What does ROI mean in betting?

ROI (Return on Investment) is total profit divided by total staked, shown as a percentage. It is the fairest way to compare tipsters.

A value bet is one where the odds offered are longer than the true probability of the outcome — the core of any winning long-term strategy.

What is the difference between backing and laying?

Backing is betting for an outcome to happen. Laying, available on betting exchanges, is betting against an outcome — you win if it does not happen.

What is the overround?

The overround is the bookmaker's margin: the implied probabilities of all outcomes total more than 100%, and that extra is the bookmaker's built-in edge.

Reviewed by TipsterCheck Editorial TeamLast checked 29 October 2026Methodology Corrections

Betting glossary · Tipsters

What is Advised Odds?

Advised Odds are the odds a tipster publishes at the time they release a tip. They represent the price available when the recommendation is made, and are used to calculate a tipster's recorded profit or loss — which may differ from the odds a follower actually obtains.

How Advised Odds Work

When a tipster releases a tip, they record the odds available at that moment — typically from a named bookmaker or exchange, or sometimes the best available price across several firms. This figure becomes the Advised Odds and is used as the basis for all subsequent profit and loss calculations in the tipster's results record. For example, if a tipster advises a bet at 5/1 (6.0 decimal) and that selection wins, the recorded profit is 5 points per point staked, regardless of what any follower actually got.

Advised Odds are closely linked to proofing — the process of timestamping tips through a third party to verify that the odds claimed were genuinely available. Without proofing, a tipster could record artificially high prices that were never realistically obtainable. The gap between advised and available odds varies: early prices on horse racing can move significantly before the off, while football match odds may be more stable. Some tipsters advise to industry Starting Price (SP), which removes any odds discrepancy but tends to reduce the potential value captured.

Worked Example

Suppose a tipster sends out a tip at 08:00 on a Saturday morning, advising a horse at 8/1 (9.0 decimal). By the time most subscribers read the email at 09:30, the price has shortened to 5/1. The tipster records the result at 8/1, showing a profit of 8 points on a 1-point stake if the horse wins. A follower who bet at 5/1 records only 5 points profit. Over a full season of tips, this kind of slippage — even a point or two per winning bet — can substantially reduce a follower's actual returns versus the tipster's published figures.

This discrepancy is not necessarily dishonest; prices move for legitimate reasons and early risers genuinely may have obtained the advised price. However, if a tipster's record consistently shows advised odds that are materially better than those available to ordinary subscribers, the published profit figures become misleading as a guide to what a real follower would have made. Always check whether a tipster's odds have been independently proofed and consider their average odds movement as part of your assessment.

Why Advised Odds Matter When Judging or Following a Tipster

A tipster's headline profit figure — expressed as profit in points, ROI, or yield — is only meaningful if followers can reasonably replicate the advised odds. If a service routinely advises prices that are gone by the time most subscribers see the tip, the published record overstates real-world performance. When reviewing a tipster on TipsterCheck or elsewhere, look for independent proofing records, note how promptly tips are issued, and consider whether the advised odds are from liquid markets where prices are more stable or from thin, fast-moving markets where slippage is common.

For subscribers, it is worth tracking the odds you actually obtain against the advised odds over your first few weeks with any service. A consistent shortfall suggests either that delivery is too slow for the market, or that the tipster is targeting prices available only briefly. Some followers mitigate this by using Best Odds Guaranteed promotions where available, though these apply mainly to horse racing and do not help with other sports. Understanding advised odds is fundamental to interpreting any tipster's track record honestly.

Example: A tipster advises backing a selection at 10/1 at 07:45; that price is independently proofed and recorded, but by the time subscribers act at 09:00 the odds have shortened to 6/1, meaning the tipster's published profit of 10 points per unit bears no relation to the 6 points a follower actually receives.

FAQs

Do advised odds have to be independently proofed?

There is no industry requirement, but independent proofing through a recognised service adds credibility. Without it, there is no way to confirm the stated odds were ever genuinely available, so proofed records carry significantly more weight when assessing a tipster's claims.

What happens if I cannot get the advised odds?

Your actual profit or loss will differ from the tipster's published figures. Over many bets, even small differences compound. Track your obtained odds versus advised odds from the start; a persistent gap may indicate the service is not practical for most subscribers to follow profitably.

Are advised odds the same as early price or morning price?

Not necessarily. Advised odds are simply whatever price the tipster records at tip release. That may be an early price, a morning price, or a price closer to the event. The tipster should state clearly where the price was sourced so followers can judge how achievable it was.

More tipsters terms: Drawdown, NAP, Next Best (NB)

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