Sunday, November 25, 2018

My Eight Favorite Baseball Hitters of All Time

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My Eight Favorite Baseball Hitters of All Time

Being an MLB purist, many different kinds of hitters have piqued my interest through the years. Whether I am watching a current player or researching a player that played before my time, there are always a few that stand out for me.

When compiling my list of my favorite MLB hitters, I felt like it was important to touch on all eras. The game of baseball has changed a lot over time.

In my view, it’s not necessarily about who hit the most home runs or who had the highest average. I have always felt that the greatest teams of all time had a combination of both power hitters and players that hit for average.

Even though the saying is “Chicks dig the long ball,” it is sometimes the guy that works a walk after going down no balls and two strikes that ends up being the difference in the final score.

So, below are my eight favorite baseball hitters from across all eras of the MLB.

I could make a top 100, but to save boring you to death, I have cut it down to who I consider are the players that changed hitting in the MLB during their playing years.

These hitters had to be game-planned for. Many of these players set the pace for coveted MLB hitting records, and some still hold many of the top hitting records today.

Herman “Babe” Ruth

The Great Bambino, the Sultan of Swat, or just plain Babe – whatever you want to call him, he was one of my favorites.

If you are a baseball fan, you have been told a Babe Ruth story. Whether it was when he pointed his bat out to center field to call his shot and then hit a home run or the curse of the Bambino, we have all heard a Babe Ruth story.

The man started out as a pitcher and then went on to only hit 714 home runs and have a career batting average of .342. Just to give you an idea of how dominant a hitter Babe was, he hit 54 home runs in 1920. The amazing part about that is that he single-handedly hit more home runs than every other team in the American League.

Herman “Babe” Ruth
Herman “Babe” Ruth

Think about that for a second. One man hit more home runs in one season than entire teams.

Oh, you thought that’s all. How about how he did it again in 1927 when he hit 60 home runs? Two different seasons, Babe hit more home runs by himself than all other teams with 15 hitters on their rosters.

In the end, Babe Ruth was a winner. He finished his career with seven World Series titles, but his hitting statistics were just as impressive. Some of Babe Ruth’s final numbers were 714 home runs, 2,214 runs batted in, and 2,873 hits.

Ted Williams

You can’t quite have a list of favorite hitters and not include Ted Williams. He is arguably the greatest hitter of all time. He was known to approach hitting as a science. Clearly, he knew what he was doing, finishing with a .344 batting average.

The most famous story of Ted Williams is how he hit .406 during a season. The astonishing part about that historic season was that he entered the last games with an average of .39995.

Boston was scheduled to finish their season with a double-header. Williams could have not played in both games, and his batting average would have been rounded up to .400.

Ted Williams
Ted Williams

Well, that didn’t quite sit well with Teddy, so instead of sitting out, he played both games and went a combined 6 for 8 at the plate, raising his average to .406.

If he was going to be a .400 hitter, he was going to go out there and earn it. That’s something everyone can admire even if you are a diehard New York Yankees fan.

Throw in six batting titles, two Triple Crowns (league leader in home runs, runs batted in, and runs scored in a single season), 19 All Star appearances, and finally two Most Valuable Player awards, it is easy to see why he is one of my favorite hitters of all time.

Hank Aaron

There can’t be any list that involves hitting that doesn’t include Hammerin’ Hank.

Hank Aaron was the model of consistency. To many, he is still considered the home run champ with 755 home runs.

He had eight seasons of 40 or more home runs but never hit more than 47 home runs in a single season. Hank Aaron was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1982, but his trip getting to that point was not easy.

The fact that Hank Aaron was able to consistently hit year in and year out during the time period is a feat in its own.

Hank was chasing one of the most coveted sports records, the home run champ. The problem for Hank was that he was an African American trying to break the record of one of the most admired players in America at the time, Babe Ruth.

Hank Aaron
Hank Aaron

Death threats were a constant for Hank Aaron throughout this time. None of it bothered him, though. He just went about his business and kept hitting his home runs.

When Hank decided to hang up his cleats, the stats he left behind were beyond impressive. He finished with 3,771 hits, 755 home runs, and 2,297 runs batted in.

In a day and age where some of the best baseball hitters today strike out 200 times, one has to admire Hank Aaron’s average strikeouts per season. He averaged 69 strikeouts per season and NEVER struck out more than 100 times in a single season!

If a hitter of this caliber existed today, he would be the biggest Major Leaguer in the world. The number of strikeouts compared to the rest of the league would be such an outlier that he would change the way the game is played today.

Barry Bonds

Even with the PED controversy, Barry Bonds makes the list of my favorite hitters. He was one of the most feared hitters of all time. To give you an idea of how great he was, let’s go over some career stats.

The man not only was one of the best hitters in the game, but he also won eight Gold Gloves throughout his career, proving he was a two-way player. He finished his career with 762 home runs, 2,935 hits, and an astonishing 2,558 walks.

To just touch on how ridiculous this man was treated by pitchers, let’s dive into some of his stats compared to other hitters throughout MLB history.

First, he was walked 2,558 times, which was 368 more walks than the player with the second-most walks in MLB history, Rickey Henderson.

The most astonishing stat, though, is that he was intentionally walked 688 times! That’s 392 more free passes than Albert Pujols, who is second on the list.

Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds

Hell, the man was walked intentionally when the bases were loaded and with two outs! Let me say that again. He was intentionally walked WITH THE BASES LOADED!

That means the opposing team felt it was more beneficial to walk in one run than let Barry have an at bat. If that doesn’t prove the fear pitchers and managers felt when Barry came to the plate, I don’t know what else will.

Not only did Barry Bonds set the records for the most coveted hitting records, but he also finished his career a seven-time MVP, fourteen-time All-Star, and with two batting titles and twelve Silver Slugger awards.

Say what you want about the steroid era, but Barry Bonds was one of the greatest hitters of all time and quite possibly the most feared hitter in MLB history.

Tony Gwynn

Now, when it comes to just pure hitting, this next player might be my favorite. Tony Gwynn was the closest player to a modern-day Ted Williams as it got.

There are levels to hitting. Understanding hitting. Understanding what the pitcher is trying to do and how to counteract that. Tony Gwynn was ahead of everyone in this aspect.

He studied more than any other hitter to play the game. If you watch the game today, players preach about studying film on pitchers and how opponents approach getting them out. With today’s analytics and technology, you can easily see how beneficial it would be to a player.

Tony Gwynn did all this well before the invention of iPads or even the internet as we know it today. He did his studying by popping in VHS tape after VHS tape.

If you can think for a second how long a process like that would take, then you can see how he was always a step ahead of the pitcher when it came to his hitting.

It gets me excited watching a hitter hit the ball where the pitch dictates. Tony Gwynn’s goal at the plate was to take what the pitchers gave him.

If they pitched him outside, he would not do too much and slap that ball to the opposite field for a base hit. If the pitcher threw inside, Tony was ready to turn on it and either hit a home run or a double that hugged the line.

It wasn’t only his approach that makes Tony Gwynn one of my favorite hitters of all time. His stats also proved he was on another level than the rest of the league. So let’s take a look at some of his career stats.

Tony Gwynn ended his career with 3,141 hits, 135 home runs, and a career batting average of .338. In today’s game where a .275 batting average gets you a $200 million contract, it’s amazing what Tony Gwynn was able to accomplish.

Now it’s time to take it to another level with Tony’s hitting.

Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn

In the strike-shortened season of 1994, Tony Gwynn batted .394 for the year. He was batting .423 in the second half of that year, which is absurd. He was the only player since Ted William’s season of batting .406 to come anywhere near the iconic .400 batting average.

Another amazing stat of Gwynn’s was that he only struck out three times in a game ONCE! By comparison, Bryce Harper has had 47 games where he struck out three times.

Tony Gwynn also averaged 21.7 strikeouts per season. There were almost 30 players in 2018 that struck out 150 times or more.

Let’s also throw in there that Tony Gwynn batted .300 in a record 19 straight seasons. The only season that Tony didn’t hit .300 was in his rookie year. Currently, no other player has a streak of three or more. That should show you how great of a hitter Tony Gwynn was.

He is one of my favorites because he approached every at bat with a plan. He knew how the pitcher was going to approach getting him out, but he was already a step ahead.

I want a hitter on my team that is willing to slap an outside pitch to the opposite field to keep the inning going. He wouldn’t go up to any at bat trying to hit a home run like most hitters try to do today, produce an out, and end the inning.

Ichiro Suzuki

Similar to Tony Gwynn, Ichiro Suzuki was born to hit a baseball. He was raised to repeat his swing day in and day out for his entire life. It’s no wonder that he became one of the greatest hitters of all time and one of my favorite hitters.

Ichiro’s career wasn’t like every other MLB player. He didn’t come over to the United States until 2001 after playing nine seasons in the Japan Pacific League. It is safe to say that Ichiro was ready to compete against the best baseball players in the world.

In 2001, not only did Ichiro become the first Japanese position player in Major League Baseball history, but he also leads all of baseball in hits with 242 and stolen bases with 56.

These stats lead him to winning the American League hitting title, the American League Rookie of the Year Award, as well as the American League Most Valuable Player.

Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro remains the only player in Major League Baseball history to win all three awards in their first season. It’s safe to say he started his Major League Baseball career with a bang.

He also holds the top two single-season hit totals with 262 hits in 2004 and 242 hits in 2001, his ROOKIE season! Hitting the 200 hit mark in a season was quite common for Ichiro, though.

Not only did he reach the 200-hit plateau in ten seasons, but he did it in his first ten seasons. He is the only hitter in MLB history to have 200 hits in ten consecutive years.

This type of consistency is what my favorite hitters are usually made of.

Sure, we all go crazy for home runs, but I admire a player that can year in and year out produce at a high level, not just hit 50 home runs one season and then hit 19 home runs the next season.

Derek Jeter

I am all about players that hit for average versus players that are power hitters. To me, players that hit for average have entirely different approaches when at the plate compared to the hitters that are trying to hit a home run.

What I mean by this is that power hitters are constantly looking for one pitch that they can hit a mile. For a player that hits for average, they are never looking for one pitch. They react to the pitch that is coming and hit the ball to the part of the field according to where the placement of the pitch is.

Similar to Tony Gwynn and Ichiro Suzuki, Derek Jeter was a nightmare at the plate.

Derek Jeter’s inside-out swing just drove pitchers crazy. All thought pounding him inside would counteract his inside-out swing, but somehow Derek would not do too much and just slap that inside pitch to the opposite field.

Now let’s get into some stats. Derek Jeter played his entire career under the New York Yankees spotlight, which can break most players. Let’s see how Derek fared.

Throughout his 20-year career, Derek finished with 3,465 hits. No Yankees player has more hits than Jeter. He finished his career with eight 200-hit seasons and 17 consecutive seasons of 150 hits.

The only other player to hit that many consecutive 150-hit seasons is a man already on this list. Hammerin’ Hank Aaron.

Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter

Another amazing hitting statistic for Derek is that he is one of two players to have 3,000 hits, 250 home runs, 300 stolen bases, and 1,200 runs batted in club. The other player in this club is someone you may have heard of: Hall of Famer Willie Mays.

Another hitting club that Derek Jeter is a part of is even more special than the previous one he shared with only Willie Mays. This club only has one member, and that’s Derek Jeter.

No one else has had 11 seasons where their batting average was over .300 and they finished with double-digit home runs and steals. The closest player to almost join this club was Barry Bonds, but he finished with eight seasons.

If those last two hitting stats don’t convince you of Derek Jeter’s hitting greatness, I’m not quite sure I can come up with any other hitting stats that prove this former Yankees great deserves to be on this list.

Mike Trout

Let’s finish off with who many consider to be the best hitter in the game today – Mike Trout.

This two-time Most Valuable Player has already put in another MVP-quality season in 2018 and was one of the three finalists to win again, although Mookie Betts claimed the 2018 award in the end.

Besides the two AL MVP awards, Mike Trout has two All Star Game MVP awards, he has appeared in eight All Star Games, was the Rookie of the Year, and finally has seven Silver Slugger awards.

Mike Trout
Mike Trout

Trout’s current career batting average sits at .307, which in today’s game of not many players hitting above .300 is always impressive. He currently has 240 home runs, 624 runs batted in, and 793 runs scored.

Trout is another player that managers will always have a game plan for. He is the one player that you can’t let beat you, and he still comes up with his game-changing plays.

As long as Trout can continue to stay healthy, he will put up the numbers that rival any of the retired hitters on this list.

Recap

There are all types of hitters that make it to the majors. You have your power hitters and your hitters that hit for average. Then there are players that are on a whole other level.

When putting my list of favorite hitters together, I tried to cover both ends of the spectrum.

If I had to pick one as my favorite, I would tend to lean towards the players that outsmart the pitchers – the type of hitter that hits the ball where the pitch dictates, not some juiced-up meathead trying to hit a grand slam with one guy on base.

Sometimes a walk is as good as a single, or a single is as productive as a double in the gap or as a home run.

Hitting is a mental game between the hitter and the pitcher, and it takes a special kind of player to be able to be a step ahead of their opponents.

However, whichever way you look at it, there are great power hitters and great players that hit for average. Hopefully, after reading my list, you can see that even though “Chicks dig the long ball,” some of the best hitters in the game quickly realize that’s not what it’s all hyped up to be.

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Why Casinos Exclude Certain Slots from Bonuses and How You Can Bypass This Problem

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Why Casinos Exclude Certain Slots from Bonuses and How You Can Bypass This Problem

Online casinos offer bonuses as promotional tools designed to attract more players. They also use bonuses to encourage more play from existing customers.

Online gamblers benefit greatly from these bonuses as well. They pick up additional money while enjoying fun casino games.

Of course, the key thing to understand is that online casino bonuses aren’t technically “free.” You must satisfy terms and conditions in order to earn the bonus funds.

Most players understand this aspect, because casinos can’t just hand out free money without getting something in return. But gamblers become less understanding when their favorite slots are excluded from unlocking bonuses.

Why do internet casinos exclude certain slots from meeting wagering requirements?

I’m going to answer this question while covering the specifics behind game restrictions. I’ll also discuss how to get around game exclusions and maximize the value of online casino bonuses.

What Types of Bonuses Do Casinos Offer?

Internet casinos offer several types of bonuses to new and existing players. These include match deposit bonuses, no-deposit bonuses, freeplay, free spins, and cashback.

A match deposit bonus uses a match percentage of your deposit amount to determine the bonus value. Here’s an example.

An online casino is offering a 100% match bonus You deposit $200 You’re now eligible to earn a $200 bonus

A no-deposit bonus sees you receive a reward just for signing up at an online casino. You might receive a $10 no-deposit bonus, for example, after completing registration.

Freeplay is a bonus that’s given strictly for wagering purposes. While you can’t cash out the actual bonus value, you can withdraw the winnings generated from your bonus.

Free spins allow you to spin the slots reels for free. Online casinos commonly give players anywhere between 10 and 100 free games during promotions.

Cashback sees you receive a percentage of your losses back. For example, an online casino might return 10% of your losses from the previous week.

You can see that these bonuses have obvious differences between each other. But one commonality that they share is the potential for slots restrictions.

For the purposes of this discussion, I’m mainly covering how game restrictions apply to match deposit bonuses. But note that this topic pertains to all of the bonus types in some way or another.

Terms and Conditions on Online Casino Bonuses

All online casino bonuses come with terms and conditions. These stipulations are used to ensure that casinos aren’t simply giving away free money.

Just as players want the chance to earn free funds, casinos also want something out of the deal. These wants include players trying their casino and/or wagering a certain amount.

Terms and conditions vary based on the gaming site. But you’ll find some general terms on most types of bonuses.

Here are some examples.

Wagering requirements (playthrough) — You must bet a certain multiple of the bonus (i.e., 40x) before withdrawing your funds Time limit — You normally have to meet playthrough within a specific time frame, such as 30 days or 90 days Game restrictions — Certain slots and table games may be restricted from meeting wagering requirements Max cashout — Some freeplay bonuses put a cap on the amount of winnings you can withdraw Country restrictions — Most casinos restrict certain countries from playing at the site due to legal reasons

One key term that you want to pay attention to is wagering requirements. Playthrough indicates how much you must wager before bonus funds are actually yours.

Here’s an example.

Wagering requirements are 35x the bonus You deposit $200 under a 150% match bonus deal You’re eligible for a $300 bonus 35 x 300 = $10,500 to unlock the reward

The reason why I highlight wagering requirements is because this also ties into game restrictions. Furthermore, it’s just good to know the playthrough so that you can calculate a bonus deal’s value.

Here’s an example of wagering requirements and how you can use them to figure out bonus value.

You deposit $100 under a 100% match bonus deal This makes you eligible for a $100 bonus Wagering requirements are 40x the bonus 100 x 400 = $4,000 to unlock the reward You play a slot with a 4% house edge 4,000 x 0.04 = $160 in theoretical losses 160 – 100 = $60 loss while meeting playthrough

You obviously want to examine other requirements, such as country restrictions, the time limit, and max winnings (if applicable). But playthrough and game restrictions are the keys to this discussion.

Why Do Certain Online Slots Not Count Towards Bonuses?

I mentioned earlier that casinos use terms and conditions to ensure that they’re not creating a bad deal for themselves. Game restrictions are part of this because sites want to prevent players from relying on the most favorable games to earn a bonus.

Some online casinos exclude their highest-paying slots from meeting playthrough. It’s especially common for NetEnt slots to be excluded from bonuses because some of them offer over 98% payback.

Here’s an example of how high-paying slots can lead to losses for the casino.

You’re playing for a $200 bonus with 35x wagering requirements 35 x 200 = $7,000 to unlock the bonus You use Blood Suckers slot (98% payback; 2% house edge) to meet playthrough 7,000 x 0.02 = $140 in theoretical losses 200 – 140 = $60 profit

You can see the problems a casino would face if every player took advantage of this deal. One thousand players would cause the casino to lose $60,000 (1,000 x 60) under these conditions.

Internet casinos aren’t in the business of losing money to gamblers. Therefore, they restrict any high-paying game that gives players an edge.

Online casinos sometimes allow these high-paying slots. But they’ll reduce the percentage that the games contribute towards wagering requirements.

A game such as Blood Suckers may only contribute 20% towards playthrough, while other slots contribute the full 100%.

Here’s an example to illustrate the difference.

You’re playing for a $100 deposit bonus Wagering requirements are 30x the bonus Betsoft’s Good Girl Bad Girl slot offers 97.8% payback (2.2% house edge) This game only contributes 20% towards playthrough (i.e., wagering requirements are now 150x) 100 bonus x 150x playthrough x 0.022 house edge = $330 in theoretical losses Betsoft’s Alkemor’s Tower features 94.96% payback (5.04% house edge) This slot contributes 100% towards playthrough 100 x 30 x 0.0504 = $151.20 in theoretical losses

You can see that it’s definitely worth playing Alkemor’s Tower over Good Girl Bad Girl in this case. After all, your theoretical losses will be almost $180 less with Alkemor’s Tower.

This example highlights the importance of understanding game restrictions and how they impact your bonus-earning efforts.

Sometimes a high-paying slot seems like the best way to unlock your bonus. But the math can tell an entirely different story.

What You Can Do to Bypass Bonus Game Restrictions

Most bonus deals either exclude the best-paying slots or reduce their playthrough contributions. Therefore, you must find a different route to maximize the value of your deposit bonus.

A great way to do this is by finding other slots with high payback that still contribute 100% towards wagering requirements.

A 98% payback slot may only contribute 20% to playthrough requirements. But a 96% slot contributes the full amount.

Finding a slot with just 2%-3% less payback but a 100% contribution rate can actually give you more bonus value.

Here’s an example.

You’re eligible for a $150 bonus Wagering requirements are 40x You play a slot with 98% payback and 20% contribution (i.e., 200x playthrough) 150 x 200 x 0.02 = $600 in theoretical losses You play a slot with 95% payback and full contribution 150 x 40 x 0.05 = $300 in theoretical losses

Clearly, the 95% payback slot offers the best deal here.

The biggest aspects to watch for include the payout percentage and bonus contribution rate. Any high-paying slot with low contribution usually results in a worse deal when unlocking your bonus.

But there are also times when a high-paying slot is better, namely when the playthrough contribution is still fair.

You can see this in the example below.

You’re playing for a $100 bonus Playthrough is 40x One slot offers 98% payback with 50% contribution (i.e., 80x playthrough) 100 x 80 x 0.02 = $160 in theoretical losses One slot offers 95% payback with full contribution 100 x 40 x 0.05 = $200 in theoretical losses

The 98% payback slot is the top deal here, even with the increased wagering requirements.

How to Find Online Slots Payback to Maximize Your Bonuses

As the examples above illustrate, knowing payout percentages is crucial to determining a good bonus offer. But how do you find online slots payback (a.k.a. return to player or “RTP)?

The simplest way is to look at a game’s help screen and see if the RTP is listed there. Many game developers offer payback somewhere in the help/info section.

Unfortunately, there are still many slots games that don’t list RTP on the help screen. Therefore, you need to run Google searches to find relevant websites.

It helps to know the exact game provider that you’re dealing with when doing so. Websites commonly group slots from an individual provider together when listing payback.

You’ll often find the company behind a slot through the help screen. You can then include their name in a Google search, such as “Rival Gaming slots payback.”

Searching by provider makes it easy for you to quickly look at a large group of games.

Another method involves searching RTP for individual games. You can look up a game’s name followed by “payback or RTP.”

Assume that I’m playing Microgaming’s Great Griffin slot. I can google “Great Griffin slot RTP” and quickly see that it offers 96.5% payback.

It’s not difficult to find RTP for different online slots games. An alternative to Googling is to check our comprehensive selection of slot game reviews. Where the information is available, we include the RTP information in there.

The only problem is when you’re dealing with a provider that doesn’t offer payback details.

One example is Arrow’s Edge, which doesn’t publish details on their payout percentages. You’re left in the dark regarding RTP in these cases.

Even still, you can generally expect these providers to offer competitive payback. Most gaming companies want players to win a reasonable amount of the time so that they don’t become frustrated and quit.

Slots Volatility Also Weighs into Earning Bonuses

Using payback and playthrough contributions gives you a mathematical idea of what you must spend to earn a bonus. But these factors don’t tell the entire story.

Slot machines are among the most volatile casino games, meaning your short-term results will vary greatly from the average payback.

This high volatility can really mess up the math on your theoretical wins and losses.

I may perform careful calculations that’ll show me only losing $50 on the path to a $100 bonus. But slots volatility could see me lose $500 or win $300 by the time I release the bonus.

This unpredictability is part of what makes slot machines so fun in the first place. Otherwise, most people wouldn’t even bother with the bonus if they were guaranteed to lose $100 or more in the process.

You also have to look at the negative side of volatility, namely that you can lose much more than the math shows. This fact is especially true when dealing with jackpot slots.

Big progressive jackpot slots must make up for the huge prize at the top. After all, casinos seed the initial value with a large amount to draw more players.

An example is Microgaming’s Mega Moolah, which is seeded with $1 million. Microgaming needs to earn this amount back at some point, which is why Mega Moolah doesn’t pay as frequently as other games.

If you don’t want to deal with volatile slots when unlocking a bonus, then I suggest avoiding games with huge jackpots. The chances of you losing more money in the short run increase when a big jackpot is involved.

Conclusion

Online casinos don’t offer bonuses out of the goodness of their hearts. Instead, these are tools designed to attract gamblers who’ll hopefully bet real money.

Game restrictions involving slots are designed to help casinos retain their edge — or at least avoid losing long-term money through bonuses. Gaming sites don’t usually allow slots with 98% payback or higher to contribute 100% to playthrough.

You should comb over a casino site’s terms and conditions to spot games that don’t contribute the full amount. In some cases, these slots don’t count towards the bonus at all.

Sometimes you’re better off playing slots that offer less payback but fully count towards the bonus. I recommend that you run the math on bonus deals and different slots to see what offers the most favorable deal.

Of course, many players just like to play their favorite games without worrying about the top deal. And this is fine if the bonus is a distant second to slots enjoyment.

But those who do want to maximize their bonus value should spend time figuring out the best slots for attacking the offer. Using a combination of wagering requirements, payback, and playthrough contribution will help you do this.

The post Why Casinos Exclude Certain Slots from Bonuses and How You Can Bypass This Problem appeared first on GamblingSites.com.

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Why You Need to Use Multiple Betting Sites for Your Soccer Betting

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Why You Need to Use Multiple Betting Sites for Your Soccer Betting

Most people that bet on soccer have a favorite betting site and stick to it.

This is largely because they find it really comfortable and easy to concentrate all of their action in one place. They don’t have to remember multiple passwords, constantly move their bankroll, or get used to several different betting platforms.

The problem with this approach is that will ultimately cost you money. A lot of money.

Ask any successful soccer bettor out there which site they are using, and they will list AT LEAST two or three different sites.

There are many reasons for that, so I decided to dedicate this post to the reasons why you need to use more than one soccer betting site.

By the time you complete this article, you will understand exactly how much of a difference it makes to your long-term results.

Please note that I’ve based this post on soccer primarily because that’s my favorite sport to bet on. It’s also the world’s most popular sport for betting on. However, most, if not all, of the reasons for using multiple betting sites apply to betting on any sport.

Getting Higher Odds

This is the most obvious example of why you should use more than one soccer betting site.

While the prices at most online bookmakers will be close most of the time, they won’t often be exactly the same. By shopping around, you can make sure you get the best possible price for each and every one of your wagers.

Even getting odds just a fraction higher can be the difference between winning and losing money in the long run.

Getting the best odds is especially important when betting on the most popular soccer leagues and tournaments.

It’s hard to win big betting on competitions such as the English Premier League, the Spanish La Liga, and the UEFA Champions League. Even the most successful bettors rarely have more than a 5% return on investment (ROI) from completions of this caliber, so every extra bit of value really counts.

These bettors would likely break even or even be behind if they used only one soccer betting site and didn’t always take the best prices on the market.

If the expert bettors out there are in such a position, imagine what a difference it makes to the more recreational bettors.

The bottom line is that you really should be using more than one gambling site, and you should be spending a couple minutes checking for the highest price each time you bet. It’s too important (and valuable) to neglect.

Getting More Promotions

The second major benefit of using multiple gambling sites for soccer betting is that you can get a lot of extra value through promotions.

Since soccer is one of the most popular sports out there, most gambling sites are pushing hard to acquire new users and retain them. As a result, you’ll find a lot of special deals on offer from the moment you sign up.

For a start, you’ll almost always be able to boost your bankroll by clearing the first-deposit bonuses and/or using the free bets that are typically given away to new customers.

New customer offers tend to be the most generous promotions, so signing up with multiple sites is an excellent (and relatively easy) way to get some instant extra value.

It’s not only about welcome deals, though. Many online sportsbooks and bookmakers have various promos for existing customers. There are loyalty programs, exclusive offers for big games, and loads of other ways to earn extra cash.

If you have access to a few different sites, you can easily follow what’s on the table and take full advantage of those bonuses. The additional income you can earn will have a great impact on your long-term results.

No Issue with Limits

This one is a bit specific, as it mostly concerns long-term winners and people who bet on minor soccer leagues that are not that popular.

Even if you are not in the second group, you surely want to become part of the first one, so I recommend you consider what I’m about to say.

For various reasons, you may be limited by your bookmaker when it comes to the maximum stakes you can place. You could be a proven winner, which many gambling sites don’t like, or simply work with leagues and markets that a site is reluctant to accept large sums of money for.

The point is, you might struggle to bet as much as you would want to. Obviously, this is a much bigger deal if you are only using one site.

Once you are limited at that site, you can’t really do much. Although there are a few preventative measures you can take, when the limits have been set, you’re pretty much powerless.

You can try speaking to a trader to get your limits increased, but you’ll need to make a very strong case for why that should happen.

A much easier solution is simply to make sure you have accounts at a few different sites. Then, if you do get limited at one site, you’ll still have other options for getting your bets on.

No Dependence on One Company

There are many reasons why you might like a certain betting site one day and get disappointed on the next one.

The management might change, for example, and you may no longer feel quite so comfortable using the site. Or maybe the user interface gets updated to a version that doesn’t fit your needs. Maybe the odds start getting worse, or the promotions become less valuable.

If you are using only one online bookmaker, this means you have to start researching alternative options, open a new account, and go through all the boring procedures related to the pursuit of the right gambling site again.

That can be time-consuming, and there’s always a risk that you might make a mistake and pick an option that’s unreliable or doesn’t fit your needs, especially if you’re in a hurry to join a new site to get a specific wager on.

This is not a big deal if you have a couple of ready options, though. Your betting routine won’t be disrupted, as it won’t depend solely on one website that might close or change overnight. You’ll simply go to the other bookmakers you already use, and then it’s business as usual.

How to Pick Your Soccer Betting Sites

There are tons of online bookmakers out there, and most of them offer soccer.

It can be a bit tricky to find the best options for your needs, but our team of experts has prepared a list of recommended soccer betting sites that are of exceptional quality. Take a closer look at them here.

You will not only find a bunch of reliable bookies but also a detailed explanation of the process used to select them. This includes a step-by-step evaluation of multiple important criteria such as reliability, odds and betting markets, promotions, and many more.

I encourage you to take a look so that you can rest assured that you will be picking from some of the best betting platforms in the industry.

Additional Advice for Managing Multiple Accounts

By this point in, you probably understand why using more than one bookmaker to bet on soccer is pretty much essential. It offers many advantages and is a great way to help maximize the value you get when betting.

I’ve also pointed you in the direction of the best sites you can join, so you are almost ready to start signing up at multiple sites and enhancing your betting experience.

However, there are a couple of tips and tricks that will make your life easier. They will help you manage your accounts efficiently without wasting time and money.

Login Credentials

People have different strategies here, and many actually use the same email, username, and password for each soccer betting site. I wouldn’t recommend doing this. If someone steals your login information, ALL of your accounts will be compromised.

This is why it’s a good idea to use different and secure passwords. If you are like me and can’t remember stuff like that, you could create a password-protected file on your computer. This way, you will only have to remember one password that will give you access to the rest.

Of course, you could use software for password management as well. There are many different options online.

When it comes to the username, there’s no harm in selecting the same one everywhere, and it’s much more convenient that way. The same applies to the email address you use, but I would recommend you create a separate one for your betting needs for a couple of reasons.

First of all, the chance of someone stealing your credentials is much lower.

Second, online betting sites tend to send various promotional emails with details of special offers and bonuses you may be entitled to. Having an email account that is dedicated solely for use at betting sites will make it easier to keep track of these communications and prevent you from missing out on more extra value.

Bankroll

One of the most important things about using multiple sites is related to the way you move your money. You never know which sites will have the best odds for your chosen wagers, which will offer the markets you want to bet on, and which will have the most attractive offers and promotions.

With this in mind, it’s important to be prepared for all eventualities. My advice to you is to have at least some funds at each site. Ideally enough to cover a few bets at your normal stakes, and more at any site that you use frequently.

The rest of your money should be kept aside and ready to deposit wherever you may need it. I would recommend that you pick an e-wallet like PayPal or Skrill, as you can keep the majority of your bankroll there and separate from your day-to-day money.

E-wallets also allow for quick deposits and withdrawals at betting sites, and you can also easily transfer funds to and from your bank account whenever you need to.

Our list of recommended soccer betting sites includes bookmakers that support the leading e-wallets. Please be aware, however, that not all e-wallets are available in all regions. This means you may have to rely on other payment methods.

For this reason, it’s important to check the range of banking options when choosing which gambling sites to join. You should ensure that there’s at least one option that will enable you to make deposits and withdrawals quickly and painlessly.

Betting Routine

Finally, I’ll share my simple but efficient routine. I check the odds on one site first so that I can see the general picture. Once I’m done with my analysis and have found the value in the odds, I move on to the next step.

I already know all the ongoing promotions that are offered on the sites I use, so I instantly have an idea of if I can get some additional value. You probably won’t be in such a position at the start, so make sure to visit the promo page of your bookie and take a quick look to see if a bonus is available.

The last step of my process is to check the prices at every single site. As soon as I know what the odds are and if there are any potential bonuses, free bets, or other deals, I go for the best option.

This is not rocket science, and it works well.

Final Words

If you consider yourself a recreational player and simply want to place a bet every now and then, it’s not the end of the world to stick with a single bookmaker.

However, if you want to have a chance to make some money, you should definitely sign up for at least a couple of reliable soccer betting sites. The benefits are too good to miss.

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