Betting Review: As important as the preview

How much time do you spend analyzing each match before you place a bet? If you tend to make quick decisions, then a couple of minutes should be enough. If you’re rather meticulous, you might devote around half an hour. Nevertheless, this matters little compared to the time you should spend analyzing every match AFTER it has ended.

When it comes to betting, reviewing a sporting event is as important as previewing it. This is one of the most common mistakes bettors tend to make: Dedicating many hours reading and searching before a match starts and not a single minute after it has ended.

Betting never stops, it’s true. For every won or lost bet, there are thousands others just waiting for you to place a wager. That’s why you won’t find a complete results database on ANY online bookmaker. They don’t want you to focus on what happened, but rather on what’s coming next. However, like in so many other everyday aspects, having glance in the past can help us better predict the future.

Supposed you’ve won a bet only due to sheer luck. The opponent was better, had two shots deflected off the crossbar and lost a penalty. On the other hand, your team managed to score in the opening stages by a fluke and then parked the bus. Now, the question is: Does it matter or not? You won the bet, obviously, this can't change. But what about your future decisions concerning these two teams? Wouldn’t it be more accurate, more precise, if you spent a couple of minutes viewing the match highlights on a short video and wrote down the key points of the match?

Let’s transfer this thought into a different example. Suppose you own a restaurant and every day you buy vegetables, meat, oil, fish; pretty much what is required to prepare the menu. Would you simply check in to collect the money from the cashier? Or would you spend some time to get feedback from your customers regarding the food’s taste, in order to improve your quality?

Professional players who seek making stable profits are keen on thoroughly analyzing past events. Although not well known, this tactic is virtually without flaws. Finding HOW it all happened leads to valuable knowledge, which as the time passes turns into experience and better predictions.

This analysis can also be done by watching the match in play. However this should not act as a means of finding excuses for a lost bet, but rather to prepare your future bets concerning both teams. If you could write down some notes on a simple Notepad sheet, you’d be many steps ahead next time you back or lay one team.

Hard data vs Soft data

There's no reason to write down hard data, like numbers that are easily found on various specialized statistics websites. These are also available at the bookies after the match, while next fixture's odds are derived from them. Try to focus on "soft" data, that can be hard to remember, especially if you like betting on multiple leagues.

What are these “soft” data? For example, you could write down if a team likes to attack from the sides. This is valuable information, as teams attacking from the sides have more chances of winning corners. Do they take their time creating an attack or do they focus around a specific player who acts as the key playmaker? How do their defenders behave under pressure? Do they calmly play the ball out of defence or do they kick it to row z?

This can be an invaluable database of information that can be further enriched every time you watch a live match. Write down what impressed you, even if it may seem irrelevant at the moment. Try to be honest about winning a lucky bet and not too sore after losing a deserved one. Being honest won't harm you in the slightest.

You might think this is just wasting time, especially when it comes to popular leagues. Of course, if you watch FC Barcelona, Manchester United or AC Milan playing every week, you tend to know the ability and playstyle of every player . You might even make a correct estimate about the manager picking a wrong tactic. But, honestly, do you only place bets on these teams? What about Belenenses from Portugal, Excelsior for the Netherlands, Inverness Caledonian from Scotland, Kasimpasa from Turkey? If you like betting on many leagues, you’ve surely come across these teams.

These review notes should act as a helpful guide towards future betting decisions. You should revise them from time to time and trace back to them whenever you’re analyzing a match. Along with the numerical data and latest reports about injuries and suspensions, they should be your map and compass before placing a bet.