Betfair Swing Trading or Scalping - Does It Matter?

Nigel Skinner Blog Content Manager

Football Manager Expert and Political Betting Specialist across Exchange and Spread Betting Sites

How Betfair Trading Works

We are all looking to profit from our Betfair betting and over the years different ideas have been formulated.

With the arrival of more betting exchanges, new opportunities became available.

Betfair

We have a growing Betdaq trying to topple Betfair from its lofty perch.

Since I wrote this article we also have new player Smarkets, where further trading opportunities abound.

This competition has made Betfair up its game.

It seemed they use to regard the exchange as secondary to their sportsbook, but in recent Betfair advertisements, they have focused on new exchange bettors.

The 3 betting exchanges allow us to cherry-pick the best back and lay prices.

If you are new to betting exchanges please check out our brilliant laying and exchanges advice article

Now onto Betfair swing trading and Betfair scalping.

What Is Betfair Scalping?

Betfair scalping is fast, in and out of markets making very quick trades and making instant profits or losses, moving quickly as prices change.

Taking 1 Betfair tick or a very low amount of ticks.

These scalps are often done simultaneously, where you place a back bet out of the money, and when matched automatically place a lay bet.

In the example below you could ask for a bigger back price of Arsenal at 2.7 and if matched could lay at 2.65.

Selection	Back Price	Lay Price
Arsenal	2.6	2.65
Man Utd	3.5	3.6
Draw	3.2	3.3

With some betting software providers, you can reverse the prices so your lay price becomes a back price and you can scalp that way.

You would be endeavoring to back at 2.65 and lay at 2.6, this obviously works well in fast-moving markets such as horse racing.

You need to be constantly monitoring the screen to accomplish this.

To make a Betfair Scalp is a simple process, why not give it a go.

What Is Betfair Swing Trading?

Betfair swing trading is for traders who prefer to sit longer in the market and use analysis to pinpoint trading opportunities.

Swing traders take a view and hold that view longer, several hours, overnight, or ante-post.

In Betfair swing trading you are looking at larger price movements and often build in a stop loss facility to cut your losses if the price goes against you.

On Betfair, these styles and words have become mixed up and bastardised in many cases.

However use of these words has become prevalent to show how well-read you are on the subject of trading,” I am a scalper” I only swing trade” “I scalped the market”

So the words enhance your standing when posting.

This validates your credentials and your perceived knowledge of trading.

Betfair Trading Courses

This unusual lexicon of language is there to make the reader search for experts who understand these terms, and help guide the novice through the newish trading world.

In some cases, it will also relieve the novice of his hard-earned funds, via training courses or subscription fees.

My argument would be that any trader or bettor who wasn't aware that there are different methods to make a profit or loss needs to undertake some free research.

Read as much as possible, practice with very small stakes, make small mistakes that don't matter, keep practicing, and don't rule anything out.

Betfair Trading Example

On Betfair you can place a back or lay bet and immediately make a contrary 1 point back or lay to glean an immediate profit (a so-called scalp).

If the market goes in your favour you will profit.

It will be your stake that determines how much you make per 1 point.

You can do this as many times ahead of the race as you wish.

You may make 20, 50, 100 back to lays or lays to back with each successive one you accumulate profits.

You can if you wish to increase the points to 2 so in the example you could lay at 5.6 as before and back at 5.8.

Hopefully, at the start of the race, you have made more winning trades than losing ones, and if you have you have a risk free bet.

The Betfair markets will be at their most vibrant 10 minutes before the start of the race, where this type of trading works best. Old Trafford Manchester United

Swing trading as above is looking at longer time price movements.

So you may decide that a particular horse or team is going to be supported or may be unfancied, and the market on that particular selection will significantly move price.

So had you decide to lay a particular horse at 5.6 you may be predicting that it will drift to 6.6 and are prepared to sit out the trade until that target price is hit.

Manchester United were a great example of a swing trade having been available at around 3.25 at the beginning of the EPL season.

Had you put in a swing trade and target price you would have very early in the season been in profit.

So rather than get bogged down by the trading terminology and slavishly follow one strategy, keep learning and practicing.

Both of the above methods can be utilised on Betfair at different times or in harmony, dependent on your understanding and reading of the particular market.

Betfair Trading Modus Operandi

In simple terms, you want to back a selection on the Betfair Exchange at a bigger price and lay the same selection at a smaller price

Lay a selection at a smaller price and back it a bigger price.

Betfair Free Bet Offer

A free bet on most of the exchanges will help you get started.

All the exchanges have some kind of sign up offer, click any of the highlighted Betfair links.

To read more about Betfair Strategies I use click any of the links below.

Laying and Exchange Advice

Laying How Many Horses Can Win?

How To Trade A Horse On A Betting Exchange

Horse Trading

Tips and Hacks

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