Keeping your Matched Betting accounts healthy

Andrea

12 Jun 2020

Updated: 24 Feb 2023

One of the most frequent questions we get asked from those relatively new to matched betting is “how do I keep my betting accounts healthy and prevent myself from being gubbed?”

The first thing we’d recommend to do, if you haven’t already, is to have a read through our first great article on this topic: “Top Tips to Avoid Being Gubbed”. It includes a rundown on what it means to be gubbed, 11 ways to avoid being gubbed and why it’s not the end of the world if you do get gubbed!

Then head back here where we’re going to into a little bit more detail about some other ways you can avoid being gubbed – especially at key bookmakers for matched betting.


5 More Ways to Avoid Being Gubbed

(Again, the first 11 ways are here if you didn’t take a look yet)

Before we look at some more ways you can avoid being gubbed we’d like to emphasize that there is no guaranteed method or methods to avoid being gubbed. These are all just ways that may help prevent your accounts from being restricted that we’ve either used ourselves or picked up on the ‘grapevine’ as it were. Even if you do everything possible to avoid getting gubbed it can still happen – but by following our tips we hope it will delay it happening as long as possible.

#12 – If you have the bankroll available, sometimes deposit more than the minimum required

Similar to tip #6, mixing up your stakes, where we mention that betting more than the minimum required can look good on your account, depositing more than the minimum required can also look good too.

If you’re getting started with a small matched betting bankroll this might not be possible for you to do at first. Don’t worry. As you grow your profits and your bankroll you can start doing this as and when you can. Lots of punters (those betting normally) start with small deposit amounts then increase them slowly.

You basically just want to avoid ALWAYS depositing the bare minimum just to complete an offer. Vary it up a bit and use any extra deposit money for placing a mug bet or two.

#13 – Sometimes use higher odds for Qualifying Bets and Mug Bets, and slightly lower odds for Free Bets

In our article ‘The Best Odds to Use for Matched Betting” we briefly discussed, among some other useful tips, how for account health and maintaining a good betting profile at a bookmaker, that it’s often worth varying the odds you use for Qualifying Bets, Free Bets and Mug Bets when you can. This is especially worthwhile doing once you’ve really got the hang of the basics of Matched Betting, have built up your bankroll a bit and are confident using our Oddsmatching software (Platinum Members can refer to ‘The Oddsmatcher – Getting More Advanced’ tutorial here for help here).

Long story short is that you basically do not want your betting profiles to just look like this:

Qualifying Bet: 1.60

Free Bet: 6.0

Qualifying Bet: 1.53

Free Bet: 7.0

Qualifying Bet: 1.67

Free Bet: 6.5

But more along the lines of:

Qualifying Bet: 2.60

Free Bet: 4.20

Qualifying Bet: 3.50

Mug Bet: 5.00

Free Bet: 6.50

Qualifying Bet: 3.80

Free Bet: 5.50

Mug Bet: 3.80

Again, there is no ‘perfect’ betting profile we can show you that will ensure you won’t get gubbed – but we can be fairly sure that not standing out like a sore thumb with the first profile above is a good way to go!

The added benefit of doing Qualifying and Mug matched bets at higher odds is that they are also more likely to then ‘win’ at the betting exchange – which makes us look like ‘losers’ in the bookmakers eyes and leaves us with lots of liability in our exchange too.

#14 – Use Free Bets and Qualifying Bets in-play, especially when you don’t have to

Punters LOVE in-play betting and this is a useful thing for us to take advantage of in matched betting in order to keep our accounts healthy. We already mentioned in-play betting in a previous tip but felt it to be so important that it was worth telling you again!

If the ONLY time you bet in-play is for the purpose of an offer then it’s definitely worth rectifying this if you can. If for example William Hill send you a private email with a standard bet and get offer, if you are able to and have the time why not try do both bets in-play? Follow our in-play betting guide and you’ll be sure to still make a decent profit whilst also keeping your account looking healthy.

#15 – Combine a Free Bet with a Mug Bet sometimes

This tactic can’t be done at every bookmaker but is worthwhile doing at ones where you can do it, such as Sky Bet. Basically it involves using a Free Bet and a Mug Bet on the same bet at the bookmaker all in one go. You still lay both off in the same way you normally would.

Here’s a quick example.

At Sky Bet you have a £5 free bet to use, so you go ahead as normal and find a suitable bet to do using our Oddsmatching Tool.

When your betslip is ready at Sky Bet though, as well as selecting to use your £5 free bet, you are also going to input an additional £5 to do a Mug Bet at the same time. The total bet at Sky Bet will now be £10.

You are then going to lay these two bets off at the exchange as you normally would have done had you done them as two separate £5 bets. First you use the calculator in Free Bet (SNR) mode and lay off the £5 Free bet, then the calculator in normal mode and lay off the £5 Mug Bet too.

#16 – Punt (or gamble) a Free Bet every now and again

For this tactic we’d only recommend

  • starting to use it once you’re happily making regularly monthly profits with Matched Betting and have a decent bankroll built up;
  • doing it on your best and most profitable bookmaker accounts for matched betting;
  • using free bet amounts of £5 or less as you’re most likely going to lose it – don’t throw away more than you have to;
  • doing it once in every 8-10 free bets roughly, or even less frequently if you prefer. If you’re back bets have all been losing at a bookmaker recently for example then perhaps wait until you’re in a run where they all seem to be winning at the bookmaker before you do this.

Also, if you’re going to use this tactic use the free bet on a ‘Request a Bet’ style bet or similar combination, same-game multi bet. Basically on a bet that could definitely not be layed off anywhere at a betting exchange.

Finally, always be absolutely certain that you’ve selected to use the free bet in the betslip rather than your own money as otherwise you will lose money. Only ever use free bets for this otherwise you’re gambling!


Want to know more about Matched Betting?

Why not ask our members yourself?

Our Facebook Group, which currently has over 29,000 members is a great place to get answers and ask for help, especially if you are completely new to Matched Betting.

Also read about Oddsmatcher


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