This blog series is about automated vs manual betting and trading, and my experience with these as I journeyed from being a user, to a creator of these betting platforms.
I love to use both methods of betting or trading, and will make a strong case for why you should too in the final post of this series.
The two currently fully automated systems available at Exponential Bet are, The JV MK2 Betting System, and Remote Daily Betting. They run using Cloud Bet Bot and are completely hands off. As in, you set your stakes, click save, and you’re done.
For a hands-on approach to your betting and trading, I strongly recommend looking at Hedger Pro. Especially lately with its recent updates I'll be covering in next weeks blog posts.
This is a superb Betfair exchange platform and is data rich, it can really help you locate winning bets and trades daily.
Hedger Pro, JV MK2, and RDB are all available with the One Subscription plan to provide more value for members, you can find out more about the options for this here: https://www.exponentialbet.co.uk/betting-system-sign-up
Now back to the main thread, and why am I writing about automated vs manual betting and trading…
I’ve a unique perspective on this subject, and from my interactions with members of the site over the years I think some of you may find this interesting. I could be wrong, but unless you read the post you will never know.
Automated & Manual Betting Part One
Everyone has a book in them, and I think most would agree with this. We could all write about something unique, as we've each got our own story to tell.
Automated and manual betting is one of the subjects on my 'must write a book list', as I've a different view than most, and could easily talk the hind legs off a donkey on this topic.
Much to the dismay of my partner who would definitely nod off during this post, as she finds anything technical completely boring. However, I feel I have an audience here to share my views, and my own personal journey becoming a service provider of betting systems, both manual and automated.
As a Betfair member from day dot I've used downloadable and online software, while also operating a manual betting plan alongside any automation I put in place.
Betting systems using automation and a manual method both have pros and cons.
· Automated can be set up to place bets or trades when you’re unavailable, which is time saving, and allows you to be involved in certain betting markets which without automation you would miss out on. However, if the software you’re using has a problem, you’re not there to react and at the mercy of the tech.
· Manual betting you’re in complete control and can react to what’s happening there and then, possibly jumping on to the exchange direct if a dreaded bug occurs. This also means if an opportunity arises you can capitalise, or a situation changes affecting your bet or trade, you can make the necessary adjustments. However, it requires time on your part which not everybody can devote.
· Automated can be set and forget, as in a bank roll put in place and left to run unattended, this also includes logging profit and loss automatically with excel exports. As great as this is, because in many ways as it creates leverage in your life via the extra time you have available, it can also detach you from the betting or trading process, and you will not have the same level of understanding about what your money is doing over time.
· Manual requires daily input to run a betting system, a hands-on approach, and this means record keeping, but also gives a better understanding of what your strengths and weaknesses are over time, and this will obviously lead on to improvements with your performance. However, it will require some analysis and understanding of what you are doing, so due diligence and effort is most definitely required to monitor and grow your betting bank.
I could whittle through a never-ending list of varied scenarios that both automated and manual betting or trading will present to you, with the benefits of both to consider.
One thing is certain, using software or online platforms that link to your exchange account do provide an edge, and this is obviously why they are so popular, especially fully automated betting solutions that are without doubt on the rise.
Betting tools are used to speed things up when it comes to getting your money matched on the exchange.
They are great for scheduling your bets in one place, giving you racing data at a glance when assessing your days activity or bet opportunities, and for the programmable features allowing you to automate virtually every aspect of placing a bet or trade.
Hedger Pro is very good for this, as you can get organised quickly and place the bets or trade type’s you need in a flash.
If you’re serious about your betting or trading then having a platform your rely on whether that is downloaded software running locally on your computer, or an online cloud based platform such as Hedger Pro, this does give you much more control and information than directly using the Betfair website. Which is at best sluggish.
As well as being a user of these betting tools I'm also a service provider with Exponential Bet.
I’ve worked alongside Betfair developers to create automated products, and can look at this from both sides of the fence. As a user and creator I've a strong opinion on what works and what doesn't from my experience hands on betting and trading.
This gives me a unique take on the industry, and insight most people never get to hear about which I'll share over this series of blog posts.
You will have your own opinions about the software you’re using, and reasons for your decision to work with it, but I'd guess you never give a thought to that's gone into creating it, and the background work maintaining it both technically, and from a client perspective.
Why would you even consider this, as when you purchase software or a betting system your only thought really is what can it do for you. That’s understandable.
The way Exponential Bet's is set up and the nature of the business we're in, ie software and betting systems, there is some emotionally connection to the user given on ongoing financial investment is involved.
This makes what we develop in the public eye a lot more complex than creating something that is a one-off purchase.
You’re not buying something from us and that’s it, you like it you buy again etc, it’s a relationship to a large degree whether it’s signing up to use Hedger Pro and being hands on, as you will still receive updates and see the platform develop over time, your requests may even impact this.
Alternatively it could be running our automated betting systems being completely hands off, but I guarantee you will be in contact, and have opinions you want to share with me, this is only natural after all.
From the pre purchase questions, the sense of expectation after signing up, the client interaction required to make sure everything is understood and set up correctly, and the communication along the entire duration of your membership, this makes doing what we do a lot more than just selling things to you, if you see my point.
You’re not nipping to Debenhams to buy a jumper, you’re investing your time and money into a platform that will you improve your ability bet or trade faster, or give you the ability set and forget your betting. This is your hard earned cash, and you have some motivation to increase it via the medium of the Betfair exchange, we are effectively just a vehicle you're using to achieve this.
The connection you feel when you're driving your car, or in the flow with an instrument, if you invest in stocks and shares, when concentrating on your work, or deep in conversation, and the connection you have to your betting balance and software it utilises, is the same emotion coming from the same place in most cases.
It makes it more personal for everyone involved, both for the user of our systems and services, and Nigel and me who are directly in contact right from the start, as you're invested into the entire concept, and so are we.
I’ve members that have been with me for years, and if I search my inbox for their email I can see hundreds of messages. This is amazing, and a rarity for virtually all other businesses.
It becomes more of an ongoing relationship as a result of this with our members, we traverse the ups and downs together, share the joy, and the inevitable frustration at times with betting when things defy logic.
Automated betting in particular this applies to more than manual in my opinion, because you can have all boxes ticked, a great run of winning bets being placed by the betting bot, and hit a random bump or two that make no sense whatsoever.
As it’s automated and something you’ve set to run unattended this can spark an immediate call to action for some members, not all, but some, which can lead to fiddling with stakes, and then when things inevitably return to normal performance of winning results it skew if’s the balance recovery process.
This I see quite a lot, and I understand it, I do my best to explain it’s not the right way of doing it, but this for me is the most frustrating aspect of running an automated betting system for members. Manual totally different as you're teaching someone to do something themselves, and they can learn, improve, and understand what caused the blip.
Automated as explained, it's being a passenger and handing over control, kind of like hitting auto drive in a Tesla in busy London traffic.
If I was just doing it just for myself as I do already alongside the member bets, it would be stress free, as each allocated bank runs and I leave them come rain or shine.
The money I put into each bank roll are numbers I’m comfortable with, which is another thing I see with some members when diving in to automated betting, the bank management vs expectations vs reality vs achievable outcomes can all wage war on each other.
None of this is healthy behaviour, and in my humble opinion if you’re investing in something like this you leave your money into the end, because you only officially lose when you cash out and give up.
I know that not every betting system or idea will always run smoothly, or even work over the long term for that matter, but I’ve had more success than failure, and by sticking to the plan until they pay off I’ve seen more profit than loss, which ultimately is what this game is all about.
If you chop and you change all the time you will lose, and more so with automation. As you are not in control of it, you see things move in the wrong direction one day and think shit I have to cancel this, then a day or two later, even months you revisit the results to find things picked up and you missed the profits.
I have one or two poor days betting with automation and I can watch people cancel in my inbox, I have a good week or the results start to pick over a day, and the same people re-join and start again, it is a constant source of annoyance to me as I just do not understand the logic.
Anyway, slightly off topic into a mini rant, and a longer first post in this series than I expected as I have a lot more to cover.
In tomorrow’s blog I’ll discuss how I got involved with developing software and automated betting systems, and how it changed my perspective on automation.
I’ll delve in to the nitty gritty of it this, and explain what it’s been like for me over the past few years.
To be continued…
Thanks
Ryan