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Guide to betting on Football

The growth of the internet has seen a rise in football betting that has made it the most popular sport for gamblers today. With world leagues being brought under the bookmakers` radar and new and more innovative markets opening all the time, there`s never been a better time to get involved but if you`re new to online betting, how do you begin?

The first thing to do is identify a bookmaker and the good news is that there are plenty to choose from. Most, if not all, will offer you an incentive of a free bet when you open an account and these can be very generous in some cases.

Having opened your account successfully, it`s time to place your first bet and the most popular wager involves speculating on a straight win, lose or draw in any given match. While this type of bet won`t offer the most exciting odds, it`s simple to follow and a good way of getting started.

From this point you can start expanding this bet by predicting two, three or more results and betting on doubles, triples and so on. This increases the odds and the excitement tremendously and it`s popular with new and experienced gamblers alike.

As with all forms of football betting, it`s useful to do some research before the match and you can find form guides on the internet and in most newspapers. Use your skill and judgement to predict what the result will be and place your bets accordingly.

Since the internet boom and the development of online gambling, a wide range of alternative markets has been introduced and you can now gamble on almost every aspect of a football match from the numbers of corners and throw ins to the numbers of red and yellow cards.

Speculating on the number of cards issued by the referee in a game is an interesting bet and with a little research, you can really turn it to your advantage. A passionate derby game could occasionally see a lack of discipline and this could result in a great number of bookings on the day.

However, any match between two sides can carry some ill-feeling for any number of reasons and once again, some research will really help. If a particular fixture has led to a large number of cards being issued in the past, the likelihood is that the trend will continue.

With bookmakers looking for new innovations you can even bet `in play` these days so you can place a stake once a game has kicked off. This form of betting really tests your skill and your ability to judge how a game is unfolding and how it will end up and all the usual forms of bet are available from the result, through to the next goal scorer and beyond.

While the internet has helped the growth in football betting, the rise in televised games has played its part at the same time and the bookmakers are quick to emphasise that a match is more enjoyable if you have a bet on it.

With so many games being played every week you can, with some research and by listening out for football tips, use your skill to make football betting an enjoyable and hopefully lucrative hobby.