Punters like myself are spoilt for choice these days with an incredible variety of sporting events to choose from. If you like your local sport then there is Currie Cup rugby or PSL football while those with a more exotic taste can have a punt on Major League Baseball or perhaps the latest “Strictly Come Dancing” series.

We all have our different favourites or fields of specialization but one thing that remains constant in the never ending search for betting value is solid, reliable, real time information.

There is nothing worse than taking a position on for example a Super 14 rugby game in New Zealand where you go long on total points as the two teams are renowned for running rugby. The weather forecasts indicate the possibility of the occasional shower but having placed your bet the reality is that Hurricane Hilda has moved in just minutes before kick off and with the ball now resembling a piece of soap you have done your money before you begin. With knowledge of local conditions you could not only avoid the loss but more than likely line yourself up to make a profit as well.

It was this sort of situation which saw us starting a sports betting discussion forum on Goodforthegame to provide a means for those who love their punting to share tips and thoughts and in certain cases information which can on occasion be the difference between winning and losing.

The Forum has grown nicely and there are a core group of us who have begun to rely very heavily on it when making the weekend’s investment decisions.

On Saturday one of the regulars who posts under the handle “RuggaBugga” noted that Toulose were generally 20 point favourites against the Sale Sharks in the Heineken Cup but that one of the local bookmakers had them at -15. The result a 19 point win and the readers that followed were left to cheer another Forum success.

The battle to beat the bookies has no boundaries and we were joined by a New Zealand guest “ShallowTank” this past weekend. A number of the regulars bet on the Air New Zealand Cup and he was on hand with weather and team news which resulted in more profits for those paying attention.

Information does not guarantee success but it certainly increases your chances and unites many of us across the globe as we battle to beat the bookie.

This article first appeared in the Citizen CitiGaming section on Thursday 15 October 2009

Brent Graham is a blogger on www.goodforthegame.co.za and presents a sports betting radio show every Saturday morning at 07h30 on 1485AM Radio Today or Channel 169 of the DSTV Audio Bouquet.

You can follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/brentgraham or get on his mailing list by dropping him a line at brent@goodforthegame.co.za

Goodforthegame will be posting betting previews on the Currie Cup, T20 Cricket, Premier League and PSL.