Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is Keith Elliott and what does he do?
A: Since the early nineties Keith has applied his statistical ability, analytical skills and knowledge of mental processes to sports betting.
He has successfully run sports betting services ever since he operated what was probably the country's first in 1992. Indeed, while working at the Liverpool Business School he was the only University lecturer in the country to run a sports betting service with professorial approval.
Keith was attracted to sports betting, because he could apply to it much of his knowledge from the positive thinking, personal motivation and mental skills courses that he had given for many years. He now focuses solely on his sports betting, horse racing and personal motivation interests, and has built a reputation which recently prompted the Sunday Times to dub Keith 'the thinking man's sports pundit'.
He is author of Elliott's Golf Form, with Elliott's Golf Form 2007 being the thirteenth and final edition of this prize winning book. He also wrote How To Win At Golf Betting, was BBC Radio Merseyside's Racing Correspondent for 18 years and served as a government appointed independent member of the Horse Race Betting Levy Board from 1997 to October 1st 2006. Throughout his time on the board Keith built a reputation as a passionate supporter of the interests of both racegoers and punters.
He now runs Elliott's Premier Sports Betting Service, and continues to write both his own books and articles for other publications. He was the resident sports betting analyst for the Sky TV's weekly programme 'Fill Yer Boots'. Keith's vast knowledge of all matters sporting, shrewd analytical research, quality contacts and experience in studying mental processes all go to make his sports betting service the most comprehensive and professional around.
Q: What do I get when I join Keith's service?
A: When you join Keith's services, you'll be given a local rate telephone number and unique access pin number. This allows you to call his daily information line and receive his advice. You will also be given a unique password and pin number which will allow you to access the same information from the members area of Keith's website.
Q: Do I need to put money aside for my betting (i.e. a betting bank). If so, how much?
A: Sensible betting comes from controlled staking. Money put aside should be in proportion to the bets you place and NEVER so much as it can seriously affect your circumstances.
Q: How do I get hold of the information each day?
A: Information for Elliott's Premier Sports Betting is given on a local rate telephone number with unique access pin number and on the Sports Betting Service website at www.keithelliott.co.uk.
Q: How many bets will there be?
A: This can vary depending on the time of year, and number of tournaments in a week. You should expect 3-4 outright bets on each golf tournament with 2-3 additional golf bets such as match bets, 3-balls and nationality markets. The services also offers advice on all televised football, plus rugby league, American football and International cricket.
Q: Is there a bet every day?
A: Given the number of sports covered by Elliott's Premier Sports Betting, there are usually bets seven days a week, although occasionally there are instances when no bet is advised. Typically, Monday and Tuesday are the busiest days, with a line being recorded in the afternoon to get the best early golf prices. Fridays are typically the quietest.
Q: Does Keith use a staking system?
A: Due to the nature and variety of Keith's bets, prices available can range wildly from as big as 200/1 to as little 4/6. As such it is difficult to advise a plan, which would encompass all of his bets. However, Keith does use a staking system for his golf tournament selections and advises his BEST BET each day for his other bets.
Q: Is it always better to get the early price, and if so where can I find it?
A: Getting the best price is important if you are to make your betting pay and nowadays it's important to take advantage of the betting exchanges (e.g. Betfair). Whilst it is fair to say that a number of Keith's members are themselves semi-professional backers, you need to devote no more than 10-15 minutes of your time per day to ensure you get the best value available - many of our clients use our dedicated odds comparison service at odds.goldcall.com in order to shop around for the best available price.
When you consider the potential return on this small investment of your time, it is well worth the effort required. Those that are happy to take whatever price is offered, regardless of value, will inevitably find their betting investments less profitable than those who take a little time and trouble. It may only be marginal, but over a period of time this can build into a significant sum of money.
To this end Keith usually has an update line on either Monday or Tuesday (occasionally on both) giving his bets on the weeks golf tournaments, straight after the bookmakers price up. When 100/1 shots are being advised it is nearly always best to get it as soon as possible before the price falls.
Q: What happens when I go on holiday?
A: If you are unable to access the information for a period of time, a quick call or email to our office is all it takes to suspend your membership.
Q: Do I have to place the bets myself?
A: At present the onus is on Keith's clients to place the bets themselves - they are in control of their own finances and can decide which bookmaker(s) they have accounts with. A 'managed fund', where Goldcall (Elliott's Premier Sports Betting service management company) place bets on behalf of clients is currently being investigated for viability.
Q: How do I place a bet?
A: In three main ways: (1) Over the counter at a high street bookmakers; (2) Via telephone with any of the major bookmaking firms; (3) Online through the Internet. All major bookmakers now accept bets with a credit/debit card. Many of our clients use our dedicated odds comparison service at odds.goldcall.com in order to get the best available price for a particular horse race or event.
Q: I know nothing about sports - does that matter?
A: Not at all. Keith has all the expertise and offers in depth analysis on his selections - all you need to do is place the bets, and that takes all of 5 minutes to master!
Q: Will I definitely win money?
A: Contrary to popular belief, betting is not a 'Get Rich Quick' scheme anymore than it is a 'mug's game'. Not every bet advised will win. Betting is similar to investing on the stock market - shares tend to fluctuate regularly, often gaining or losing value over a short period of time rather than increasing consistently over twelve months. This is also likely to be the case with our betting account - whilst certain months are quiet, others show large profits. Inevitably there will be losing runs. However, we have made consistent profits year on year and there is no reason to expect this success to end.
Q: Do I have to pay tax on my winnings?
A: No - betting tax was abolished in 2001, meaning all your winnings are tax-free!
Q: Are your results verified? Can I believe your results?
A: All bets advised are 'proofed' to the Racing Post prior to the event. This means a record of the bet, price and stake are recorded by an independent third party. Proofs of Keith's bets are also sent on a daily basis to a firm of solicitors as a further means of qualifying his bets and verifying our profits.
Q: What is the difference in a bookmaker and a betting exchange?
A: The main differences between a betting exchange and other bookmakers are:
- The customer does not bet directly with the betting exchange. It simply connects gamblers with opposing views on the outcome of an event. They only accept bets if they are 'matched' by another customer and it uses technology to match bets instantaneously. If the bet is large then it is likely that it will be matched with multiple counterparties.
- With a betting exchange, customers can "lay" a horse - i.e. back it to lose - as well as back it to win or be placed.
- Odds on betting exchanges are expressed as decimals (e.g. 4.5) and not in the traditional way (e.g. 7/2). 4.5 means that for every pound staked you receive a return of £4.50 which includes the pound stake. Example: The traditional equivalent of 3.0 is 2/1.
- Betting exchanges are free markets and the prices are not controlled by the bookmaker. A traditional betting shop sets its own odds and the customer has to shop around among bookmakers to find better value (e.g. 7/4 or 13.8 would represent better value than 6.4). Betting exchanges allow customers to bet against odds set by other gamblers.
Q: Where should I go to find out if my bet has won?
A: For general sports results, including football, golf, tennis, cricket and rugby, both the BBC Sport website at news.bbc.co.uk/sport and the Sporting Life site have comprehensive coverage. For more information on any of the golf tournaments, including results and scheduling, the PGA Tour (USA) and European Tour (Europe) offer the most complete coverage.
Q: What do Keith's abbreviations stand for?
A: Keith uses many abbreviations and they can be used in various circumstances eg: to denote a certain bookmaker, LA = Ladbrokes, or a golf term, GIR = Greens In regulation, or another sports term, C/S = Correct Score. For a full list of Keith's abbreviations and their meanings please visit the glossary.
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