There are key signs to look for when you want to end up on the winning side of any game or competition, whether you are on the race track or trying your luck here. Being attentive to certain aspects of the game, the players, and your own predispositions can put you in a better position to come out on top.

No matter what you fancy: horses, poker, blackjack or sports, these are all managed by people, which means that you can study the behavior, training, history and come up with a more on point bet, than if you were to go in blindly.

Now let’s take a look at the most significant aspects when picking a winning bet:

History

Call it pedigree for stallions and mares, or stats for footballers. What got the players there? It is a very important tell on how they will perform when you place your wager. Do your research when you are facing a team you don’t know, pay close attention to details and recent performances. Knowledge is power and money. So, for example: maybe you are looking at a hot rising star in a game, but if you look into their history you see that they choke on the big stage, so you bet against them and win!

News

What is the last thing that happened to your team, horse or card player? Keep up with the latest news surrounding the object of your investment, you can do it by simply adding an alert on your phone or computer that will let you know when updates are available. The research you did combined with updates, paints the bigger picture ahead of you betting. Remember when stakes are high something as ordinary as a change of staff could alter the outcome you were expecting in the long run.

Environment

It’s the week before the race or the game, and there is an aura around the competition that seems to be changing things. When studying the ambiance of a matchup you have to take into consideration, winning streaks, emotional situations and a lot of elements that can transform the mood of an athlete or team. If you haven’t already placed your bet, take into account the mood of the day, and go forth with all your knowledge and maybe a little bit of gut feeling.

Under Dogs

Who doesn’t love them? The ones that lose the bet to them probably. There is really quite nothing like the victory of an underdog, and winning with them is quite exciting as well. It is not usual to say, but being the underdog certainly has its advantages both for the athlete and the one who is betting for them. Putting your investment on the least likely to win can make you a huge winner, but you have to choose wisely, take into consideration all the other factors mentioned before and you just might pick out your own David against Goliath jackpot.

These are just highlighted tips o make your bet count, there are still plenty of surprises to be had when playing. You can make the strongest case for luck to be on your side when you have logic and a reliable system to lean back on.