The internet is packed with sites desperate to sell you a foolproof betting system. These are the last resort of the desperate – if a system was so good why would anybody want or need to pass it on?
Loopholes are always closed quickly and sure things never really exist, our love of football would come crashing to a halt if they did.
But with a glut of big wins on the field this season, can punters hope to match the successes of their teams?
In 2007, Kathrin Rothman – who claims to know nothing about football – won over £226,000 with a Champions League accumulator by “betting on teams that are strong and winning”.
She did manage to justify a £1,000 stake, which for a uniformed bet might suggest she didn’t really need her winnings.
Those of us with more modest budgets are not restricted from winning big, and we don’t even need to know any Pakistani cricketers.
Mark Simmons, an army chef, won £164,776 in 2002 when an astonishing 18 matches came in for him. Things did get nervy as he waited for Manchester United to find a winner against Everton though, which didn’t come until the 86th minute of the final match in the accumulator.
The better part of £200,000 goes a long way towards replacing a carpet worn bare by pacing.
So, can we get involved in the kind of winnings that Kathrin and Mark enjoyed? It takes more luck than judgment, but can be done especially with the number of online sports betting sites about these days.
Still, if broken and expensive systems teach us anything it’s that betting small and winning big is the only way to beat the bookies. Start with free bets at freebets.com.