Flat Betting System – Analysing the Potential Benefits of the Popular Strategy
There are many systems out there that rely on calculating and adjusting stakes as you move through a series of bets. The flat betting system does fall into that category, but there is a key difference which we will uncover straight away.
This review will also look at the benefits of employing flat betting in sports, and we'll discuss any possible downsides along the way. With demos and calculations, you'll then be able to decide on whether this a strategy you wish to use.
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How Flat Betting Applies in Football?
We'll start by discussing the workings of the flat betting system, and we'll see how it can specifically relate to football. Like many of the strategies that we have discussed, this is a method that has its roots in online casino play and is used on occasions where there is a 50/50 or near 50/50 bet.
The most obvious example lies with roulette, where the player adopting the flat betting strategy will stake on red or black. In European roulette, there is the green zero pocket, so we're not quite at 50/50, but we are very close to it.
Therefore, when we move into sportsbooks with flat betting, football markets need to be priced up at Even Money. It can be in any market at all - straight result, both teams to score, over 2.5 goals. All we need is an Even Money bet from a football match, and we can employ the flat betting system.
Now we need to choose our stake, and this is a crucial part of the flat betting strategy. In many ways, the system is about bankroll management, so we're only looking to bet a small amount of our total account balance. So, for the purposes of this example, we're going to assume that we have a bankroll of £2000 and in this instance, our staking unit is £2. We then find our Even Money bet and put £2 on the outcome.
What happens next? This is where the flat betting system differs from other 50/50 strategies that are out there. Whether our initial bet wins or loses, our follow up stake remains at £2, and we keep the sequence going without ever altering the stake.
Other betting systems will adjust the ongoing stake with a view to either recouping losses or building on a winning streak, but flat betting is very different. As mentioned, there is an element of bankroll management, and while there is definite potential to make profits, there is also a kind of parachute that is intended to minimise any losses.
The Flat Betting System in Action
The best way to underline any system is by using some real examples, and the flat betting strategy should be no exception. At the time of writing it just so happens that Tottenham Hotspur are about to play their second leg Champions League tie with RB Leipzig.
It took us less than a minute to find our first Even Money bet on this match. In the Both Teams to Score market, a number of outlets have that even money figure on the 'no' option. It doesn't matter if you're not convinced about its likelihood - we just want an Even Money bet, and this is the one.
We then stake our fixed amount of £2 on Both Teams Not to score when that match is played. We wait for the 90 minutes to play out, and we claim our profit if the bet drops in, but if not, the stake is lost.
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With the bet settled, we now look ahead to the weekend's football in the English Premier League. In terms of flat betting, football doesn't need to provide a glamourous fixture, so we're going to look at the game between Norwich City and Southampton.
This time we found our bet in less than ten seconds. By going to the anytime goalscorer market, there were two options at Even Money - Southampton's Danny Ings and Norwich City's Teemu Pukki. For the next stage of our flat betting strategy, we simply pick one of those players - let's say it's Ings - and stake the sum of £2 once again. Once that bet has been settled, we simply head to the next set of football markets, and we repeat the procedure.
By using those two, real-life examples, we have fully explained the process of flat betting. It's just a case of heading to the football markets, finding a bet at Even Money and staking the set sum. Wait for the bet to be settled and then find another even money option before betting the same figure.
Remember, it doesn't have to be £2, but the flat betting system does recommend that the stake levels are kept low. As we'll see from the following examples, results can be mixed, and that's why we are using modest numbers.
Two Scenarios of Flat Betting - Examples
Obviously, there are no guarantees when it comes to a 50/50 bet, but in this section, we will show two possible scenarios under the flat betting system. In each example, we will use a series of ten bets, and along the way, there will be some wins and some losses. Remember, the odds in each case are fixed at Even Money.
Example One:
You Bet | Result | Profit |
£2 at Even Money | Wins | £2 plus return of £2 stake |
£2 at Even Money | Wins | £2 plus return of £2 stake |
£2 at Even Money | Loses | No Returns |
£2 at Even Money | Wins | £2 plus return of £2 stake |
£2 at Even Money | Loses | No Returns |
£2 at Even Money | Wins | £2 plus return of £2 stake |
£2 at Even Money | Loses | No Returns |
£2 at Even Money | Loses | No Returns |
£2 at Even Money | Loses | No Returns |
£2 at Even Money | Loses | No Returns |
As we can see, we've had a bad run at the end, but this sequence has ultimately finished with a fairly even split of six losses and four wins. It should be typical of what we might expect from a 50/50 bet, but what are the final calculations?
In total, we've staked £20 from ten bets: We've made £8 in profits while an additional £8 of our stakes have been returned, so that's £16 in total. Overall, therefore, we've ended up with a small loss of £4.
Example Two
This is the second of our two examples, and once again, we're looking for Even Money bets with a set stake of £2.
You Bet | Result | Profit |
£2 at Even Money | Loses | No Returns |
£2 at Even Money | Wins | £2 plus return of £2 stake |
£2 at Even Money | Wins | £2 plus return of £2 stake |
£2 at Even Money | Wins | £2 plus return of £2 stake |
£2 at Even Money | Loses | No Returns |
£2 at Even Money | Wins | £2 plus return of £2 stake |
£2 at Even Money | Wins | £2 plus return of £2 stake |
£2 at Even Money | Loses | No Returns |
£2 at Even Money | Wins | £2 plus return of £2 stake |
£2 at Even Money | Wins | £2 plus return of £2 stake |
As you can quickly see, this sequence of ten bets has been more successful with seven wins and three losses. It's in contrast to our first example, but it's certainly not unlikely if we're looking at 50/50 bets each time.
In terms of the final reckoning, £20 has been staked once again. Seven wins have produced £14 in profits while a further £14 in stakes have also been added to our sportsbook accounts. In total, therefore, we have a profit in our hands of £8.
If we want to take both of these examples into account, we have landed an overall return of £4, so this underlines that we can make profits from the flat betting system. Remember, however, that results can vary: Over time, you may find losses come through, but there are calculations here that suggest that the flat betting strategy may well be worth testing out.
As we mentioned, the strategy has its roots in the world of online casinos and on the card and roulette tables, it's been used to test out games and to see how they work. In that sense, the flat betting system can be a real benefit to inexperienced bettors who are signing up and playing with a bookmaker for the very first time. The stakes are low here, and the chance of big losses is reduced so that the newbies can trial out games and markets without a high exposure.
In football betting, flat betting can therefore be used in markets that we haven't tried before. Perhaps you're new to the type of special bets relating to yellow and red cards. Alternatively, maybe you haven't staked in the live betting markets before but would like to try them out.
In both of these examples, the flat betting strategy can be employed as a means of testing something out. As long as you find Even Money bets, and there are plenty of them, you are good to go.
To conclude, please don't expect to get rich if you're using flat betting as a strategy. It can help to teach useful skills such as bankroll management, and while profits can certainly result, they will tend to be smaller than with other systems. However, in learning those bankroll management skills while testing out new markets, it's a great method.