A quick guide to football betting: A few do's and don'ts when betting on football accumulators

Now let me start by telling you that this isn't some great fool proof betting system that never fails as they simply don't exist. What this is, is a few tips on what to do and what not to do when betting on football accumulators, no guarantees, no 99.9% accuracy nonsense, just things that in my opinion you NEED to know and realise before even attempting to place your bet. Here's my guide:

KNOW YOUR LIMITS

Ok so this is an obvious one but it's so easy to get caught up in the moment. Set yourself a limit before you start betting, a figure that you know you can afford to lose. If you do lose your money then walkaway, it's as simple as that. If you can't walkaway then you shouldn't be betting.

BET FOR ENJOYMENT

If you aren't enjoying betting on sporting events then you are doing it for the wrong reasons. Gambling to me is a form of entertainment, just like going to the cinema is for other people. It's not a way to make an extra income (although it does feel great when you win) If the enjoyment has gone then it only spells trouble.

KNOW YOUR BOOKMAKERS

Now most online bookmakers will guarantee the best odds so i don't pay too much attention when i read that. What i pay attention to is their special offers when signing up and what they offer customers on a regular basis. Also it's good to scour the internet to see what people make of a certain bookmakers customer service help lines. When there is money at stake you want to know that you can get hold of the company in question and get the help you require.

BET ON WHAT YOU KNOW

When betting on football i only bet on teams and leagues that i know about. It's pointless me betting on the Argentinian league or the Brazilian league as i wouldn't have a clue what i was doing, So i just normally stick to the English leagues, as it's easier for me to spot a bet that i think is good value.

DON'T LET THE HEART RULE THE HEAD

I make a point of never including my beloved Stoke City in any of my accumulators. The reason for this is i have included them before and they have been the only team to let me down on more than one occassion. Looking back on it if i was a neutral then i probably wouldn't have picked them. It's easy to have have a blinkered view when it comes to your team.

DON'T ADD TEAMS WHO'S ODDS ARE TOO SHORT

If a team is 1/7 to win then i don't even consider it as there is absolutely no value in them. They add very little to your overall winnings and there is always the chance that they can let you down and not even win at all. A pointless bet in my opinion.

DON'T ADD TOO MANY TEAMS

It's easy to get carried away when filling out your betting slip as you watch the odds rise, sometimes you almost convince yourself that you can't lose. I tend to stick with 4 or 5 teams at the most, even then it's hard enough. If you feel the need to bet on quite a few teams then i'd suggest a low stake as the chances of winning are incredibly small.

DON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND

If you look through the paper and fancy a certain team then make sure you pick them. The chances are that if you don't they will win and the team you chose in their place at the last minute will let you down. Also if you don't fancy a team in the first place then don't change your mind. You can often talk yourself around to the idea of betting on someone else, and in my experience it only leads to disappointment. Go with your initial instinct.

DON'T IGNORE THE DRAW

When picking your teams it is often easy to just go for a team to win and forget about the other result, a draw. I always pick a 4 team accumulator of 4 draws amongst my bets as the odds for a match finishing all square rarely goes below 2/1.

DON'T LISTEN TO THE "EXPERTS"

Now and again you will see ex footballers giving their advice on who to pick and who to stay clear of. Don't get sucked in by this as they are just as likely (or unlikely) as everyone else to pick a winning accumulator. Just because they used to play the game means nothing. Back your own judgement, nobody elses.

So there it is. There are my top 10 tips for gambling on football accumulators. The cold, hard fact is that if you're betting on accumulators then it's pretty likely that you're going to lose, however, if you follow the steps above then i believe you will eliminate some of the most common mistakes made when making your selections. I thank you for reading and i hope you found this hub helpful. Feel free to leave any comments below.