Eager to find the cause for the colossal popularity of the sport today, we decided to dig a little deeper and create the ultimate guide to table tennis betting.
Keep reading, and you’ll come to believe that the ball does indeed always come back!
History and Popularity
The origins of table tennis can be traced back to the early 20th century. In fact, the sport started off as a way for people to play tennis indoors during the cold winter months but quickly became popular as it was more accessible and convenient to play than lawn tennis.
Although it was still played in parts of England, table tennis stopped being fashionable around 1903. It wasn’t until 1926 when standardised rules were adopted and the International Federation of Table Tennis (ITTF) was formed, that the game started gaining popularity again in the UK and other countries.
Today table tennis is one of the most popular Olympic sports, featured at the competition since 1988.
The sale of paddles, tables and balls are not the only thing that has gone up during the pandemic. With traditional sports being cancelled, punters have turned to betting on ping pong, helping bookmakers like William Hill cope with the Covid-19 outbreak and its economic consequences.
Related: Learn all there is about Arbitrage betting
Table Tennis Betting Games
Ping pong betting works pretty much like betting on any other sport. Still, it’s always a good idea to take a look at all of the different table tennis betting rules that will help maximise your chances of winning a ticket.
Match Winner
This is one of the easiest and most straightforward ways to bet on any sport. Match winner betting allows you to bet on the participant you believe will be the winner of the match. But things are not always that simple.
Betting on the player that is more likely to win won’t bring you a lot of money while wagering on the underdog can lead to a hefty prize provided they beat the odds and win the match.
Totals Wagering
Also called an Over/Under bet, totals is one of the easiest and most popular wagers at the sportsbooks. It works by wagering that the number of points scored during the match will be above or below a certain value. The sportsbook typically sets this number—in table tennis, it usually comes over/under 70.
Related: What is cash-out betting?
Parlay Betting
Parlay betting allows you to place multiple wagers on one slip. For instance, you can bet on three matches from any professional table tennis league, and if you win all three legs of the parlay, you can make a very nice profit. However, if one leg loses, so does the whole parlay.
Games Handicap
Handicap betting is the bookmaker’s way of evening out the playing field and encouraging punters to place a bet on a match that is expected to be one-sided.
As far as ping pong betting is concerned, there is a standard handicap of 1.5 games to put a wager on since matches are played until one of the competitors wins at least three out of five matches.
Live Betting
This one is pretty self-explanatory: it lets you bet on table tennis live, simultaneously as the match is being played. You need to be vigilant, though, since the betting odds are constantly shifting based on table tennis live scores, and things can change in a matter of seconds.
Unique Bets
One of the things that makes table tennis betting so interesting are the unique bets that can’t be found in other sports.
For instance, one can make bets in ping pong on the exact number of games being played, as well as wagers on who will win the first game and even bet on matches decided by extra points.
Table Tennis Betting Tips and Strategy
Now that we’ve covered the different types of wagers you can place on table tennis, do you know how to win at table tennis betting?
Let’s review some of the best table tennis betting tips and tricks you should always have in mind when wagering on the sport.
Take a Good Look At the Players
The first thing you should always consider before placing in your bet are player rankings, as these will give you an idea of what you can expect from a certain player.
Next, browse through their previous matches. Watching some of the best table tennis players of all time in action will show you the strengths and weaknesses of a single participant, both physical or psychological. Also, make sure to take a look at which tournaments players earned points to see what kind of competitions they perform well in.
Thirdly, always check out the fitness level, both of your favourite and the competitors. Some participants, especially amateurs, might not be in top physical shape and sometimes that’s all it takes to lose a match.
At last, take the time to research the players. Table tennis players are not as famous as some of the names in football, so any information you can dig up on them online can do wonders for your ping pong betting outcomes.
Find the Right Competition
With rumours of fixed matches within the Russia Liga Pro or Win Cup (which have since been disputed), it’s very important to choose the right tournament to bet on. Research into how legitimate the tournaments are, especially now that Covid-19 has forced the ITTF to cancel all of their official tournaments, and all the matches played are not sanctioned by the sport’s top governing body.
Check the Betting Odds
Once you’ve gone through the players, it’s time to take a look at the table tennis odds on offer. You might choose to take a risk and bet on the competitor that is less likely to win for a higher payout or to play it safe and place a wager on the player with better betting odds—it’s totally up to you and your betting style.
Go For the Right Sportsbooks
Last but not least—sportsbooks. Finding the right bookie is important when placing a bet on any sport, but it is even more essential in table tennis because this market gets fewer wagers.
Related: What is value betting?
Most Famous Table Tennis Countries and Leagues
Being the well-liked sport that it is, there are multiple championships to bet on all around the globe.
These tournaments stream hundreds of matches a day and feature a wide range of participants, from professional athletes to complete amateurs. And they bring in millions in wagers.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular ping pong leagues right now:
Setka Cup
The Setka Cup is the biggest international platform for table tennis. Established in Ukraine in 2018, the Setka Cup is home to more than 780 active and highly-rated players and 13 state-of-the-art arenas. It organises more than 7,500 matches per month, all of which are streamed live on the platform.
Win Cup
The Win Cup is another Ukrainian table tennis championship, arranging both commercial and non-commercial daily tournaments.
Moscow Liga Pro
The Liga Pro arranges matches from undisclosed locations to avoid fraud and protect the athletes. They frequently organise games in Belarus, Brazil, China and the Czech Republic, or other countries easily accessible to Russian athletes.
The Olympic Games
Although technically not a league, the Olympics provides punters with plenty of betting opportunities.
Olympic table tennis will be contested at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games. The reigning champion is Ma Long, a three-time gold medalist and one of the best players in the sport.
Serving You a Double
Table tennis is an incredibly dynamic sport, played with intensity and excitement, which in turn forces bettors to make quick decisions and ups adrenaline levels among punters.
With this in mind, it might be a good time to abandon mainstream sports and get involved in table tennis betting.
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