Best bet / Andy Morris / 16 February 2009 / Leave a comment Bet Now

Change is 'as good as a holiday' they say. Changing betting habits that have evolved over hundreds of years - well, that's a little bit different, writes Vin Lowe.

How often have I left my hard-earned with a fat bookie or tote machine never to see those Aussie icons like Banjo Paterson (the $10 note), John Flynn ($20) and Edith Cowan ($50) again?

Too often for my liking - which is why I'm glad I discovered Betfair.

Brought up on culture of punting the lure of backing a winner is siren-like. Just take a look around any racecourse when the favourite salutes - and happy punters smugly rush to fill payout queues to redeem their winnings.

It's a great adrenalin rush but unfortunately for most of us this serene experience doesn't happen often enough. This is where Betfair comes in and where I found nirvana.

Betfair has enabled me to triple my 'smug smile rate' by allowing me to play the role of rotund bookie and cold calculating tote machine and to happily avoid standing with the great unshowered to collect my winnings.

And this I like.

For now I can 'lay' horses I don't fancy (after hours of form study of course!) and watch as they trail in the obvious winner - and increase the width of my wallet at the same time.

Alright, so I may be taking liberties here but basically that's how it is. If I get it wrong and do have to payout well that's a case of 'can't win them all' - or perhaps that should be 'can't lose them all.' The fact is I am in there playing the game and a whole new world of opportunities can await me. For instance, if I lay a horse early in betting at $2.20 and near start time the available odds have blown out to $2.90 I can simply back the horse to win - and be in a no-lose situation.

This type of betting has been going on in betting rings all over Australia for years - bookmakers playing the 'percentage'. Now it is our turn.

That's the other thing about Betfair - the odds on horse racing are amazingly generous. Pick up a formguide, remove the scratchings, do the form, work out your own market or check the latest prices (the closer to race time the better the guide), Then compare.

If you've done your homework you can be presented with amazing 'overs' - players offering prices way beyond what you consider realistic. This is where you can play bookie - snapping up the overs and laying your favoured selections as short as possible.

With a small degree of discipline this can prove highly rewarding.

Betfair provides the tools - the on-line formguide is terrific and provides all relevant info - enough to give you a real edge when it comes to finding a winner.

What does impress me about the Betfair operation are the in-built safeguards - I can't blow my wallet if I key in an excessive dollar amount because of the 'exposure' mechanism (you can't lay a horse for more than you have in your account). And the individual account details are more detailed than a bookmakers ledger.

I could say more but I'm just about to transfer a few more David Unaipon's ($50's) into my account in prep for a big weekend. Yes, I've changed how I view the world of wagering - it has now got a lot more exciting.