| 1. It is based on pure supply and demand without | | | | before the event has started don't have any time |
| outside influences. | | | | delay imposed on the submission of your bets |
| Pre-race prices on the favourite horse are much | | | | meaning that you can read the market and act |
| more tradeable than In Play prices without being as | | | | instantly, taking advantage of small movements and |
| susceptible to outside events as In Play prices are. | | | | price patterns that you recognize. In Play sports |
| When trading an In Play market you cannot safely | | | | markets on the other hand have a five second delay |
| nip in and out of the market stealing single tick | | | | imposed on all bet submissions. You may see short |
| profits and doing scratch trades without the danger | | | | term price patterns but you are powerless to exploit |
| that the price can suddenly scream off in one | | | | them because of the restrictions in place to protect |
| direction when, for instance, a goal is scored. Pre-race | | | | the slow. And even worse, once you have submitted |
| trading on the other hand is much safer and allows | | | | your bet and are going through the five second delay |
| you to do just that without worrying that all your | | | | you cannot cancel that bet submission until the full |
| hard work in scalping the price will be wiped out by | | | | five seconds is up. Five seconds may not sound like a |
| an event totally out of your control. The beauty of | | | | long time but in a fast market it can seem like an |
| scalping the favourite's price before the race is that | | | | eternity and something that I have always found |
| there is nothing actually happening. The price still | | | | extremely frustrating on the occasional times I give |
| moves about enough to make money due to the | | | | In Play another go. |
| lack of confidence in horseracing's integrity, but the | | | | 5. There is no need to watch delayed pictures on TV. |
| price won't suddenly scream off in one direction by | | | | Not needing to know anything about the horse or |
| several full points. | | | | the horserace means that the scalper can trade |
| 2. Pre-race trading is less volatile allowing for bigger | | | | away without being reliant on watching the television |
| stakes. | | | | for his information. The In Play trader needs to |
| Being volatile enough to make money on but not to | | | | watch the game or match unfold on the screen and |
| volatile that it can wipe you out means that you can | | | | this brings in the added problems of more delays for |
| safely put bigger amounts of money on each trade | | | | him because sports pictures on television aren't live. |
| when pre race trading. Bigger stake sizes make the | | | | Sports pictures on TV can be delayed from |
| small single and double tick profits well worth having, | | | | anywhere from a few seconds for the fastest |
| and the small size of these profits make them very | | | | channels up to as much as 20 seconds for pictures |
| attainable at all times on every race. The scalper | | | | shown over the internet for instance. Not only does |
| doesn't have to correctly predict what's going to | | | | this mean that some people are behind others but it |
| happen in a sports game and then correctly position | | | | means that all In Play traders that aren't watching |
| himself to make money, he can make money every | | | | the event live are seeing and reacting to the game |
| 2 minutes without anything needing to happen. | | | | several seconds behind those that are watching the |
| 3. It is consistent enough to make a living from. | | | | game live and who are also trading on Betfair. |
| The nature of these small profits and the frequency | | | | Combined with the five second delay on bet |
| with which a good trader can make them means that | | | | submissions the In Play trader is limited to longer |
| it is far more stable and realistic a prospect to make | | | | term position plays on his opinion of the game |
| a living from scalping pre race prices on the favourite | | | | because the mechanics of In Play trading make any |
| than it is to make a living from trading on your | | | | short term scalping impossible. |
| opinions of sports matches. And not only are scalping | | | | 6. There is no need for any knowledge of sports, |
| profits generally much more consistent than sports | | | | ignorance of horseracing is an advantage. |
| trading profits, but also the frequency and times of | | | | Scalping of the favourite's price before the race has |
| the markets themselves are more regular and | | | | started doesn't require any knowledge of that horse |
| consistent. Sports games and matches can happen at | | | | or even horseracing in general. As the race hasn't yet |
| all times of the day, with some days being busy and | | | | started it's the other traders and gamblers that the |
| others having nothing worth trading on. Depending on | | | | scalper is trying to predict, not what the horse is |
| the time of the year there may be days or even | | | | likely to do or not do. In Play trading, however, you |
| weeks at a time when a sports trader has nothing of | | | | are trying to predict how the game or match will |
| any quality to trade on, making it very difficult to rely | | | | unfold and so requires a lot more knowledge of the |
| on for a living. UK horseracing on the other hand is | | | | sport involved. |
| about as regular as any job could be. 7 days a week | | | | 7. Watching sports can be boring. |
| for 3 hours at the same time everyday you've got | | | | I don't know about you, but I'd rather be trying to |
| 20 volatile, liquid, 2 sided markets settling one after | | | | figure out short term price movements that I can |
| the other in 10 minute intervals. | | | | exploit immediately than watching endless soccer, |
| 4. There is no five second delay on bet submissions. | | | | tennis and cricket matches one after the other trying |
| And the mechanics of scalping the favourite's price | | | | to guess the outcome. |
| are better than in Play trading. Betfair markets | | | | |