Are individual sports easier to bet on?

On the surface, individual sports seem quite predictable – after all, it is the skill of one player that matters most, not the cooperation of the whole team. However, predicting the outcome of a tennis match, F1 race or a boxing fight is not that easy, especially when the number of events is huge. Nevertheless, two-way bets still give you a better chance of winning than those in which three outcomes are possible.

The calendar of sporting events revised by the coronavirus undoubtedly favours surprises. It is extremely difficult to maintain top form throughout the season, especially when there is no time for optimal regeneration and regular training. Sensational results are becoming more and more frequent not only in team sports, but also in individual disciplines, although the greatest champions usually do not disappoint. At the end of last year Lewis Hamilton became the Formula One World Champion for the eighth time in his career, Anthony Joshua easily defended his WBO, IBF, WBA and IBO heavyweight belts, and Novak Djokovic recently won his ninth Australian Open title. However, there are many more surprises in the women’s competition, which was best proved by the autumn 2020 French Open, where 19-year-old Iga Świątek, unknown to the wider audience at that time, triumphed. However, fluctuations in form, especially among young players, are the order of the day.

Betting on individual sports, it is worth taking into account not only the specifics of the discipline, but also factors difficult to verify, such as the weaker form of the favorite or physical fatigue, and in the case of motorsports – additionally the weather conditions and possible random situations (such as tire failure or collision on the track). In such circumstances, the advantage of skills is significantly reduced, and the final result can be very surprising. This is what happened at the 2020 Monza Grand Prix, for example, when Pierre Gasly of Alpha Tauri won for the first time in his career. “Oh my God, yes!” – shouted the French driver in disbelief as he took advantage of the race restart and the penalty imposed on Lewis Hamilton.

Another example of a sport where the cards are often dealt by capricious weather is ski jumping, which is extremely popular in Poland. Although the rules introduced in 2009 allow judges to award compensation points for the wind, the competition is still not always held on equal terms. Michal Doležal’s top national team members know something about it, who sensationally lost in the Polish Championships 2021 to the young and not very experienced Tomasz Pilch and… powerful gusts of wind.

In the case of tennis, which is the most popular individual sport in our country, many unexpected results happen already at the stage of qualifying for major tournaments, and later also in the main draw. Examples do not have to be found far away – in the women’s final of the AO 2021 Jennifer Brady found herself, although before the start of the Grand Slam the largest Polish bookmaker – STS – did not give the American much chance to reach the decisive match.

Predicting the results of individual sports is an art that requires prior analysis, although it still gives a higher probability of winning than betting on matches that may end in a draw and overtime or even penalty kicks. This is confirmed by pure mathematics – where a winner has to be determined, the chances of winning are 50% and in the case of three-track events (1X2) only 33.33%.

Those who are wondering how to bet on matches involving their favorite sportsmen should follow their fortunes and draw conclusions based on various data – including non-numerical ones. New players, on the other hand, can count on the best bookmaker bonus from STS at registration, thanks to which the value of the potential winnings can be higher.

Participation in illegal gambling games is punishable. STS S.A. (formerly Star-Typ Sport Zakłady Wzajemne Spółka z o.o.) holds a license issued by the Minister of Public Finance to arrange pari-mutuel betting. Gambling is associated with risk.

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