Monthly Archives: March 2020

The Best Sporting Documentaries To Stream In 2020

When it comes to Drama, Sport has an incredible ability to capture it at its highest levels and although you cannot beat the unbridled thrill of 90 minutes on the pitch or 75 laps on the racetrack, there is one medium that captures those behind the scenes moments perfectly.

In the last few years the streaming giant Netflix has looked for more original content to add to its platform and although it has not followed rival Amazon’s suit, in purchasing the rights to major sporting tournaments, it has been a home for many incredible longform stories.

While when we mention Amazon, this season they have entered their toe into the live football arena, with 20 Premier League games available via their Prime Video platform and after such positive feedback, you get the feeling that number will increase in the next few years.

In the meantime, both they and Netflix have a litany of sporting documentaries to pour through and here is a quick look at some of very best that are currently available.

All or Nothing

This warts and all look at Manchester City was undoubtedly an eye-opener and with viewers getting to see what really made Pep Guardiola and his blue machine tick, it allowed a greater appreciation of how a Premier League club operates on a day to day basis.

Such was the impact of the documentary that Amazon have looked to track one of their Premier League counterparts and after selecting Tottenham as the destination for their cameras, it is fair to say that they could not have picked a better club.

The North London outfit have already changed their manager this season, as Jose Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino and with the upheaval that has come with this switch in personnel, this is going to make for a very interesting viewing session.

Inside Borussia Dortmund

If you like your football with a more continental feel, then the Amazon cameras have also been granted access to Signal-Iduna Park and that means the movements of Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho are now available for all to see.

A four-part series is the order of the day, as we get a glimpse of one of Germany’s biggest clubs and their bid to win the Bundesliga title (Spolier: They once again must watch Bayern Munich become champions for another year)

Sunderland ‘Til I Die

There is no doubt that the Amazon documentaries that have either been created or are in the pipeline are slickly produced and a joy to watch. However, if you like your sporting drama to be a little rougher around the edges, this is the one for you.

Tracking Sunderland’s ailing plight during the 2017/18 season, it is one that sees them suffer a second relegation in as many seasons and like the upcoming Tottenham documentary above, it is also one that sees a switch of manager early in the campaign.

Not only that, but you get the feeling that this documentary tells a real emotive story and it is one that manages to veer well away from a pseudo promotional piece, which it’s Netflix counterpart Formula 1: Drive To Survive, is guilty of leaning towards.

If you want pain, anguish and heartbreak then the Sunderland offering is the documentary for you and if you manage to binge the first series in double quick time, a new series is waiting just around the corner.

Make Gambling an Art

So, you want to make money as a bookie? Tired of gambling? You need to make gambling an art if you’re going to be a successful sportsbook owner. It isn’t time to gamble when you run a bookie.

Often new bookies think running a sportsbook means they’ll be gambling. That’s not the case.

In order to guarantee that you make money as a bookmaker, you don’t want to gamble at all. Now, obviously bookies will “take a side” in rare cases, but not for big money.

When I say “take a side”, I mean the bookie doesn’t balance the book. If they have a few local guys betting on the local team, the bookie may let the action ride in some cases.

However, the less you gamble and the more you treat the business as an art, the better.

Tips for Running a Profitable Bookie

Here are some tips to help you learn the art of turning consistent profits:

● Balanced Book (Guaranteeing Profits)

You may have heard the term “balanced book” or “balance your book”. Your goal as a bookie is to take even action on both sides of a bet. This obviously isn’t possible with some bets like futures.

However, most of your action will come from bettors wagering on straight bets. It’s easy to balance your book on straight bets with two sides such as point spreads, money lines and totals.

If you don’t get 50/50 action, PPH shops should have a layoff book where you can layoff some of the action to balance your book. If your book is balanced, you make guaranteed profits off the vig.

● Be a Boss (Communication / Service / Support)

When I say “be a boss”, I don’t mean in the literal sense. I mean you need to have a positive attitude every single day as a bookie since you’re going to be dealing with a lot of different personalities.

As a bookie, you need to understand the art of communication. If you’re unable to communicate with your players it’s going to be impossible to run a successful bookies. Being in regular contact with clients is necessary, as you need to provide support and work out collection plans.

A lot of bettors will stay loyal to a bookmaker they have built a relationship with. If they know you’re solid and will pay them out when they win, they have no reason to leave. Retaining players is an art and without successfully retaining clients, you’re never going to be able to grow your revenues.

● Follow the Numbers

Bookies have more data to make business decisions than ever before. You need to use data and other analytics to grow your business. Don’t make gut decisions. Let the numbers lead you to the correct decision. With dozens of reports at your fingertips, there’s no excuse to ignore the numbers.

You need to be passionate as a bookmaker. If you aren’t fully committed you’re going to waste your own time. Growing a bookie is extremely hard work, especially in today’s competitive landscape.
More Pay Per Head tips:
1. Current and Future Business Planning With Real Bookies
2. Shore Up Your Online Betting Business With Real Bookies Pay Per Head
3. Engage Your Betting Customers Through Pay Per Head Marketing Solutions
4. Bookies Need to Stick With Solid Business Practices During Uncertain Times

Should You Read the Reviews?

Just like anything else you buy, reading the reviews of pay-per-head (PPH) services can be valuable, but only when done right. It’s important to read as many reviews and testimonials as possible.

When reading reviews of any service or product, there are going to be good and bad reviews. This is why it’s important to read as many reviews as possible to see the overall sentiment.

Thousands of bookies all around the world use PPH services. A lot of these bookies will review the service, which will help give you an inside look on the pros and cons of each PPH shop.

Where to Read PPH Reviews

You’ll find testimonials – bookie service review all over the internet. While some reviews won’t have much helpful information, there are plenty of PPH bookie reviews online full of information.

Here are some of the best places to look:

● PPH Websites: While you’re only going to read the top reviews of a service directly on their website, you can still learn a lot about the service from multiple perspectives.

● Forums: The big betting forums often have a sub-forum to discuss PPH topics. You’ll often find a lot of good information in these threads, but take everything with a grain of salt. Some posters may be posting false information, so it’s smart to vet everything.

● Google: Search for any pay-per-head company on Google to find hundreds of reviews about the service. Many betting websites have reviews of the leading PPH companies.

● Reddit: Reddit is a great source of information on just about any topic. There are plenty of bookies that have posted in-depth PPH reviews, along with a lot of other tips for bookies.

Benefits of Reading PPH Reviews

There are some benefits to doing your homework before joining a PPH service. No service is perfect and reading reviews will allow you to find out about any flaws a service may have.

Reviews are also excellent at detailing the features of a service. It’s important to know whether or not a service has what you need before signing up, especially if you require anything uncommon.

For example, do you require a PPH shop to operate a 24/7 call center for your clients? Not every service is going to offer this feature, but reading reviews will help you figure this out.

Another benefit to reading the reviews is to learn about the people who run the service. Do they communicate well with their current clients or are they unresponsive? Do they work with their smaller bookies to help them grow? Look for answers to these types of questions in reviews.

You can also learn about the negatives in reviews. Some services may have great service, but they lack betting markets. Some services are simply unresponsive once you join. However, take a single review at face value whether positive or negative. Look for the overall sentiment.

Should you read reviews? I definitely think you should, but follow the tips outlined above.

More pay per head tips:

1) Boost your sports product
2) Maximize Your Profits
3) How Can Sportsbook Agents Make Money?
4) Best Pay Per Head Sportsbook
5) How to Become a Bookie

From the archive: A look back at the final day of the 2011 U.S. Masters

The US Masters – which was supposed to be the first major golf tournament of the year – has been postponed until October 30th due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is still leading the way in the US Masters market – the only major to elude the current World Number One – if you’re looking for a bet on golf. Since, McIlroy is favourite to win the tournament at Augusta National, it is worth having a look back at his Masters meltdown in 2011.

The County Down native went into the final day of the tournament destined to win his first major and become the second-youngest golfer to get fitted into the famous green jacket. However, McIlroy, who was then only 21 years old, shot eight over par, which saw him spiral down the leaderboard to 15th and 10 strokes behind eventual winner Charl Schwartzel.

The now four-time Major winner went back into the clubhouse in the lead after each of the opening three rounds and teed off in the final pairing on the Sunday morning with a four-shot advantage, but his nerves were apparent. McIlroy dropped a shot straight away on the first hole – sending his second shot long of the green before failing to get down in two and, therefore, dropping to 11-under.

The early pressure from Schwartzel, who tied with McIlroy on 11-under after just three holes, didn’t help the youngster’s nerves and he dropped another shot on the fifth hole. A birdie on the seventh sent the Northern Irishman back into the lead, but you could see it wasn’t a comfortable one.

As if the pressure from the South African and his partner Angel Cabrera, who were hot on his tail, wasn’t already enough for McIlroy, Tiger Woods was also rocketing up the leaderboard. Woods, who started the round on five-under, had the Augusta crowd roaring as he shot four birdies and an eagle to move within one stroke of the 21-year-old.

The Ulsterman’s descent started early in the back nine with an agonising triple-bogey at the 10th hole. McIlroy’s homeland support watched through their fingers as he sent his tee shot into the woodland, leaving him no other option than a short pitch back to the fairway. His third stroke desperately needed to hit the green but it faded left. As his chip struck a tree and he failed to get up and down, you could tell this was all too much for the 21-year-old.

McIlroy’s afternoon only got worse, another bogey followed on the 11th, before a horrific four-putt meant that he double-bogeyed the 12th. You couldn’t help but feel sorry for the youngster, who was almost in tears, when his tee shot on the 13th landed in the creek.

With McIlroy now out of the picture, attention turned to who would go on to win the prestigious tournament. Geoff Ogilvy, Woods, who couldn’t keep up his front nine momentum, and Luke Donald all posted 10-under rounds. Australian’s Adam Scott and Jason Day seemed to be in with a shout after finishing on 12-under.

However, Schwartzel found his stride at the perfect time, birdying the last four holes to send himself two shots clear of Scott and Day, and in the process become Masters champion.

“This was my first experience of it,” McIlroy said after his meltdown. “Hopefully, next time I’m in this position, I’ll be able to handle it a little better.” The current World Number One didn’t have to wait long for his Major – winning the U.S. Open two months later.

Most recent winners of the European Championships

We appeared to drawing ever nearer to the European championships, that were set to take place later this year. It will be the 16th edition of the competition, with anticipation continuing to build ahead of one of the major sporting events. However, it has now been postponed due to the current pandemic and will now take place next year. Despite this, punters have continued to support the markets using the betfred promo code that is available, as England head in as the favourites. So here we cover the last five winners of the competition and their chances of success next year.

2016 – Portugal

The current champions are Portugal, following their victory at the 2016 edition of the tournament that was held in France. This was their first major title and an incredible result for the country. This saw them beat France in extra-time 1-0, and they will now be looking to follow up on this victory. They have progressed through to the finals, following finishing second in Group B behind Ukraine. Portugal are now a best priced 20/1 to win the championships.

2012 – Spain

Spain landed the competition for the second championships in succession with their 2012 victory. This was their fourth major title, following three victories at the European championships and their one title at the World cup back in 2010. Spain beat Italy 4-0 in the final, with the tournament being held in Poland and Ukraine. They have progressed through to next year’s competition, following topping Group F, ahead of Sweden and Norway. They are also now amongst the favourites for the title and can be supported at 8/1.

2008 – Spain

This was the first success for Spain, before they went on to win a further two big competitions in succession. At the time, this was their second European championship victory, in which they beat Germany 1-0 in the final, with the tournament being hosted across Austria and Switzerland.

2004 – Greece

One of the biggest shocks in sporting history was the 2004 success of Greece at the European championships. The tournament was held in Portugal and Greece continued to overachieve before reaching the final to beat the hosts 1-0. This was also there only victory to date. Greece have failed to qualify for the finals next year, which is the third consecutive major tournament that they will not be competing in.

2000 – France

This was a second European victory for France, following on from their 1984 victory. The tournament was held between Belgium and the Netherlands, as France progressed through to the finals to take on Italy. They eventually picked up the trophy, beating Italy 2-1 in extra-time. France head into the competition off the back of their World Cup victory in Russia and are the team to beat. They were also impressive in qualification but have a difficult looking group against Portugal and Germany.

Sports Betting Vs. Other Gambling

A layman might say – “what’s the difference, in the end, you’ll always lose”. It is a fact that any form of gambling exists due to the unpredictability of the events people wager on. If it wasn’t so, it wouldn’t be called gambling, because chance is a vital part of its definition.

Well, sports betting is part knowledge, part luck, and it has been around as long as sports have. In recent decades it has exploded into a worldwide phenomenon, and people place bets on every sport imaginable.

However, the truth of the matter is, the bookmakers know just as much as you do, thus, they set the odds accordingly. In order to win big, you have to bet on more games or on certain events occurring during one. This lowers your chances and increases the bookie’s edge.

While there’s no question that sports betting is more scientific than other forms, let’s analyze and see exactly by how much.

Casino Gambling

While it used to be fashionable to go to a casino to put a bet down, today you have a casino on your phone. Online casinos are taking over the industry, with Casimba Casino being on the forefront. And with features such as progressive jackpots, bonus rounds, free spins, and loyalty programs, it’s easy to see why. The only question that remains is which game to choose? A well-known card game, or a five-reel slot?

Casinos are in business because they always have an advantage. The house edge may differ from game to game, but it’s always there. Obviously, your chances are lowest at slots, but if you play Blackjack or Baccarat, the house edge gets as low as 1.4%.

Poker

What kind? There are so many variations. When you say the word, Texas Hold’em pops into most minds first. However, there’s Seven Card Stud, Omaha, Razz, Five Card Draw and more as examples. There are even some variations invented specially for casino gambling, like three-card poker.

According to pro, David Stamm, in Texas Hold’em, three out of every five players are long-term losers. The numbers add up to something like this, 20% are long-term winners, 20% are marginal ones, while 40% are marginal losers, and 20% are major ones.

Bingo

Calculating your odds in bingo is very simple. It’s just the number of cards you’ve got divided by the number of cards that are in play. If there are a thousand cards and you bought ten, your chances of winning are 1%.

Some bingo sites even tell you how many cards are in play, so you can calculate your odds precisely. Though, these odds don’t apply to progressive jackpots.

Lottery

Again, there are different types of lotteries. If one is set up in such a way that you can choose six numbers from a possible forty-nine, then your chances of getting those six numbers drawn are close to 14 million!

If you buy one ticket each week, then your chances of winning get to about one lottery-win every 269,000 years. Doesn’t sound too promising, does it?

The Grand National’s top trainers

Every racehorse trainer dreams of saddling a Grand National winner. To see their horse strutting around as champion after a hard-fought victory in the UK’s biggest horse race represents the pinnacle of achievement in the sport, and the reward for the long hard hours spent preparing their horse for the big day at Aintree.

Of course, this year the Grand National will look a little different, and it is unclear when the race will actually take place after the original date of April 4th was postponed because of the coronavirus crisis. But that will take nothing away from the magnitude of the Grand National when it does eventually get going. Once horse racing gets up and running again, the punters will be eagerly perusing the horse betting odds and the sport’s most successful trainers will be putting in every effort to make sure those horses are 100% ready for this showpiece sporting event.

Many of those trainers have never tasted victory in the National, but the cream of the crop all know what it feels like to saddle a winner in the season’s biggest race. Let’s take a look at a few famous active trainers who have tasted success in the Grand National.

Gordon Elliott

Of all the active trainers on the horse racing circuit today, none boast as strong a record in the Grand National as Gordon Elliott. He has saddled the winning horse on three occasions, including the two most recent editions of the race, as Tiger Roll stole the show in 2018 and 2019. Elliott’s prior victory in the race came in 2007 when Silver Birch won the Aintree showpiece, ridden by Robbie Power.

Elliott will be hoping that Tiger Roll can secure an unprecedented third Grand National win in a row in the 2020 race, an achievement which would ensure that horse, trainer and jockey Davy Russell go down as legends of the sport.

Nigel Twiston-Davies

You have to go all the way back to 2002 for Nigel Twiston-Davies’ most recent Grand National winner, but that does not detract from the trainer’s quality and capability of winning big races. 2002 was Twiston-Davies’ second win in the National, as Jim Culloty rode Bindaree to victory. Four years earlier, he saddled Earth Summit, who gave the trainer his first taste of Grand National glory.

While it’s been 18 years since Twiston-Davies was last victorious in the famous old race, he remains a top trainer and one to watch out for when it comes to potential winners at Aintree.

Willie Mullins

Willie Mullins has long been one of the biggest names in horse racing, and the trainer earned his first winner in the Grand National in 2005, as Ruby Walsh rode Hedgehunter to victory. For a trainer of Mullins’ quality, it’s perhaps a touch surprising that he does not boast more than one winner in the Grand National, but that speaks more of the difficulty of the race itself rather
than any failings on the part of the trainer.

Mullins will be keen to get a second title under his belt though, and his best shot in 2020 looks to be Burrows Saint, who is currently 12/1 to win the Aintree showpiece.

Paul Nicholls

Paul Nicholls is another trainer with outstanding horse racing pedigree, and he secured Grand National success in 2012 with Neptune Collonges, ridden by Daryl Jacob. His horse was a 33/1 shot that day, but Nicholls and Jacob overcame the odds to taste that coveted feeling of Grand National victory.

At the time of writing, one of Nicholls’ 2020 entries, Yala Enki, is similarly priced at 28/1 to win the Grand National, so it may take a repeat of history if the trainer is to claim a second triumph in the famous race.

Bills Acquire Star Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs From Vikings

The NFL's opening day of legal tampering was March 16 and it has helped fans cope with the almost sports-less world because of the coronavirus outbreak. A move that shocked many in the league was the Stefon Diggs trade from the Vikings to the Bills.

It does shock us but we should have seen it coming, considering that hours before it happened Diggs tweeted: “it's time for a new beginning.”

Sports betting sites and per head sites made Buffalo the favorites to win the AFC east division.

I just recovered from finding out that the Cardinals basically stole DeAndre Hopkins from the Texans and now the Bills and Vikings make a blockbuster trade of their own.

Diggs, along with a seventh-round draft pick in this year's NFL Draft will go to Buffalo and Minnesota will receive a first-round pick, a fifth-round pick, a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Bills were tough to beat last season. Their defense was very solid, ranking third in total yards in the NFL, fourth against the pass, 10th against the run and it was the second-best in points per game allowed.

Their offense was eighth with 128.4 rushing yards per game and quarterback Josh Allen showed flashes of brilliance in his second year in the NFL. Now Allen will now have a legitimate star wide receiver as part of his list of weapons.

John Brown and Cole Beasley are decent wideouts but the Bills were just 26th in the league with 201.8 passing yards per game and Diggs is among the top five wide receivers in the NFL.

Diggs had 63 receptions for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games last season, eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards in two straight years and he also had a career-high 102 catches in 2018. He battled for touches with fellow Pro Bowl wide receiver Adam Thielen in the Vikings so I can see him putting up big numbers in Buffalo.

Odds to win the AFC East

New England Patriots -110
Buffalo Bills +175
New York Jets +650
Miami Dolphins +1000

Odds Provided By Pay Per head 247

Tom Brady Will Sign With The Buccaneers

TB12 will go to TB! Brady entered free agency for the first time in his 20-year career and he is getting ready to spend his 21st season in the league with the Buccaneers.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Brady will sign for $30 million per year and an announcement is expected very soon.

“To be clear: Former #Patriots QB Tom Brady has an agreement in principle to join the #Bucs, source said. It is believed to be roughly $30M per year,” Rapoport said.

Last Monday Tom Brady let the Patriots know that he would not coming back. he made the official announcement on Tuesday. Tom Brady spent 20 seasons with the Patriots and won six Super Bowls and three NFL MVP awards.

“To all my teammates, coaches, executives and staff, Coach Belichick, RKK and the Kraft family and the entire organization. I want to say thank you for the past twenty years of my life and the daily commitment to winning and creating a winning culture built on great values. I am grateful for all that you have taught me – I have learned from everyone. You all have allowed me to maximize my potential and that is all a player can ever hope for.

Everything we have accomplished brings me great joy and the lessons I have learned will carry on with me forever. I couldn't be the man I am today without the relationships you have allowed me to build with you. I have benefited from all you have given me. I cherished every opportunity I had to be a part of our team, and I love you all for that. Our team has always set a great standard in pro sports and I know it will continue to do just that.

Although my football journey will take place elsewhere, I appreciate everything that we have achieved and am grateful for our incredible team accomplishments. I have been privileged to have had the opportunity to know each and everyone of you, and to have the memories we've created together.”

Brady was drafted No. 199 in the sixth round in 2000. The signal-caller has completed 6,377 of 9,988 passes for 74,571 yards, 541 touchdowns and 179 interceptions in 285 games.

The Buccaneers have many weapons, including wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and tight end OJ Howard and help might be coming soon, as former Pro Bowl running back Melvin Gordon is being considered as a potential signing.

Brady wanted to stay as close to home as possible and he will still be on the east coast, in the same time zone as Boston.

Odds to Win NFC South

New Orleans Saints -125
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +200
Atlanta Falcons +600
Carolina Panthers +1400

Learn more about Pay Per Head:

1) The Strength is in The Numbers With Real Bookies
2) Start Your Bookie Business on The Right Foot With Pay Per Head
3) Professional Bookie Services For Professional Bookmakers
4) Real Bookies Offers The Experience and Expertise You Can Trust
5) Visualizing Business Success With Pay Per Head Bookie Solutions

What to Expect from the CONIFA 2020 World Cup

The whole world is talking about the situation we’re all in due to COVID-19. Sports competitions large and small have been postponed until further notice. However, those behind the CONIFA 2020 World Cup haven't yet mentioned anything regarding the cancelation of the competition. Unlike the officials of all major soccer competitions, the people from CONIFA have decided not to cancel the competition just yet.

As the future of the CONIFA 2020 World Cup is uncertain, we will use this opportunity to remind you of the competition’s form, as well as update you on the latest news about it. Without further ado, let’s begin.

About CONIFA 2020

The CONIFA World Football Cup is also known as “the other World Cup”. It is an international soccer competition created by an organization called CONIFA. Particularly developed for states, minorities, and stateless peoples and regions unaffiliated with FIFA, the CONIFA World Cup has been organizing a world championship every two years since 2014.

The CONIFA 2020 World Cup is the fourth edition of this competition. The initial host of the tournament was supposed to be Somaliland, a self-declared state located in an autonomous region of Somalia. However, some changes occurred in August 2019 and North Macedonia took over.

The competition should take place from May 30 to June 7, 2020, in Tose Proeski Arena in Skopje, North Macedonia. There are 16 teams divided into four groups that will give their best to win the title of the world’s best team in 2020.

To remind you, here’s what the groups look like:

  • Group A — Parishes of Jersey, Panjab, Kurdistan, Chagos Islands
  • Group B — Kárpátalja, Western Armenia, Tamil Eelam, Kabylia
  • Group C — Mapuche, Matabeleland, Kernow, Mariya
  • Group D — South Ossetia, Cascadia, United Koreans in Japan, Darfur

    • Who Are the Favorites?

    According to the most recent rankings, Parishes of Jersey is the team most likely to dominate the CONIFA 2020 World Cup. Even though it is one of the most recently accepted CONIFA members, the team has very quickly jumped to fourth place on the list of best-ranked teams by acquiring 1470 points.

    There is a specially designed system for assigning CONIFA ranking points. It consists of several elements and takes into account all the matches reported to CONIFA. For example, a team gets more points for winning a match against another CONIFA member than against a non-CONIFA opponent. Also, official competitions and tournaments carry more value than friendly matches.

    CONIFA Officials Still Optimistic

    As more than half of the world has implemented a complete lockdown together with a curfew, almost all sports events have been canceled. However, there is still nothing regarding the cancelation of the CONIFA 2020 World Cup.

    The official CONIFA website has recently posted some articles but stated nothing about postponing the competition. Their Twitter account has also been active and sharing news about some of the participants getting ready for the CONIFA 2020 World Cup.

    It seems that CONIFA officials still hope that all the mess made by COVID-19 will pass quickly and that the tournament will take place during the previously scheduled dates. This can be considered as quite an optimistic attitude, especially since the UEFA has decided to postpone EURO 2020 that was supposed to happen after the CONIFA 2020 World Cup.

    Even though we would all like the world to put an end to this general health issue as soon as possible, it is highly likely that CONIFA officials will soon have to come up with other dates for the CONIFA 2020 World Cup.