Help

[snelo]

I've been doing this for a couple of months.
My losses are exceeding my profits.
I'm using low stakes! Literally (£1) I'm at a £15 loss overall.
All the things I read are so vague, watch the markets, there's a strategy for every market, look for high liquidity, pre-off sub 2mins, pre-off 5-2 mins, only inplay races, lay the draw yada yada yada.

Please, someone I would like some form of guidance.

I have done matched betting and found trading it fascinates me but I feel like a gold fish in an ocean of conflicting information, and people selling ifs buts and maybes.

I am spending hours on YouTube and forums reading

Has anyone got anything that will help give me a direction to start making progress in the right direction?

[ShaunWhite]

Workout £15/total amount you've staked in that 2 months (maybe get a bet history download and sum the stake column) even at £1 and it might be closer to tipping into profit than you imagine. You might only need to get from - 1% to +1% so a tenth of a % each week gets you there

Forget the advice that assumes you have years of experience to know what's going to work there and see it as just as a buying and selling, just over short periods, probably not minutes. Order flow is everything, if you looked in classified ads and saw 50 people selling iPhones and 1 person wanting to buy, it's just common sense which way the price will go. Sports markets aren't special they're just markets. Supply and demand.

You put it perfectly, it's often the 'advice' is "yada yada yada."

[wearthefoxhat]

Please, someone I would like some form of guidance.

I am spending hours on YouTube and forums reading

Has anyone got anything that will help give me a direction to start making progress in the right direction?

There's a variety of stuff out there that can overwhelm and confuse. One issue I had was sticking with one aspect and learning it well, I would often flit from one to another, and then return full circle.

Decide on the area of interest that you "enjoy" the most, as there will be ongoing reviews of how you're doing, even when you're going through a losing session/run. Football/Racing/Tennis/Cricket...etc choose one, and get to understand how the market moves and why.

Psychology is a good starting point, often overlooked, "know thyself." Once you're confident with your mindset, you will be unstoppable, even when you have losing sessions. I make no apologies for mentioning losing, it's part of the process, embrace it.

The key for me, was finding a market that I know, 100%, will go in a certain direction. Sounds simple, but they exist. Once established, and you understand why, then you make a plan where the profits exceed the losses.

After writing the above, I thought I'd ask GPT for its' perspective.

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1. Reset Your Mindset: It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Sports trading is about long-term edges, not short-term wins. If you’re expecting instant results, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Even professional traders go through drawdowns.

2. Review Your Data: Numbers Don't Lie

Are you actually losing due to bad luck, or are there flaws in your strategy?

Track every trade, analyze expected value (EV), and see if your decisions hold up over a large sample.

If your strategy is solid but variance is against you, stick with it. If not, tweak and test.

3. Bankroll Management: Protect Your Ammo

If you’re over-staking, your risk of ruin is too high. Small, calculated bets based on Kelly Criterion (or a fraction of it) will keep you in the game long enough for variance to work in your favor.

4. Simplify: Avoid Overcomplication

Many traders chase too many angles at once. Focus on one or two proven methods, master them, then expand.

5. Emotional Discipline: The Game’s Biggest Edge

Frustration leads to tilt, and tilt leads to bad decisions.

Take breaks if emotions start dictating your trades.

Have a trading plan and stick to it—win or lose.

Don't chase losses—no single trade should make or break your strategy.

6. Market Selection: Fish Where the Fish Are

Are you trading in markets where you actually have an edge?

Are you competing against sharp money? (Big liquidity markets can be brutal for beginners.)

Consider specializing in niche markets where edges are easier to find.

7. Learn from Others, But Don't Copy Blindly

Following others’ picks won’t make you a profitable trader. Understand the reasoning behind successful strategies, then develop your own approach.

8. Zoom Out: Think in 100s, Not 10s

Short-term results are misleading. Focus on 100-trade samples rather than judging based on 5-10 results. If your method is profitable long-term, stick with it.

9. Find Joy in the Process, Not Just the Profit

If every losing trade makes you miserable, you’re focusing on the wrong thing. Enjoy analyzing markets, spotting edges, and improving over time—the money follows.

10. Know When to Walk Away (Temporarily or Permanently)

If trading is making you miserable, take a break. Step away, reset, and come back with a fresh mindset. And if, after real self-analysis, you realize it’s not for you? There’s no shame in moving on

Conclusion

Success in sports trading isn’t about who wins fastest, it’s about who lasts longest. If you can survive the grind, learn from mistakes, and stick to solid fundamentals, consistency will come.

And remember: The market doesn’t care about your frustration. It only rewards discipline.

[ShaunWhite]

Invert, always invert. Don't look for why people succeed, look at why people fail and avoid those errors.

I think it was Charlie Monger who said something like "tell me where I'm going to die and I won't go there"

[ProlificPSA]

In complete agreement with the author of the thread.

Trying to work out a strategy that works in these markets would only be possible if you were related to Nostradamus.

This is 1 million per cent pot luck - im sure you can make some small profits scalping, but the losses will always outweigh the wins.

The reason why there is no actual plan is purely because it doesnt exist.

If your using small stakes you may be better off just backing the 2nd favourite.

[Benjaminn]

Do you find yourself reacting emotionally to swings in profit/loss, or can you stay neutral and disciplined?