FAQ

Why should I use Valuechecker?

Valuecheckers mission is to be the premium online resource for odds and betting information for the professional punter.  This means

- extensive odds coverage of all major sports across 25 bookmakers

- simple 1 page event info so you can quickly compare the value of say a win bet versus a handicap bet

- statistical information on previous results

- team information for football matches (on site & through links)

- indicators of good and bad prices based on historic information and market overrounds

- indicators of winners based on tip consensus from the OLBG tipster competition

Where do the tips come from?

The tips come from the OLBG tipster competition.  While there is a mixture of abilaities within these tipsters, it can be useful to identify selections that are popular with the majority of our tipsters.  We wouldnt recommend backing these blindly, but do think they warrant researching.

What is Over-round / Market Value

Over-round is basically the bookmakers profit margin on a market.  For a single bookmaker typically this could be 10% (overround 110%) which means that on average their odds are only 90% of what they would need to be for a fair market.

For example if you are betting on the toss of a coin.  A bookmaker might offer you odds of 1.9 on heads and 1.9 on tails when the true odds are 2.0 for each (even money).  The shortfall is the over-round.

Of course because bookmaker prices vary if you pick the best odds for every selection across a large number of bookmakers then you can reduce this "margin" substantially sometimes even to slightly below 100% (meaning a market that is favourable to you).

Why dont you have First Goal Scorer market ... other markets?

We may add certain additional markets in time but our main focus is on the best value markets and markets that are easier to forecast.  Many of these obscurer markets are very poor value for the punter and hence it goes against our objectives to feature these on the site.

How can I advertise?

We are not looking for advertisers at this time. 

What are Stat Odds / How are Stat Odds Calculated?

Stat odds are the estimated statistical odds for each selection.  This is derived from a calculation based on historical results and varies by each sport and market.

Why are there no Stat Odds?

We are still working on adding data for many of the sports and markets, plus some information is proviing difficult for us to obtain (such as historical half time scores for football needed for HTFT and HT Result markets)

What Is the Value Indicator?

The value indicator is a relative measure that compares the statistical odds we have calculated with the best odds available at the bookmakers.  A high value indicator means that a selection is potentially a good bet, although we would recommend reviewing the basis of the Stat Odds calculation to ensure that it is reliable.

How is the Value Indicator calculated?

The value indicator is calculated based on Kellys Criterion which looks at the estimated probability of success and how significantly it differs from the quoted odds. 

Why are the Exchange odds on Valuechecker less than on the actual site / What does "Exchange Commissions Deducted" mean?

Betting Exchanges charge commission on your winnings.  Hence while it may seem like you are getting odds of 7 on a selection, in fact if you win there will be a deduction of up to 5% from your winnings.  This means effectively that your odds are lower than the initial quote, hence for comparison purposes we have deducted these commissions from the odds we show using the default commission rate.

How do I change the exchange commission deduction?

If you are a regular exchange user and have a lower rate than the default rate then you can adjust this by clicking on the info button next to where the deductions are displayed.

What are Steamers?

Steamers are selections (often horses) whose odds have reduced substantially over a short period.  This can be an indicator that a good performance is expected by many people.  We highlight the top steamers and let you see the hourly price movements.

What are Drifters?

Drifter are selections (often horses) whose odds have increased substantially over a short period.  This can be an indicator that they arent going to do well.  We highlight the top drifters and let you see the hourly price movements.

What are Price Trends?

These show how the average odds for each selection have changed over the previous 24 hours.  If you click on a particular selection you can then examine how the odds at each bookmaker have changed for that selection over the same period

What are Value Bets?

These are selections that appear to be attractively priced compared to the statistical odds we have calculated (i.e. these are are selections with the highest ratings in the Value column for all matches in that sport). 

What are Great Lays?

Great lays are the complete opposite of value bets.  These are selections that seem terrible value compared to the statistical odds we have calculated, hence they could be good laying opportunities.