same mechanics apply in sports betting, and it helped me see my game and myself in a completely different light.

When we play our A-game, we’re in the zone. We find the right statistics and use them correctly. We don’t get emotional about overtime scores. Instead, we move on to the next analysis, which we can put our A-game into – WITHOUT changing the bet because ‘what is lost must be won back home’ or other stupid things that our emotions can tell us. No, we stick to the overall strategy of bankroll management and responsible play when we play our A-game.

In our B-game, we still make good decisions – for the most part. Maybe we get a little disturbed by a phone, a screaming baby, maybe we do our analysis with one eye while the other watches the football game on television. The analyzes are not quite as thorough. Overtime scores hurt a little, and we feel how the irritation is slowly moving us further and further towards the place we don’t want to go in any way: Our C-game.

In our C-game, we are on tilt. We make bad bets because we are in the throes of emotion. The brain hides under the desk or in the broom closet, while the emotions control the body and our actions. We no longer want to do the analyses, and the pulse is galloping away. The mouse clicks become harder in frustration, maybe we even slam our hand into the wall or the screen. All rational thinking has been flushed down the toilet, and the worst case scenario is that in our C-game we abandon our overall strategy and, in the worst case, play up our entire bankroll – and maybe even more. No thanks, right?

The next time you feel your C-game, STOP. Make something else. Be with family, friends, watch a good film, go for a walk with the dog. For God’s sake stop playing – and never consider playing again if it’s really bad.

When you’ve cut your C-game completely, you only have your A- and B-game left. So far, so good. So what do you do when you find yourself playing your B-game?

The answer should be self-evident: Then you stop, of course, because then you only have your A-game left.

Mads

You can listen to Episode 77 now via ​Apple​ / ​Spotify​ / ​YouTube​ and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

You can also support the SBC Podcast by visiting our brand new sponsor, Matchbook, with whom you can also get ​150 days commission free via this link​.

🎧SBC Podcast #77 – Mads From Monetos On In-Play Football Betting & Betting Psychology🎧

Posted on by Josh P

In the latest SBC Podcast I am joined by Mads from the in-play football tipping service ​Monetos​ and am pleased to welcome for the first time – our brand new podcast sponsor – ​Matchbook​.

In-play betting has exploded in popularity along with the ‘smartphone era’ and for the most part, it is seen as a very difficult nut to crack, with high overrounds, issues around data feeds and a more complex modelling task all providing challenges for serious bettors.

This does have advantages for the sharp eyed bettor and Mads and his fellow experts at Monetos, have found a way to use their expertise to profit in this market for themselves and others.

Alongside his betting, Mads is a former poker player and journalist so in our chat we talk about how this has shaped where he is today. Betting psychology and mentality are also topics that Mads has written extensively about. This was a brilliant chat which I got so much from – I hope you do too!

You can listen to Episode 77 now via ​Apple​ / ​Spotify​ / ​YouTube​ and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

You can also support the SBC Podcast by visiting our brand new sponsor, Matchbook, with whom you can also get ​150 days commission free via this link​.

In this chat, Mads and I talk about:

  • Mads’ varied professional life
  • Poker and getting a ‘proper job’ in journalism
  • Monetos and Mads and his partners’ vision for the business
  • Balancing a business and betting (& how the relate to each other)
  • Working in a team and finding value together
  • Betting In-Play, why Mads like it and why it offers some hidden benefits
  • Timing and the practical issues that come with having 3 ‘betting games’ at a time!
  • Pricing, bookmakers’ efficiency in getting things right (and where they don’t!)
  • Challenges with data, feeds and latency in information arriving
  • Stoppage time and how extended extra minutes have changed the dynamic of games
  • Pre-match vs. In-play and which markets Mads prefers
  • Monetos, its performance and getting on with exchanges
  • Betting psychology – what is the difference between winners and losers?
  • Mentality in life
  • Mads’ future plans
  • Where to find Mads

Learn More

In-play betting is an area that is under-served in the tipping world and having a team of the calibre of Monetos’s means that there is an excellent option if it is something that interests you. If you would like to learn more, full records, FAQs and sign up options are available to ​view here​.

If you would like to follow Mads on social media you can do so on X ​@MadsKNielsen​. The article about betting psychology that we discussed at the end of the podcast can be ​found here​.

Monetos can be followed ​@BettingMonetos​ and their site (which is excellent when using a translation tool!) can be ​found here​.

As ever, if you have any topics or areas of the gambling world that you would like us to discuss, please get in touch!

🎧SBC Podcast #71: Andy Holding From Oddschecker on Speed Figures, Punting & Tipping

Posted on by Josh P
In the latest SBC Podcast I am joined by Andy Holding, the well known racing expert who tips for Oddschecker and commentates on William Hill Radio.

Andy has been in love with horse racing from an early age and he has put in the hard yards to get to where he is, working in bookmaker shops, crunching numbers and building up a reliable system to beat the bookies.

He is that rarest of beasts – someone in the betting media who not only talks the talk but walks the walk as he became a professional punter at the age of 30 so knows what it takes to win.

Speed figures and sectional timing are central to his edge and this feeds into his betting and tipping alongside his service, Andy Holding Speed Figures (recently reviewed by us at SBC!) where clients can access a plethora of tips, data and resources to help them make their punting pay.

Andy wears many hats and this means that we had plenty of topics to cover. Dealing with losing runs as a tipster, affordability checks and the names of the 4 major bookmakers who lay him a bet are on the agenda – I think there is something for everyone in this chat!

You can listen to Episode 71 now via Apple / Spotify / Google / YouTube and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

An In-Depth Chat With A Hardened Bettor And Tipster

In this episode, Andy and I discuss:

  • Andy’s grounding in racing (and betting)
  • A mentor who changed everything
  • Time!
  • Going professional and how Andy ‘got in’ at the right time
  • Opportunities that have arrived along the way
  • Speed Figures and how they can provide an objective view of races
  • Market reactions to speed figures and sectionals (and how they are still underestimated)
  • The work that goes behind the scenes at Andy Holding Speed Figures
  • Irish Racing and Andy’s daily podcast
  • Tipping for Andy Holding Speed Figures and Oddschecker (and the differences between the selections)
  • Price contractions
  • Dealing with losing runs as a tipster
  • Andy’s betting activity and how he gets on!
  • The firms that Andy has a relationship with and restrictions that turn punters away
  • Affordability Checks and Andy’s thoughts on the future of horse racing
  • Some tips from Andy for betting at Cheltenham (with some early selections!)
  • General advice for betting on horse racing
  • Andy’s football allegiances!
  • How to find Andy and a special SBC discount

You can find out more about Andy’s work on his website, www.andyholdingspeedfigures.co.uk, by following his work on Oddschecker or by following his service’s Twitter/X account, @figuresAndy .

We recently reviewed Andy’s service in Issue 139 of the SBC Magazine, with detailed proofing and analysis of the tips as published by his Speed Figures service (Spoiler – they are excellent!).

To read this review in full and access an exclusive discount on the cost of joining Andy’s service, you will need a SBC subscription, options for which can be found here.

📰 SBC Magazine Issue #139: Andy Holding, Popular Podcasts & Getting On!

Posted on by Josh P

In the second of our monthly SBC Magazines, we are back with another jam-packed betting bonanza in our February Issue, #139.

As a reminder, we have slightly altered how we publish magazines in 2024 as we are now compiling all of our content into one easy-to-consume piece with blogs, tipster reports, member questions and embedded links for audio and video content.

So – you can download each monthly PDF and be fully informed on what you need to know to make money betting!

​Sign-up for membership today for instant access to SBC 139 and our full back catalogue!​

Clocking in at 55 pages long, SBC 139 includes:

  • Our in-depth review of Andy Holding Speed Figures, the private service of the famed horse racing tipster
  • Additional analysis of Andy’s Oddschecker tips
  • SBC’s take on Matchbook, the pretender to the ‘exchange king’ crown
  • Three ways to help you get on, with a free SBC service and guides for bookmakers & brokers
  • Member Questions (and our answers)
  • ‘Tweets of the month’ from the betting community

In addition, we have links to some of our video and audio content for the month with SBC Podcast #70′s chat with Harry Stewart-Moore being a highlight.

Having a gambling law expert on the pod was a first and I was delighted with the reaction to this release. Harry spoke with authority, humour and wisdom; as a result, this is one of our most popular releases to date. If you haven’t listened to it yet, you can still do so here.

Sign Up For Instant Access

To gain instant access SBC Magazine #139 and all of our back catalogue of reviews and reports, you will require SBC Membership. To sign up as a paid SBC member, just click here and follow the registration link.

🎧SBC Podcast #70: Betting Lawyer, Harry Stewart-Moore On Representing Big Punters & The Betting Industry

Posted on by Josh P

In the latest SBC Podcast I am joined by Harry Stewart-Moore, a gambling law specialist who works as Litigator Partner in the Gardner Leader Dispute Resolution team.

You may associate high powered lawyers with corporate bookmakers but Harry is different as he specialises in working for punters against these multi-million pound behemoths.

Jockeys, horse racing owners and high-rolling punters – Harry has a history of dealing with litigation in all of these fields, often representing David against Goliath.

Giving him unique insight into the workings of disputes between bookmakers and punters, with extensive experience of dealing with regulators and other industry bodies too.

You can listen to Episode 70 now via Apple / Spotify / Google / YouTube and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club

An In-Depth Chat With An Experienced Industry litigator

In this episode, Harry and I discuss:

  • Harry’s father’s impact on his career choice (& love of gambling!)
  • Gambling and what Harry has learnt working with successful gamblers
  • Cases, clients and the life of a gambling lawyer
  • The increase in punter vs. bookmaker disputes and the possible reasons for this
  • The most common issues that Harry deals with
  • The lengths that bookmakers will go to to avoid paying liabilities
  • The anatomy of a gambling dispute case
  • AML & other regulatory checks and how bookmakers weaponise them
  • The Gambling Commission
  • The National Lottery & the Gambling Commission’s attitude towards it
  • The regulatory future in the UK & the growth of the black market
  • Criminal elements’ hold on certain gambling jurisdictions
  • The law and how it relates to black market betting
  • The White Paper and Harry’s take on ‘frictionless’ affordability checks
  • How issues with law and regulation keep reappearing
  • The competitive advantage that major firms have when dealing with onerous checks and regulation
  • IBAS, eCogra and how dispute resolution services just aren’t working
  • Bookmaker Terms and Conditions and how some are drafted to shaft punters
  • How treating ‘skilled’ and casino/fixed odds betting differently could well help with regulation and dealing with problem gambling
  • How to access Harry’s legal expertise!

I can’t think of a previous guest who was as unique as Harry and it was fascinating to learn about his work and some of the cases he has been involved in.

If you would like to interact with Harry, you can do so on Twitter/X by following him @HarryStewartMo1 or by using the contact details provided on this page.

For anyone looking for legal support in the gambling dispute arena he is no doubt the man to go to!

Enjoy!