One email I get often from newbies asks the question “What is the best sport for Betfair trading?”. This usually goes on to translate into “What is the easiest sport to trade on Betfair?” and also “What is the most profitable trading sport on Betfair?”.

I am not quite sure how you can define a sport being more “profitable” then the other as you can make money out of any sport.

There is also no “Best” trading sport on Betfair as everyone will be different. Could I advise a Cricket enthusiast to start trading football? Or vice versa? It really just depends on you, your own interests and also the time of the day you regularly have available to trade. I know some who tell me horse racing is the easiest to trade and football the hardest and I know others who will tell me the opposite!

However, I have compiled a list of the best sports for trading on Betfair and a few pros and cons of each.

This could prove useful if you are new to Betfair but also for those considering giving other sports a go.

 Football Trading

Football trading is probably now the most popular form of trading on Betfair (it used to be horse racing). This is because it is also the most popular sport rather then because it is the easiest to trade. The good thing about trading football is that most matches are on at evenings and weekends. This means that is very realistic to trade football profitably and still keep a regular job also and I know plenty who do just that. My view on trading football is that those who do best at it usually know the sport very well and can read matches in-play too. Those who think they can trade football successfully without following or even watching the sport are usually in for a big shock.

 Tennis Trading

There are some traders making huge amounts from Tennis Trading.

The upside with tennis trading is the sheer volume of matches available to trade. If you were considering going full time then you can usually find wall to wall tennis to trade at most hours of the day. If you can begin trading tennis successfully then you can scale up your stakes pretty easily also as the markets are very liquid.

With tennis trading, reading the match is a vital skill and it can take time to develop that. Most people who take up tennis trading only do so because they heard about the money that can be made rather then a love for the sport. There is nothing wrong with this but it does mean that these same people are just as quick to give it up when they do not see instant success.

For those who are new to Tennis Trading then Total Tennis Trading is a good course for beginners but it is also important to build up experience of the markets also as you will not turn pro overnight!

 Racing Trading (Pre-race)

This used to be the “holy grail” of Betfair trading with lot’s of the early traders making good easy money from trading horse racing before the race started. As software developed it meant that those who hold the edge are usually those who have the best set ups. It is still possible to be profitable at this side of trading as the recent interview with Caan Berry proved however I would say it is probably the hardest skill of all to master.

The upside is that if you can crack it then you can have a good way of making your living. The markets are usually open from mid day to around 5pm which means you will only be working for a few hours per day and that certainly beats the rat race!

The biggest plus about trading racing is that knowledge of the horses and the sport in general is not as crucial as it is with other sports.

 Cricket Trading

Cricket trading is a fast up and coming way to trade on Betfair.

The T20 markets are full of huge amounts of liquidity and they are liquid for a reason. There are plenty of traders making full time money from Cricket Trading with Mark Iverson one of the most well known and a good friend of this very site.

The upside of Cricket trading seems to be that if you know your stuff then it is a sport that is easy to profit from. The downside being that most average punters do not understand Cricket very well and, like tennis, it will take them time to learn. Also, it is not a sport that is on daily with only the t20 matches, test matches and ODI matches being the most tradeable. You should also consider the huge amount of time that ODI and test matches take to complete. Some matches go on for the whole day. This is great if you love the sport but if you are in it just for the money it can be off putting. T20 is the best format at matches are no longer then 3 hours and have lot’s of market swings and drama.

 Darts Trading

This is a strong up and coming sport to trade and if you know your stuff there is lots of easy money to be made on it. It is still quite a fresh market and the “shrewd” punters have not yet entered it so the prices bounce all over the place.

This is definitely a sport worth learning from a trading perspective the only gripe is that it is only on at certain times of the year with just a handful of big tournaments worth trading. You certainly can not go full time with Darts trading alone.

US Sports Trading

It is a similar situation with sports like Basketball and NFL. These markets are still quite fresh on Betfair and the sharp traders are not as interested just yet. This is probably due to the late nights that these sports usually take place for us. If you work a 9-5 job then staying up late might not be worth your while but if you are freelance or do shift work you should definitely investigate trading on Betfair past 11pm as there are some great opportunities in these sports. As many know, Cassini @ Green All Over trades these markets very well and is also in the Premium Charge zone as a result of the profits he has made.

Overall

My view on Betfair Trading overall these days is that the more you know a sport, the better you will do. The days of being able to trade blindly are long gone and those who hold the edge are those who can spot the opportunities in-play better then others can.