Live video needed when trading Betfair?

I regularly get a few similar questions via various social media feeds and email. The most popular lately seems to be: “Do you really need live video feeds when trading pre-race?”

I can see why some would ask this, as the suggestion that odds movements pre-off are not directly linked to betting in-play as you see the events unfold is not strictly true.

Some of the other questions I often get are usually something like: “If I’m backing as the price is coming in and then a large sum appears on the lay side of the ladder, should I exit or ignore it?” To which my answer usually is: “I haven’t got a clue!”

Starting to trade on Betfair is much the same for everyone: into the darkness, lots of numbers flashing and moving, and not a lot of sense to it. So these kinds of questions are normal initially. But when you think about it, if you’re in this to make some cash or even to make a lot of cash, do you need the live video feed? Of course you do! You’ll need every snippet of information on offer to you. Sometimes the smallest comment or hint from the video feed can result in an easy profit, or even better, help you avoid that nasty loss. The other questions, like the money on the ladders, are pretty impossible to answer. If you think about it, is a few bets really all it takes to influence a whole market? Hell no! There’s a lot going on from a lot of different parties, all with different objectives. To truly succeed, you’ll need to understand all that you can. It’s completely possible to turn up to more or less any market and turn a small profit without much knowledge in my experience, but having that bit extra is likely to make all the difference. It’s also worth knowing that if you’ve matched £5 on the race you’re looking to trade, the Betfair Live Video feed is absolutely free.

Think about it like this:

If you were going to build a brick wall in your back garden, you would need to:

1. Consider what tools you would need.
2. Consider the materials required to build it and the amounts needed.
3. Research the weather conditions you may need to do this.
4. Look up techniques on building it efficiently.
5. Work out how long it would take and if you will need help to complete it before the cement sets.
6. Prepare the area and make sure the ground is level.

And you could go on and on…. After you had prepared everything and made a good plan of action, you would rely on your own handiwork, which would no doubt take some experience before you were good at laying the bricks! Although it’s not extremely complicated, there is a lot to consider if you are to succeed to any kind of level.

What I’m saying here is, trading Betfair’s horse racing markets is no different. Would you go into the garden with all your bricks, cement, etc., start mixing it up and stacking bricks before checking the sky/weather for a potential storm? Trading without the live video would be pretty similar. If a horse rears up and throws a jockey across the parade ring, it’s best to know about it whether you have an open trade or not!

The questions about a single thing influencing the price are much the same (large stakes question above). In our example, would you have spent hours in your DIY store picking the right tools to use to build the wall, ignore the cement, and wonder why you hadn’t managed to make the perfect wall? In the betting markets, it’s no different. Focusing on the favourite’s levels of support is great, but if you didn’t notice the money pouring onto an outsider, you can find yourself in it pretty quick! Even if there are large stakes sitting on the ladder in the way….

In summary, I don’t think you can have too much information on offer. The charts the Geeks Toy has to offer are pretty helpful, so as long as you have the screen space, use them all! Live feeds, read the racing newspaper, tips columns, etc…. Information is key, and often the difference between a few extra ticks of profit and a few less ticks of loss!

Have a great weekend!