Season 28 Technique Toughness Balance ©Dreamgoal AB, 2005. All rights reserved.
	2010 World Cup – A Gambler’s Dream Whether you call it football or soccer, you can bet that a gambling man will call it money in the bank. Well, that is if the picks are right, of course. Millions of people from around the globe bet on the sport every year, but the bookies and online betting sites are working triple-time every fourth year when the World Cup rolls around. It’s undoubtedly the biggest sporting event on the planet, and many take full advantage and use it to garner a payday. How can you place some bets and make the game work for you? Well, this is quite the paradox. On one hand, understanding how to bet and how to read the lines is simple. Knowing who to pick, on the other hand, is a dilemma all its own and not really something an advice column can help you with. The trick to picking the “winners” isn’t based on knowing much about who’s going to win, but rather who’s destined to lose. You see, if you want to lay big money down on a toss-up match like England vs. the United States next week, then you’re left with a coin flip. But if you want a stronger chance of winning, then it’s about going with the powerhouse teams from the onset. Once the World Cup unfolds and the groups are narrowed down, then you’ll have to really put in your due diligence to place a winning bet. A sample line might look like this: England -182, Draw +230, US +450. England is the favorite here, and it’s not “even money.” Every $1.80 bet on England will only win $1. See how that works? Whereas betting on the US will get you $4.50 for every $1 bet. The “Draw” option is paying $2.30 for every $1 bet. It’s pretty straight forward stuff to understand, you just have to know that favorites won’t pay you even money, and there’s also the possibility of a draw. You’ll find a big favorite in Spain over Switzerland or Brazil over Korea DPR. Betting on hands-down favorites isn’t as lucrative since you’re not getting a full dollar back on a dollar, but it’s infinitely safer in the early rounds. You can build up a nest egg by nickel and diming the lower rounds, and then you can stretch in the latter rounds. However, there’s no “sure” thing here. Even when you play at the best online casino gambling is still gambling. There’s no surefire way to win—save cheating—and that holds true with football. There are ways to increase your odds of winning some money, but if you’re looking for 100%, then this is the wrong business. Pick a few favorites to play it safe and watch the money roll in. You can look at this as a business opportunity and not so much a chance to gamble.