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Course Book FAQs

Possibly the most valuable book about betting you will ever buy.

Navigating the Course

Content & Applicability

The methods taught in the course book can be applied to other sports, as long as they involve countable events and data is available, making these techniques versatile and adaptable across various disciplines.

Examples of other sports that meet these criteria include basketball, baseball, and hockey. You can find data for these sports on websites like sports-reference.com or Kaggle.

The course is designed to provide you with essential, fundamental knowledge needed to understand odds calculation and the bookmaker market.

It aims to introduce the subject of odds calculation to punters, covering a range of statistical methods, distributions, graphs, financial terminology, and more, to show how professionals (such as bookmakers) set their odds.

Steps of academic education

To gain a better understanding of the Odds Calculation Course, please refer to the image above.

The course is created specifically to cater to individuals who are beginning their study in the field. The mathematical and conceptual content taught in the course would be suitable for students pursuing a theoretical ‘betting degree’ program at the Bachelor’s level, if such a program existed.

However, using the Cluster Tables properly and to their full potential is at the ‘Master’s’ level. Like any degree, you first need to attain Bachelor status before attempting a Master’s degree.

Learning can be challenging for many people, and you’ll need to work thoroughly through the course until you fully understand everything. You must thoroughly understand the fundamentals of bookmaking (e.g., odds calculation) before you can use that knowledge to your advantage. Like everything worthwhile in life, it takes time.

Here’s a comment from a statistician who reviewed the course book before we put it on sale:

“Overall, I think the book is an excellent introduction to the subject. It is very compelling that the bookmaker odds are based so clearly on the statistics, not the minute details that fans are so focused on. How close the fair odds calculations come to the actual posted odds is really striking. I can see why it is so eye-opening for the casual bettor.

Just as an aside, probably four different times, I tried to jump ahead and not do some portion of the earlier exercises because I was convinced I knew the probability calculations already. 

And even though I did, I still found I really needed to work through everything methodically if I wanted to fully understand it. I bet other readers will probably try to do the same thing! However, my advice is to go through everything slowly and steadily; it is very well laid out, and each piece builds on the next, just as it is intended to.”

Therefore, yes, you should really consider purchasing the course book if you want to fully understand and make the most of the Cluster Tables.

We assume that you have a basic knowledge of mathematical operations and algebraic symbols, like ‘x’, ‘y’, and the summation sign.

Additionally, we expect that you understand fundamental concepts like finding the square root of a number or squaring a number, or at least know how to use a calculator for these operations.

If you find some concepts challenging or need a refresher, the course book provides thorough explanations and footnotes with additional learning resources.

The teachings in the course are applicable to any professional football (soccer) league in the world, as long as data is available.

Data can be collected from websites like football-data.co.uk, which provide match results, statistics, and other relevant information for various leagues.

The method taught in the book primarily focuses on goal distribution and standard deviation, and how this knowledge can be used to estimate future distributions for Over/Under betting.

While the course book will help you understand other types of bets and provide a starting point, it does not offer a comprehensive blueprint for calculating probabilities for other bet types like 1×2, Asian Handicap, or Correct Score.

These bet types require additional data, more complex models, and a deeper understanding of advanced formulas and concepts.

Absolutely! The principles and techniques are transferable to any football league worldwide.

International soccer tournaments like the World Cup or the European Championship typically have a limited number of matches, which means there is less data available for analysis.

As a result, the strategies in the book may not be as effective for these types of tournaments.

The course book, along with the supplementary Cluster Table for studying and any other Cluster Tables, is intended for your personal use only. Please respect that, like any business, a steady income stream is necessary to support our educational efforts.

However, you are free to share the knowledge you gain from the course. None of the concepts, algorithms, or mathematical formulas are protected. In fact, they are published under the CC BY-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike) license, which means that you can share and adapt the ideas and concepts freely, as long as the original source is acknowledged.

Should you decide to further develop any ideas and concepts from the course book, please keep in mind that the CC BY-SA license stipulates that any derivative works created from the original content must also be published under the same CC BY-SA license. This ensures that the shared knowledge remains open and freely accessible to all.

While the course primarily focuses on the Over/Under Goals market, the skills you learn can serve as a foundation for understanding other bet types.

More course books in the “Fundamentals of Sports Betting” series are planned, covering topics like 1×2 betting, Asian Handicap, and in-play betting.

The Over/Under Goals market is the starting point because it is the easiest betting market for teaching statistics and maths without needing more advanced formulas and concepts.

We don’t offer the course in any other odds format than European odds.

Most calculations are carried out using probabilities (percentages), which can easily be converted into fractional odds or any other odds format.

For more information on understanding different odds formats, including fractional odds, check out our article on Understanding Betting Odds – Moneyline, Fractional Odds, Decimal Odds, Hong Kong Odds, IN Odds, and MA Odd

Mastering the Art of Sports Betting

Completion & Support

It’s difficult to provide a specific timeframe, as it depends on your prior knowledge of statistics and math, as well as your learning style and dedication to the exercises.

The course book is thorough, teaching you how bookmakers calculate odds and enabling you to do the same for market price comparisons. It’s not a quick course but rather an in-depth learning experience.

Calculating odds yourself is important in sports betting because it allows you to determine the probability of a bet outcome and assess whether the odds offered by bookmakers contain value.

By comparing the calculated odds with the market odds, you can identify over- or under-priced bets and make informed decisions. This knowledge and understanding of probabilities and odds calculation are crucial for betting success, as it can help prevent losses and increase the chances of making a profit.

Without these skills, bettors are more likely to lose money due to poor decision-making and a lack of insight into the true probabilities of events.

For a more detailed explanation, read our dedicated article: Are Betting Odds Worthwhile Calculating? Are Betting Odds Always Fair?

This course book is essentially a beginner’s statistics course that uses football betting as a context for teaching maths and statistics, such as setting odds and comparing prices.

Prior experience in sports betting is not necessary, but we do assume that most readers have some basic familiarity with statistics, such as understanding terms like ‘mean’ or ‘median’, working with graphs, and recognizing probability distributions.

We strive to provide high-quality products that cater to our customers’ needs, but due to the nature of downloadable digital content, we cannot accept returns or offer refunds for products that have been downloaded. 

However, as long as you haven’t downloaded the course book, you have a 28-day cancellation period and the right to a full refund.

If you have made a genuine mistake and need a refund or exchange, please contact us and provide a detailed description of the issue you’re experiencing. In most cases, we can offer an exchange for another product or provide a discount code for future purchases.

This course is designed for people with little odds calculation knowledge and basic Excel skills, but it may be challenging for those who have struggled with math in the past.

Take your time, read each chapter multiple times, practice, and attempt all the exercises. The course doesn’t provide shortcuts; all calculations must be done manually.

Once you master the concepts, you’ll likely develop a more efficient method. If you need help, feel free to ask specific questions on this FAQ page.

Yes, the course book uses the 2014-15 German Bundesliga Cluster tables and was written in 2016. Numerous matches are analysed in detail throughout the course, accompanied by exercises and other practical examples.

You can find reviews and testimonials on the course book’s product page, as well as throughout the Soccerwidow.com website. Users have generally reported positive experiences with the course, noting its depth and practicality.

You can ask questions at the bottom of this page or in the comment section of any article on our Soccerwidow blog. Our response will be sent directly to your inbox, so there’s no need to keep checking back.

Alternatively, visit our Contact Us page for more information.

To track your progress and performance, it’s essential to maintain a detailed record of your bets, including your stakes, odds, outcomes, and profits or losses. This can be done through spreadsheets or dedicated betting software.

Regularly reviewing and analysing your betting history will help you refine your strategies, identify strengths and weaknesses, and make necessary adjustments to improve your results.

Yes, the course is useful for in-play value betting as you can apply the knowledge of calculating probabilities to both half-time and full-time goals markets.

For example, you can back matches with a high probability of scoring during the first half by betting on Over 2.5 goals before kick-off and then laying them as soon as the first goal has been scored. We will address this topic in more detail in an upcoming article.

We don’t rely on mere “theories”; instead, we educate the public about bookmaker mathematics – an approach that has proven successful for bookmakers themselves.

We don’t disclose our personal earnings, but we have published results of past value betting exploits in our match preview archive. These articles include previews, math, and statistics, illustrating our approach’s effectiveness.

Unleashing Your Betting Potential

Course, Updates, and Tools

The course comes in PDF format, and you require Acrobat Reader to read it or an alternative such as Foxit Reader.

The table for studying is an XLS 97-2003 workbook and is compatible with Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet applications like LibreOffice Calc and Google Sheets.

We are fully aware that most of our readers are more interested in the EPL than the Bundesliga. However, the average punter is strongly influenced by their opinion and ‘knowledge’ about their own supported league. 

We chose a more neutral league for the course to minimize the influence of gut feelings and emotions. The Bundesliga is well-known, widely covered by bookmakers, and less emotionally connected for the majority of our English-speaking audience.

Although the course book itself doesn’t require frequent updates, as the formulas, statistical concepts, and financial measurements are timeless, we occasionally update and release a new edition.

Existing buyers will be notified and offered a substantial discount for the new edition when it becomes available.

For working through the course book and understanding its concepts, there aren’t any additional costs or requirements to purchase anything.

However, after finishing the course, you may be interested in purchasing Cluster Tables for other leagues. Please check the shop. They are sold on a prorated first renewal/yearly subscription basis.

As soon as your payment has been processed, you will be directed to a download page where you can access your purchased products immediately.

You will also receive an email with download links for the products as a backup. Once downloaded, you can enjoy your new products!

The tables in the Excel file are fully automated. Simply select a team from the list in the ‘Betting Tables’ tab, and every calculation in the workbook will update automatically based on that team’s stats.

The course provides a more detailed explanation of how this works and what the numbers mean.

The course is available as a PDF, which guarantees immediate delivery and provides flexibility and ease of access for users.

However, if you prefer a printed version, the PDF has been professionally optimized for double-sided printing.

To create a physical copy, you can use your own printer (if it prints double-sided) or visit a local copy shop. The document is ready for printing without any further formatting required.

The first page serves as the cover page, which you can print on cardstock if you prefer. After printing, add a binding of your choice to complete your printed version of the course.

You don’t need the Value Calculator to understand the course; therefore, the VC is not supplied with the course.

The course aims to enable learners to create their own Excel applications tailored to their needs. Empowering learners to think for themselves is one of our core principles. After completing the course, you should be able to build a Value Calculator yourself if your Excel skills are sufficient.

The course comes in an electronic format, and the bundle includes the course book (PDF) and a Bundesliga cluster table (Excel) for the examples.

In addition, you can choose at checkout to purchase a 50% discounted current Cluster Table of any other league.

The course aims to enable learners to create their own Excel applications tailored to their needs. Empowering learners to think for themselves is one of our core principles. After completing the course, you should be able to build a Value Calculator, or anything of that kind, yourself if your Excel skills are good enough.

In the course, we explain how the ‘Value Calculator’ works and what the calculations mean in terms of Over/Under bets. The VC also contains the estimated fair odds for a wide range of other bet types such as FT and HT 1×2, Correct Scores, HT/FT, and many more.

However, if you find that you’re unable to create a Value Calculator on your own, you can purchase the ready-made solution from our website. Here’s a link to the sales page: True Odds & Value Detector: League Games with H2H History. This tool will help you identify value bets and calculate fair odds for various betting markets, making it an invaluable resource for your sports betting endeavors.

Unlocking Betting Success

Strategies, Ethics, and Results

If you have diligently worked through the course, completed all exercises, and understood everything, then yes. 

You should have developed your personal strategy by the end of the course, enabling you to make a profit in reality after many weeks of practice exercises.

Yes, absolutely. The gambling industry largely relies on the ignorance of its customers. This course aims to equip readers with the essential knowledge required to understand the bookmaker market. 

We teach descriptive statistics, allowing readers to examine data sets, calculate their own probabilities and odds, analyse market odds, and make informed decisions when predicting football results. 

Many misconceptions held by the majority of gamblers and football fans about betting will be debunked. If factors like team news, injuries, suspensions, and recent form were relevant for setting odds, how would bookmakers who publish their prices weeks in advance stay in business?

The course teaches you to calculate odds for Over/Under goal bets and compare them with odds on any platform. You are not limited to any specific bookmaker or betting platform.

However, you may realise during the course that your preferred bookmaker may rarely offer odds in your favour, prompting you to consider changing your betting platform.

Managing risk in sports betting is crucial to long-term success. Here are a few key tips to help you control your losses and protect your bankroll:

Set a budget: Decide how much you’re willing to risk and allocate that amount as your betting bankroll. Never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Use a staking plan: Implement a staking plan to determine the optimal bet size based on your bankroll, the odds, and your perceived edge. This can help you maintain a disciplined approach and minimize the impact of losing streaks.

Diversify your bets: Spread your bets across multiple games, leagues, and betting markets to reduce the risk of large losses from a single bet.

Keep records: Track your bets, results, and performance over time. Analysing your betting history can help you identify patterns, strengths, and weaknesses in your betting strategies.

Focus on value: Always look for value bets, where the odds offered by bookmakers are higher than your calculated odds. Betting on value consistently can increase your chances of long-term profitability.

Stay disciplined: Stick to your plan and strategies, and avoid making impulsive bets based on emotions or biases. This can help you make more rational decisions and minimize losses.

Continuously learn and adapt: Stay up to date with new strategies, tools, and information to improve your betting skills. Regularly review your performance and adjust your strategies as needed.

The course book provides detailed guidance on these strategies and more, helping you develop a comprehensive approach to managing risk and protecting your bankroll.

The course explains two different approaches to find value bets:

(1) Value Calculator
(2) Cluster grouping with HO/AO quotient

In reality, there are many more methods. However, these two are perfectly adequate and effective. While complexity can be intriguing, solutions should be sought in simplicity. The course provides “simple” answers.

The course focuses on odds calculation and probability determination. It provides many examples and strategies, but these only represent a fraction of the numerous strategies available to tackle the market.

The course aims to teach you to think independently and develop your own strategy. Therefore, you do not need to follow any strategies or methods ‘exactly’ as described in the course book.

The moral side is an important question. The intention of Soccerwidow is to educate people about gambling. We strive to teach everything there is to know about gambling, as we firmly believe that the more knowledgeable people become, the more informed decisions they will make.

We genuinely believe that those who purchase our products and read our articles will either evolve into more successful punters (winners) or reduce or even cease their betting activities altogether.

There are many qualities required to be a successful bettor, and unfortunately, not everyone possesses them or can/will ever attain them.

If we can guide you down either path, then that is the achievement we are striving for. It’s our own way of combating gambling addiction; we help people improve and succeed or face the reality and quit their habit, saving money and freeing up time for family and friends.

This is a question that likely interests many readers and appears on the blog occasionally. 

Firstly, the course is not a ‘system’. It is a ‘simple’ math book (at least for us) that covers topics such as statistics, probability theory, and standard deviations, which odds compilers use when calculating their odds. 

Secondly, there are plenty of people who teach financial analysis without ever professionally trading shares. If every professionally trained person were to trade, there would be no teachers. And without teachers, where would we be? 

Thirdly, a day has only 24 hours, and we need to sleep too. We run two websites (Soccerwidow and Fussballwitwe), which require a significant amount of time to maintain. Everyone must decide what they want to do in life. We manage websites, write courses, and develop betting tools. When we have time, we occasionally place a bet or two, but that’s our personal business – betting itself is purely a hobby for us.

Should you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comment section. We are always happy to provide prompt and informative replies, typically within 24 hours.

If your query is particularly intriguing, it may even inspire an article on our main site! Your valuable perspective is just a comment away.

Embrace curiosity without fear, for it's the unasked question that stands in the way of progress.
Elena: Soccerwidow, real photo, not stock
Soccerwidow
Founder
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