There’s no doubt the 1.01 betting strategy is an intriguing proposition for any bettor. The strategy is relatively low risk, and there’s a decent (though not quite guaranteed) chance of winning a good number of bets over time. Is it a strategy that actually works in practice? Well, that’s a different story – I’m not convinced it is, and in this piece, I’m going to outline exactly why the 1.01 betting strategy promises the moon, but could actually end up in you coming back down to earth with a bump.
To fully understand this strategy, we first need to define what the term “1.01 betting strategy” actually means. It’s fair to assume “betting” and “strategy” make sense, but the 1.01? That’s a little more curious. Alas, the answer is not particularly exciting or miraculous: 1.01 refers to odds. Specifically, decimal odds. If you’re more accustomed to using fractional odds, then the 1.01 betting strategy can be the “0.1/1 strategy”. We can all probably agree that a simple 1.01 is snappier, though.
Any betting strategy is only as good as the potential profits you may be able to win should you utilise it. However, with the 1.01 strategy, you’re likely going to experience disappointment when it comes to profits. Why? Well, simple maths. Let’s say that you decide this strategy is the one for you and you go ahead and place a bet for $10. The match or event finishes, and hurrah, you’ve won! You’ve gone and snared yourself… er… 10¢. You’ll get your stake back, so $10.10 in total but… it’s still not exactly impressive.
The good news is that it’s highly likely you will win your bet. In fact, if you bet on odds of 1.01, the implied probability is at least 99% – which suggests you should win your bet 99 times out of 100. However, it is worth bearing in mind that probability is determined over thousands of examples. It can never 100% predict one individual’s experience. It’s therefore theoretically possible to, for example, lose 100 bets at 1.01 in a row if you were to play for long enough.
Nevertheless, an implied probability of 99% is about as high as you’re going to find when it comes to betting.
So we’ve looked at what you stand to win if you place a single bet at odds of 1.01, but a single bet does not a strategy make. So, how can you turn this concept into a strategy you can deploy?
The key is volume. Yes, you may only make 10¢ from every bet that you place, but if you place enough bets, the profits should (if the probability is to be believed) begin to mount. You’ll need to stake $100 to win a dollar, but you can theoretically continue betting at odds of 1.01 until that dollar grows into a more substantial amount.
Realistically, then, you will need to place a lot of bets – a lot of bets – to engage with this strategy. You’re not going to be able to retire early off the profit, but there should technically be a profit to be won. So, does that mean that the 1.01 betting strategy is it; the way to guarantee a profit from betting over time? Not quite.
If an outcome to a match or event at odds of 1.01, it’s reasonable – and mathematically sound – to presume that the outcome will happen. Therefore, any bets on said outcome will be winners; a fact that should be intriguing for any bettor. However, reasonable and mathematically sound will only take you so far. Often, the unpredictable and mathematically unsound do actually occur.
If you’re a sports fan, you’ll be familiar with the idea of the miracle comeback. A team is losing so badly, the clock is against them, and all hope seems lost – and then, everything changes. Victory is wrenched from the jaws of defeat and the headlines write themselves… and anyone who had bet against the suddenly-victorious team at odds of 1.01 is suddenly apocalyptically furious.
Yes, 1.01 is a fairly secure bet, but it’s not certain – and losing a bet while attempting the 1.01 betting strategy can be ruinous. Let’s say you decide you want to use the 1.01 betting strategy. You know volume is key, so you decide to bet on 100 fixtures at $10 per fixture. You win 99 of those fixtures, but the 100th sees a miracle turnaround – and you’ve now lost your $10 stake. Given that your total profit across the rest of the fixtures you bet on was only $9.90, you’ve spent a huge amount of time placing bets and you’re still in the red.
If you do decide the 1.01 betting strategy is for you, you now have a job on your hands: finding 1.01 bets – which is trickier than it might sound. First and foremost, you’re going to need to be willing to bet in-play to use this strategy. It’s incredibly rare to find starting odds of 1.01; even if it’s Rafa Nadal versus A Guy Who Knows What A Tennis Racquet Is And Once Held One For 10 Minutes, there’s still a chance that Rafa will get injured and his opponent wins by default. Usually, the lowest you’ll see is 1.1 for starting odds – so if looking for 1.01 bets, it’s going to have to be in-play betting.
Next, you need to find fixtures where the odds drop as low as 1.01. This means live matches that go far beyond a rescuable point for most teams: 5-0 in a football game, for example – a scoreline that seems beyond hope. Such blowouts are actually fairly rare: teams and players often win comfortably, but winning to such an extent just doesn’t happen very often. Finally, you’ll probably need to use an exchange if you really do want to place 1.01 bets. Bookmaker odds do sometimes drop this low, but it’s still rare; bookmakers, too, are wary of the possibility of an incredible comeback. Exchanges are useful, but they can be daunting. Exchange odds move at lightning speed, and you also have to wait to see if your bet has been matched – so it’s far from a pleasant experience.
So with the 1.01 betting strategy, you have a strategy that requires you to place a huge number of bets; bets that are difficult to find. You also have to be wary of the fact that a single loss could wipe out your profits and send you right back to square one. Combined, these factors lead me to one conclusion: the 1.01 betting strategy just isn’t a good use of time.
If you were to really commit to this strategy, you’d need to spend hours scouring exchanges in the hopes of finding an event that has seen odds drop as low as 1.01. Even if you were to pore over multiple markets – such as Correct Score or HT/FT – you’re still going to struggle to find more than a few bets per day that hit the 1.01 level. Even if I’m generous and say you do find plenty, it’s unlikely you’ll win enough to even cover the cost of the electricity used to power your computer while you looked for those bets. Worse still, there’s the chance you could spend all that time, effort, and electricity and still lose a bet and finish with a loss.
It’s fairly clear that I see little benefit in the 1.01 betting strategy. While the idea is potentially tempting, trying this strategy for yourself has all kinds of potential pitfalls.
Nevertheless, betting strategies can be advantageous. Think of the 1.01 strategy like fool’s gold: it only exists because the real stuff exists too. There are betting strategies out there that can enhance your betting. We cover some of the more useful strategies right here on PlayersBest.com, and we also provide all of the building materials you need to devise your own way of betting. From betting tips that highlight potential value to news articles that keep you in the loop, our goal is to provide you with the background knowledge you need to launch a solid betting experience.
The 1.01 betting strategy is the kind of concept that sounds really good on paper. It’s low risk, potential for sustained rewards – but in practical terms, the problems are evident. 1.01 betting is rarely likely to be worth your time, but other betting strategies – enhanced by your own knowledge – can help to really launch your betting experience into space.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
Trading financial products carries a high risk to your capital, especially trading leverage products such as CFDs. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
