The Smart Betting Club Podcast

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.

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.

Episode 48: Simon Nott

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 his 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 maths 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.

Episode 47: Declan Meagher
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.

Episode 46: VPN’s, VPS’s, Virtual Machines & More With Neel Shah (Part 2)
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 if a smart punter.

Episode 45: Bookmaker Profiling & Data Collection With Neel Shah (Part 1)
The first of a two-part series that focuses on how bookmakers collect data and profile customers, where I am joined by expert bettor, Neel Shah. With stories of withheld winnings, altered odds, intrusive personal checks, closed accounts and voided ante post bets all being reported by punters in the last few weeks alone, it is fair to say that trust and goodwill towards bookmakers is at an all time low. In this episode we explore Neel’s research into the extensive information that bookmakers collect as soon as you visit their website, how bookmakers track your credit history, social media accounts and provide suggestions on the banking, deposit and withdrawal options with less ‘friction’

Episode 44: Matt Bisogno
Matt Bisogno is the founder of the geegeez.co.uk website, racehorse syndicate owner and ex head of the punter-focused Horseracing Bettors Forum. Matt has a wealth of experience when it comes to knowing what bettors want and need when it comes to the sport of horse racing and he talks about the development and growth in popularity of geegeez.co.uk and the insight it offers those looking for advanced tools to help find winners. I also take this opportunity to get Matt’s take on the horse racing world and why it lags behind when it comes to things like deeper data analysis, something encapsulated by the industries inability to push the concept of sectional timing forward and help it appeal to a new audience.Further frustration comes in the form of how the industry treats racing bettors and Matt outlines his understanding of how the land lies as per topics like betting restrictions and just why bookmakers struggle in the current ‘concessions’ climate to lay bets.As someone who understands the arguments on both sides of the betting coin, he is in a unique position to share insight on this based on his time as chair of the Horseracing Bettors Forum.

Episode 43: Paul Krishnamurty
Betting analyst Paul Krishnamurty to talk about his expertise in the field he is best known for – betting on politics. With a steady stream of betting markets especially in the UK with its constant changes of leader and of course the never ending drama of the US political scene, there has never been a better time or opportunity to learn more about political betting. Armed with a degree in politics and a journalism background, Paul first began betting on politics in the early 2000s’ and knows what it takes to make a profit from it. Paul was good enough to share insight into his own political betting strategy and approach with some tips and guidance on what to look for and some of the pitfalls to avoid. We also talk about the importance of reading and understanding the polls, how the political betting markets react to developments and news plus his approach to spreading around risk by placing bets in lesser-known markets.

Episode 42: Rob Pizzola
I was joined by professional bettor, Rob Pizzola to discuss all things relating to his experience betting in the fast developing North American gambling market. Rob began life like many losing money betting on sports until he began developing his own advanced models, which over time developed a keen following given his clear edge over the market. These days Rob juggles his own profitable betting portfolio with regular work as a betting analyst, whilst he is also the co-founder and co-owner of two betting websites – Betstamp and The Hammer. We talk about the reality of betting in the North American market including the challenges of dealing with both offshore and onshore firms, both pre and post the legalisation of betting in states like Ontario, Canada where Rob lives. Just like in the European betting space, there are developing issues as regards effective regulation and the behaviour of bookmakers towards their customers. Rob also shares his experience of the US Tipster (Handicapper) market, the number of scams that proliferate within them and why he has setup the odds comparison, line shopping website Betstamp to enable people to get better value and track the performance of handicappers.

Episode 41: Luke Paton
Professional punter Luke Paton talks about his 10 years gambling for a living and his popular series of betting tweets. Luke walks me through his time first of all working at Betfair for 8 years before his jump to a life of pro punting, and how what he bets upon has evolved to his current approach of using the golf in-play markets. With online and shop bets unable to provide the liquidity he needs at his large stakes, Luke now bets heavily in-play on golf, especially towards the end of each tournament where his expertise and experience allows him to cash in. We also talk about his series of insightful tweets on betting which have caught the imagination of many and his take on the current mess within the betting industry and what he would do to improve it.

Episode 40: Exploring Tipsters & Choosing The Right Ones To Follow
SBC’s Rowan Day and Pete Ling explore the world of tipsters and using them to make a profit from your betting – something they both do themselves day-in, day-out. With the release of the 2 latest SBC Tipster Profit Reports into Horse Racing and Sports Betting, its an opportune time to talk about our work exploring tipsters, how we find those we recommend and a few example tipsters to boot. We talk about things like the importance of Return on Capital instead of Return on Investment and why we black mark tipsters that quote unrealistic or unsustainable prices that can kill your betting accounts.We also chat about the popular golf tipster, Ben Coley and the need to not go overboard on recent form and why so many people are lured in with unrealistic expectations and how bookmakers take advantage of that.

Episode 39: Daryl Carter
Daryl Carter is a tipster with a growing reputation thanks to his daily tipping columns as published by gg.co.uk and Betfair which feature his racing analysis and best value bets. In this interview, Daryl talks about his approach to finding value, the serious amount of work he puts into his analysis and his passion for betting and helping others through his work. We also get into his long-term tipping record, how he bets himself and the stakes he uses, plus his own struggles getting on and his thoughts on the increasing issue of bookmaker restrictions. Daryl also touches on his concerns for the sport of racing and where it might be heading as it deals with prize money issues, fixture overloads and affordability checks.

Episode 38: Lee Gray from Star Sports
Lee Gray, the head of fraud and compliance at Star Sports joins me for an open and frank discussion on the reality of modern day bookmaking from a layers perspective. Lee explains in detail the challenges faced by modern day bookmakers as they tackle things like affordability checks, responsible gambling requirements and prevention of fraud and money laundering. Its a really insightful look at what happens behind the scenes and the standards that Star Sports set, yet also helps outline the challenges of implementing some of the proposed new rules – such as affordability checks and the single customer view concept.

Episode 37: Richard Hayler of IBAS
An interview with Richard Hayler, the Managing Director of the betting dispute organisation, IBAS, to answer questions on his service and the current setup of the industry to adequately tackle the growing number of bookmaker complaints. If you are one of the many punters with issues as regards bookmaker behaviour and IBAS’s role handling disputes, you won’t want to miss this episode!

Episode 36: Trey Mullinax 10Bet Saga
In todays special podcast episode I was joined by my partner-in-crime Tom Brownlee to unpack all of the gory details about what took place last week regarding the bookmaker 10bet and the bets they laid on the golfer Trey Mullinax. Having tried to move the goalposts on this bet after it won, our campaign forced them to revert back to their original 175/1 pricing just 2 days later and we explore all aspects of the market and what exactly took place. This issue is about more than just one bet and one bookmaking firm as it also speaks to the failure of regulation of the industry and the need for a stronger, more resourced ombudsman of some kind. It raises questions for the likes of the Gambling Commission, IBAS, The BGC and even Oddschecker. All told its a very deep dive into the issues in the industry at present – all of which were brought to the fore once again by how 10bet handled the bets they took on Trey Mullinax.

Episode 35: Mark Holder
A feature long interview with professional race bettor, Mark Holder, who has been betting for a living for the past 30 years and has seen it all and bought the t-shirt when it comes to making it pay! Mark explains how he has adapted and evolved his betting over the years to continually eke out a living as a punter and just how he does this now with bookmakers and exchanges. We also get onto the mathematics that prove ‘inside information’ is a red herring these days and his frustration that so much about what is published in the betting world is not correct.

Episode 34: Jesse May
I was joined by the head of strategy at Matchbook – Jesse May, to talk about the reality of operating a betting exchange in todays market. We explored all the key topics from liquidity, commission rates, compliance & affordability checks plus find out what really happened when Matchbook had their license suspended in 2020. Outside of Matchbook, Jesse also shares stories based on his 30 years working in betting including his time as a poker player and commentator on Late Night Poker!

Episode 33: Rowan Day’s 2022 Tipster Results Update
In this special episode I was joined by experienced bettor, Rowan Day to discuss the results from his tipster portfolio as achieved over the past 12 months. Once again it was another successful year with a strong profit achieved and Rowan outlines some of the best performing tipster services, who they are and why and how he follows them in.

Episode 32: Paul Chandler-Burns
An interview with betting professional, Paul Chandler-Burns on his many years working in the betting industry and his profitable angle following the Racing Post’s Tom Segal and his Pricewise tipping column. A fascinating insight into a lifetime operating in the betting world, the importance of evolving what you bet on as the industry changes and profitable angles to take advantage of these days.

Episode 31: Richard Hutchinson
An in-depth discussion with expert racing tipster, Richard Hutchinson on his approach to finding big priced winners via his service – Hanbury Racing. Richard’s tipping service began in 2020, after he won £188,000 after being victorious in the Tote Ten To Follow competition – giving him the platform to start a new life finding winners for a living.

Episode 30: Quentin Franks
A chat with racing expert, Quentin Franks on his 10 years working as a full time professional punter on the sport. Working 15 hour days and up at the crack of dawn each day, Quentin was good enough to share about what goes on behind the scenes as a pro punter and the reality of betting for a living.

Episode 29: Andrew Woodman
A chat with Andrew Woodman, a senior parliamentary assistant working in Westminster and somebody acutely involved in the ongoing discussions around the forthcoming gambling law changes in the UK.

Episode 28: Bookmaker Complaints
A special podcast exploring the increase in complaints as regards bookmaker behaviour – specifically surrounding the number of account suspensions, withdrawal delays and outright refusals to pay out customer balances that are now taking place.

Episode 27: Neil Channing – UK Gambling Review Special
A feature length interview with Professional Punter Neil Channing discussing the ongoing gambling review taking place in the UK and the very grave concerns he and many others have on some of the proposed new laws being mooted, including that of affordability checks and the Single Customer View concept.

Episode 26: Special Update On 2 New Horse Racing & Golf Betting Reports
An update from Smart Betting Club Editor, Peter on the publication of two very special reports on horse racing and golf that can make a huge difference to your betting.

The horse racing report hones in the excellent service that has made a 10.84% ROI over nearly 20,000 unique bets from the past 17 months. Although profitable with bookmakers, it also has a profitable edge at both Betfair SP and when betting into the live exchange market.

For those of you who prefer golf betting, Pete also outlines the detail within the major 2022 Golf Betting Report also recently published at the start of the year.

Episode 25: Golf Betting Club
An interview with brothers Duncan and Neil Campbell – 2 professional golf punters on their 20 years experience betting profitably on the sport and their Golf Betting Club tipster service.

Episode 24: Lee Keys
A chance to chat with professional horse racing punter Lee Keys on the reality of make a living betting on the sport for the past 25 years. Lee spoke honestly about the challenges facing punters like him given the proposed introduction of the ‘Single Customer View’ policy and why bookmakers cant be trusted to properly tackle the issues in the industry currently such as affordability limits.

He also revealed why he bets offshore with ‘whatsapp bookies’ as a solution to get his bets on – something he fears more and more punters will be driven to if the industry doesn’t change.

Episode 23: Andrew Lowrie
An interview with long running racing tipster, Andrew Lowrie of the Optimum Racing service. Andrew has been working in the betting and tipping world since 1999 and we discuss the secrets behind his longevity and how he has build and maintained an edge betting on horse racing.

He explains his usage of sectional timing, his specialism on chase races and the time and effort that goes into his selective betting approach. All told its a fascinating walk through Andrew’s 2 decades at the sharp end of punting for profit on racing and the tipster service he runs.

Episode 22: Aidan
An interview with professional bettor and tipster Aidan on his process on finding winners and value in the tennis betting markets. Inspired by a dissertation paper he wrote on the efficiency of tennis betting, Aidan has carved out a living betting on the sport for several years and his very profitable tennis tipster service has recently been the focus of a detailed SBC review.

Aidan discussed with me his incisive approach to finding value and the subtle factors and characteristics that make up his pricing model. We also explore the mindset required to make tennis betting and tipping a success and how he copes with the pressures of what he does for a living.

We also delve into the operation of his tipster service, his 11% ROI edge taking on prices available at Pinnacle Sports and the recent SBC review of what he offers.

Betting Clever Episode 3
Pete, Rowan and Alex Lyons discuss all of the latest developments in the tipster world, including the latest Tipster Profit Report and the performance of their own betting portfolios in this 3rd instalment of the Betting Clever series.

In part 1, Rowan and Pete explore the latest Tipster Profit Report, some of the long-running Hall of Fame services within it and the profits they are making, plus we also unpack the issues at times with tipster affiliate programs and how to avoid being caught out by them.

Alex then joins Pete for Part 2 and we discuss how he has made £17,000 since the start of 2021 with his own tipster portfolio, which is filled with SBC recommended services. He discusses the tipsters he follows, the best performing amongst them and some hard decisions he had to make recently on profitable services that he just wasn’t able to follow as he wished.

Episode 21: Miguel Figueres
An interview with Spanish bettor, Miguel Figueres on his usage of Artificial Intelligence Algorithms to win money betting on Tennis. With over 5 million Euros won by the customers of his Tennis Tipster service since 2016, we discuss all aspects of it, how it all works and just who it is suitable for.

As a successful bettor, Miguel has been impacted by bookmaker account restrictions and he also outlines his own legal battles with several bookmakers, including Bet365 where he is challenging the clauses they rely upon to limit accounts . Miguel and others have been engaged in an ongoing legal battle against these bookmakers since 2019 in Spain and he shares his experience on this process, what has taken place to date and his hopes for the future.

This is a must listen podcast for anyone interested in smart betting – especially if account restrictions have impacted you.

Betting Clever Episode 2
Features special guest and professional bettor Tom Brownlee, who is the owner and founder of the advantage play site Bookie Bashing and is one of the sharpest minds in the professional betting space.

In this episode, SBC Editor, Pete gets the chance to quiz Tom about some really interesting topics including how he bets on football, the Bookie Bashing football coupon strategy that involves betting in bookmaker shops and withdrawal strategies!

Episode 20: Wayne from Northern Monkey Punter
An interview with Wayne from the very successful Northern Monkey Punter racing tipster service on the secrets behind his betting success over several years. Wayne walked me through his approach to profits through advising a mixture of singles and multiple bets on horse racing and the winning record he has built up since 2010.

We also explore the work involved in bet selection, from watching videos to form study and just how he juggles running the service with a full time job.

Also on the agenda, we discuss his work as a racing journalist, how that has helped inform his betting and his insight into the challenges facing racing with topics such as restrictions and affordability checks.

Betting Clever Episode 1
The first in our new ‘Betting Clever’ series, which will be discussing topics of interest from a winning bettor perspective with a variety of informed guests. In this episode, SBC Editor, Pete is joined by fellow winning bettor and blogger, Rowan Day where they discuss everything from bookmaker fund security to affordability limits, withdrawals from bookmakers and the issues they cause as well as some of the recent football tipsters reviewed at SBC.

Episode 19: Anthony Kaminskas
An interview with with professional bettor, Anthony Kaminskas on the reality of betting for a living and the challenges and rewards it can bring. Anthony outlines his journey from the head of greyhound trading at Paddy Power through to becoming a pro punter and just why he made the jump to betting full time. He reveals plenty on how he gets his bets on and where, both online and in bookmaker shops and his usage of a wide ranging network across several countries for this purpose.

Episode 18: Matt from PGA Profit
An interview with with expert golf bettor and tipster, Matt from the PGA Profit service. Matt outlines his approach to golf betting and the algorithm he has built, which form the basis of the bets he takes each week, firstly on the PGA Tour but more recently the European Tour as well. We discuss the edges he finds betting on golf and some of the variables that feed into his algorithm, including his ability to regularly find overlooked value bets and maiden tour winners simply by digging a little deeper.

Episode 17: Running A Tipster Portfolio
An in-depth discussion with semi professional bettor, Rowan Day on his tipster portfolio and the annual report he recently published on the performance of the tipsters he followed between January 2020 and April 2021.

Rowan has been writing about tipsters and the profits he has made for several years via SBC’s free to read Bet Diary and in this discussion with SBC Editor, Pete Ling, Rowan outlines why he runs a tipster portfolio and the services within it. Following the release of his Profit Report on his performance over the last 16 months, the duo also explore the exact results made not just as a whole but broken down by sport and individual service.

Episode 16: Skeeve
 An interview with the non league football expert, Skeeve on his 15 years betting profitably in the 5th tier of English Football – the National League. We explore how became such an expert on this niche league, despite being based in Croatia and the huge amount of time he spends each week examining each team and game that takes place in order to hunt down value.

Episode 15: Steve Lewis Hamilton
An interview with the veteran professional bettor and tipster, Steve Lewis Hamilton on his many years experience of what it takes to turn a profit punting. Steve talks about his early days betting on course and his journey to becoming a full time bettor, through to the challenges of punting in the modern day era, his usage of Betfair and his fears for the future given bookmaker behavior.

Episode 14: SBC Golf With Rowan Day
A special podcast dedicated to the launch of SBC Golf and tackling the 3 profitable tipsters within this that both SBC Editor, Peter Ling and Writer, Rowan Day have been following successfully for some time. We both share our own personal betting experiences in getting our bets on, the pros and cons of betting on golf including dealing with variance and the profits made to date.

Episode 13: Mark O’Haire
 An chat with football expert, Mark O’Haire of We Love Betting who was the winner of the Gold Award for best free tipster in the 2021 SBC Awards. We we explore the betting markets he targets including ‘bookings bets’, the underlying process behind how he finds value and why he gives his advice out for free. We also discuss the appeal of his We Love Betting site and his other award victories – including that of Best Betting Writer and his contributions on both Betfair and Matchbook.

Episode 12: Andrew The Value Bettor
An interview with Andrew, AKA The Value Bettor – one of the most respected and successful horse racing bettors and tipsters on just how he makes a profit on the sport. We discussed his approach to finding value, why he specialises on National Hunt racing and his advice for punters looking to bet on racing especially on Betfair

Episode 11: Ciaran Meagher
An interview with the golf bettor and tipster Ciaran Meagher to discuss his approach to betting on the sport and his process behind finding value selections each week. We explore his love of secondary golf markets such as Top 20 or Top Nationality markets, plus bookmakers approach to golf. If you are a golf bettor or even if just intrigued why so many punters are now turning to the sport, its a must-listen!

Episode 10: Paul Chandler-Burns & Tom Brownlee
A special horse racing episode featuring interviews with 2 professional punters, Paul Chandler-Burns and Tom Brownlee on their unique winning strategies on the sport.
In Part 1, Paul outlines his superb strategy based on the Racing Post Pricewise tipster, Tom Segal, which helps filter his selections and bet in a smoother, more targeted fashion for steadier profits.
In Part 2, Tom shares the details on his fantastic racing tracker tool and how when used in conjunction with a Lucky 15 strategy it has been making substantial profits across several bookmakers.

Episode 9: Brian Chappell
An interview with Brian Chappell from Justice For Punters where we discuss the new gambling consultations underway in the UK and their potential impact on UK based bettors moving forward. We explore whether staking and affordability limits will be introduced as part of a solution to tackling those with a gambling disorder and why the UK bookmaking industry is in such a mess due to its structure of restricting winners and encouraging losers.

Episode 8: Liam ‘The Poacher’
My discussion with Liam ‘The Poacher’ – a bookmaking industry veteran turned professional football bettor with a distinct edge in specialist leagues and competitions across Europe. Exploring the process behind how he finds value on Betfair, we also touch on his tipster work as ‘The Poacher’, why he advised his tips for free for 2 years and how you can follow him in for 2021 and beyond.

Episode 7: Alex Vella
An interview with Alex Vella from the Trademate Sports platform to understand more on the edge it gives punters looking to make a profit from their betting with both soft and sharp bookmakers. We also discuss what often separates winners from losers when betting, the good and bad of the bookmaking world and the concept behind closing line value and why this matters.

Episode 6: Matthew Walton
An informative discussion with Matthew Walton, a long-time operator in the betting world on his work connecting betting syndicates to punters across a variety of different sports.  We discussed all aspects of how he recruits experts willing to share advice and the profits he is helping make across racing, football and golf markets plus the pros and cons of betting into each.

Episode 5: Nigel Seeley
An interview with the vastly experienced bettor, tipster and former odds compiler, Nigel Seeley from the Premier Sports Plays service. We discuss Nigel’s extensive background in the betting world, his work as an odds compiler and how that has helped shape the bets he places today

Episode 4: Afonso Vieira
A detailed chat with the CEO of Betmarkets, Afonso Viera, on his new betting investment platform connecting customers with professional tipsters. Framed as the eToro for sports betting, Betmarkets is a web platform that allows you to invest in sports betting through the automatic replication of expert tipsters recommendations.

Episode 3: Steve Jones
An interview with expert horse racing bettor and tipster, Steve Jones, who has been turning a profit for more than 2 decades in the industry.

Exploring all aspects of his experience beating the bookmaker, including how to price up a horse race and his operation of the very successful CD Systems tipping service.

Episode 2: Greg Gordon
An interview with the football scout, Greg Gordon, who has carved out a fine career both betting and tipping on football for well over a decade. We explore his unique approach to football betting, how his work as a scout helps inform what he bets on and hear some of his stories involving famous football names such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Jim Leighton & Archie Knox.

Episode 1: Tom Brownlee
Tom from the recently reviewed Bookie Bashing service talks to Pete Ling in the very first Smart Betting Club podcast. Topics of discussion include Tom’s background in betting, how and why he bets in bookmaker shops, coupons, his golf tracker and a lot more besides.