Rowan currently reports back on the performance of several tipsters as part of his Bet Diary blog, details on each you can find below. This includes the portfolio the service is within, how he follows them and the size of the points betting bank he utilises for each.
RACING TIPSTERS
Bet Alchemist: 100 point bank – followed using online bookmakers. Originally an independent service that made into the SBC’s ‘Hall of Fame’, RS1 is now an SBC Premium service, with a special discounted deal for SBC members. The methodology hasn’t changed at all, targeting as it has done since inception, the larger race meetings. This means that I’m placing the sort of bets that don’t attract quite so much attention from the bookmaker’s trading teams, ie. betting in strong and popular markets. Odds hold up well too, for the same reason, and even betting the night before racing is possible – doing so in a Heritage Handicap at Ascot isn’t quite the same as if jumping on the best overnight price available in a tiny novice hurdle at Plumpton.
Precision Value: 200 point bank – online bookmakers/exchanges. A derivative of the long-running Morning Value Service this concentrates exclusively on horses identified as holding value and priced between 7/4 and 5/1. This is a ‘bookmaker friendly’ service with many selections being at the head of the market and never at prices that are likely to grab the attention of the bookmakers. The bets are released at a time when markets have had time to mature some, and sticking your money on a favourite or near-favourite mid-morning or mid/late afternoon when the bets are released really shouldn’t attract too much scrutiny.
Racing Intelligence 200 point bank – online bookmakers/exchanges. Another SBC Premium Service, RI has quickly established itself as a source of strong bank growth and Return On Investment. An advantage to Racing Intelligence is that it has proven to be profitable to Betfair SP, so whereas most selections will be supported via bookmakers, if for any reason a price is missed there won’t be any issue in striking the bet to take Betfair SP instead.
The Value Bettor: 60 point bank – online bookmakers. A service as much for the jump racing enthusiast as the serious investor, The Value Bettor sadly operates only between the months of November and April, each season ending with the Grand National meeting at Aintree. This is such a shame as the write-ups are informative and educational and I’d love it to run all year round. Still, if by taking a break things remain fresh (not least the tipster himself) then so be it. As soon as the nights start to draw in at the end of summer, I know it’s not too long for the start of the next season, and all is well with the world.
SPORTS TIPSTERS
Golf Insider: 400 point bank – followed using the exchanges and online bookmakers. No better viewing than the PGA on a Sunday night with your guy in contention and backed pre-tournament at a big price. Bottle of wine, no thoughts of work in the morning, and absorbed by the action, the rewards can be exhilarating too. With a track record of knocking winners in at huge odds, we have to accept that there may well be (and often are) long waits between triumphs, but that the winners are very much worth waiting for.
PGA Profit: 100 point bank – online bookmakers/exchanges. This is currently a free service available from the SBC, and one which has shown considerable promise and potential. Providing bets in the Outright Win, Top 10 and Top 20 markets, there is hope that this won’t be quite the boom or bust environment that most golf betting services operate within with a healthy 35-40% strike rate with the Top 20 bets.
Scottish Football Income Booster: 100 point bank – online bookmakers/exchanges. An SBC Premium offering that historically – and into it’s fifth season – has produced an ROI in excess of 13% by identifying value in 1×2 and Over/Under markets across the Scottish football leagues. It is not at all uncommon for the exchanges to be offering better odds than the bookies on these selections. With a relatively low workload and high return, there’s a lot to like.
