A Q and A with Ryan Phillips of Exponential Bet – Part II

This month we find out a little more about Ryan Phillips of Exponential Bet, the man behind the scenes. If you haven't already read part 1 you can read that here

What do you think of the world of sports tipping in general and what do you think people are in search of when it comes to their hunt for a successful tipster?

This is a loaded question that could get me in trouble and make a few enemies in the business, but I’ll never shy away from anything in my life so here’s my honest reply.

I think in general the world of sports tipping in the main is toxic and ran by people who just want to promote scams to scoop up the profits.

This isn’t everyone in the industry, as I’ve met a lot of good people as stated who take it seriously and provide a genuine service. The sites that pop up to play on people’s emotions offering instant riches really annoy me, as it pollutes the industry I work within.

More importantly it can really harm people by making false claims. As I know first hand from when I started out, as I obviously Googled and found all kinds of systems and schemes I fell into and lost money.

My services whether they have ups or downs I report the results, and offer a personal service to every single member, replying to all my emails. I’ve never once not got back to an enquiry, question, or request for support.

Whereas I’m sorry to report the vast majority of these tipping sites are set up to make subscription money, offer nothing, and then you’re dealing with a brick wall when you need help or advice. I know from during my learning curve as had it happen to me. Also, from what my own members now report to me of their own experience.

Some tipping sites just rip off other peoples work and steal ideas, then deliver them in a half assed way. I’ve had my strategies stolen from sites that have launched, been online for a matter of months, then shut down.

I guess it’s easy to subscribe to a site, get an idea or system, as I do sell my guides showing how to do it yourself I make it easy for the scammers who re package other peoples work, go full throttle on promotions, then take the money and run. We can’t copyright betting systems unfortunately.

I expect it and I’m not bitter, it’s just frustrating.

I find it unethical personally, and if I’m set up to deliver a product or service, I’ll do that. I don’t always get it 100% correct, but I do what I promise and I’m a real person offering legitimate services I’ve either created myself or worked in partnership to produce.

Right, I’ll get off my soapbox (again) now.

I must reiterate, there are some top services, I personally partner with some people offering tipping advice, and I’d be glad to point anyone in the right direction to the legit ones in operation.

If we’re talking in the main, the majority on the tinter web are not great.

I think people are mostly searching for someone who’s going to offer them the holy grail of betting and trading when searching for tipping services.

The gambling mentality drives people to look for quick fix solutions, and that’s why I state most tipping sites prey on this.

When I first started I wanted something to make me rich quick, but learned the hard way these things don’t exist.

It’s possibly not what most people want to read, but it’s my opinion based on experience, and I can only be truthful on the subject and take it seriously.
My service doesn’t promise instant riches, and requires members to have a more invested mindset to succeed over the long term in order to reap the rewards.

Luckily for me a sufficient percentage of people hunting for successful ‘tipsters’ find my site who have the right attitude, and want to make money from betting or trading.

I do spend my time dealing with people who have unrealistic expectations, and always give them my honest feedback on what’s achievable using my strategies, also try to educate a little on betting and trading, what is automation, or how using my guides will help. I never hard sell, but I’ll always answer honestly.

Do you regularly bet yourself? What style of approach do you take to your betting? What do you think of staking plans, loss retrieval systems etc.?

I bet and trade daily, and I take a percentage of allotted balance per system approach according to percentage staking.

Some systems allow exponential growth with compounding, such as Dutching using BSP multiples, as the bets always match and are not dependant on market liquidity. Others I will flat stake and work to a target annual ROI, due to market limitations of available money on the exchange.

Staking plans are essential, even with a basic percentage of investment come what may approach. Loss retrieval obviously carries some risk attached, as you’re gradually increasing your betting or trading to recover a previously lost amount.

I only run one strategy using loss recovery in my entire bet and trade portfolio, and this is automated football betting. This is a strategy being included with Expo Bot ahead of the new football season later this year.

I run safe recovery with this strategy, meaning it only recovers the lost amount, not the loss plus a desired win, and also over a number of bets.
I’m also working within highly liquid markets allowing larger stakes but will have no problem getting matched on the recovery amounts as the bets increase to bring the balance in line, and to a new profit high.

I started this system about a year and three months ago, and in year one returned 21.5% yield, so my profit was £2150 from a £10k investment over the twelve months.

The highest draw down using the loss recovery was at one point about 20%, but I only put in what I can afford to lose with any bet or trade system, flat staking, compounding, or using loss recovery, and I’d always advise the same to anyone else.

What attracted you to the world of horse racing and what do you enjoy most about the sport?

Horse racing attracted me from a financial point of view more than anything, as races run virtually every day like clockwork. I’ve grown to love the sport over my time investing in the markets, watching racing, attending race days, and feeling the emotion and passion that goes with it.

I also own a couple of horses, Ted and Sally, so I understand the animals a bit more than most.

What led you into the world of racing tipsters and what do you feel you can offer racing enthusiasts and punters that other tipsters can’t?

Initially as previously mentioned I used to write on the Betfair community, and it went from there with the older site I ran with a group of other writers.

What makes my approach different is my investing mindset, and the fact my selections are data driven, and not the next hunch on the jolly at Newmarket, if you see what I mean?

If you’re serious about your betting and trading and treat it as investing, you want it to pay off over time to make your money make a difference, then I feel I can offer this to anyone who joins my site.

What traits do you think a good racing tipster should possess and what do you think the average punter is looking for from a tipping service?

Honesty first and foremost, but obviously organization, a positive and structured mind, with the ability to be strong with focus when delivering strategies to people.

The average punter I feel is looking for someone they can trust, that they can relate to, and delivers advice based on sound data.

Whether this is form driven or more numbers based as mine is, they want to subscribe and join a service which they feel a part of, with people who listen to them, and deliver on promises.

I’ve over committed before now with my promises thinking I can do everything at once, and this is a cardinal sin, so I now ensure I give realistic timelines with work, keeping members updated along the way, which I think is important to keep strong communication.

In fact I’m adopting a hyper focus technique to my betting and trading from June 2019 on-wards, and if you want to know more about this drop me an email and I’ll point you towards some good books.

Mostly the average punter is looking to win more than they lose, which is exactly what they should be looking for so they can see the betting balance head the right way.

New and old punters alike can struggle to make a success of their betting. If you could give them just one piece of advice to improve their profitability what would it be?

The most important advice I could give is to have a plan.

Set out your stall with your betting or trading with whatever strategy you decide to follow, and stick to it.

Too many people will start a system, hit a dip in profits, and jump to something else, repeating the process until the bet bank is depleted.

Now I’m not saying every betting system works and you should stick to it up to the bitter end, but I am saying put in what you can afford to lose, and run it over the ups and downs.

Accept that the rub of betting or trading will mean you also lose as well as win, and hopefully you’ve chosen wisely with your initially planning showing a profit over the long term.

Bookmakers are set up to distract you so you keep betting, so having a plan will mean you place your specific bets or trades for the day, and that’s it. If you lose don’t chase losses to try and recover on a day, just let it run over the system as its meant to, so if the next bets aren’t for a few days as an example, then you wait a few days.

If you start dipping in here and there, chasing losses, have no long term goals and motivations to succeed over time taking the rough with the smooth, you’re better off not starting in the first place.

What would you consider to be a highlight of your racing experience to date? Do you have any personal racing / betting experiences which when reflecting back brings a smile, or for that matter any which bring a grimace; you can share with our readers?

A highlight I would consider realizing I should be taking it seriously, when the penny dropped to stop punting.

Hmmm, a personal betting experience that brings a smile is something rather flukey, as I spotted what I still believe was a fix in a Greek football match, this is back in 2010, so I literally lumped on a lay bet in the correct score market and completely cleaned up. I’ve never seen anything like it where a high predicted score was so low in price, but with such high liquidity.

Instantly coming to mind a memory that makes me screw my face up is trading with my entire betting bank of £5000 in one football match in the early days, which you should never ever do. Always bet or trade with a percentage of your total amount.

Anyway, I piled in to this football match and then Betfair crashed to my absolute horror.

Luckily I was able to open other accounts using my credit cards to place counter bets and trades, only losing about £500 in the end, but it was a stressful night which taught me a valuable lesson.

What about the gambling industry, is there anything you like to see changed there? Many website forums are full of criticisms of the bookmakers and their treatment of their customers? Is this something you have an opinion on?

Definitely, I’ve been banned or limited by virtually all bookmakers for winning too much, or not even that, just winning too regularly.

I think Betfair redefined the industry and created a whole new niche for people like me to carve out a living, as the exchange wants you to win. Whereas Bookmakers want casual punters who lose more than they win over time and have no regular structured and planned betting patterns.

This will never change, and they don’t tell you on the barrage of advertising they will close your account when you beat the bookie, it’s all gimmicks and distractions to take your money.

This I’d definitely change and ensure fair play is in order with bookies, if they take you as a customer they should accommodate you. I know they have a business to run, but it’s the false advertising and underhand tactics I can’t bear.

I’m more than happy with Betfair, and people are now a lot smarter operating their bookie accounts these days. I forgot to mention I wrote a short ebook on Matched Betting back in 2009 when it was like a dark art, and look at it now, matched betting became a business in its own right.

Bookies will always edge the book in their favour, and operate distraction techniques to keep you off target, which I think that aspect should change at least. If they could down play the advertising trickery, this would be a positive first step IMHO.

What do you do to relax and unwind? What interests have you outside the world of horse racing?

As mentioned, I own horses that keep me busy each day (poo picking therapy), I also enjoy long walks with my dogs in the countryside on my doorstep.

I’ve recently re joined my not so local gym and will be recording videos for You Tube channel on my back and forth journey each week, not about me working out (god forbid), but about betting and trading, basically making use of the 30 mins travel time.

I do weirdly enough enjoy floatation tanks and find these re centre me. It’s hard to explain, but I now regularly go about once every two weeks and come out with my mind reset and rested in a much deeper way than sleep can deliver. It’s highly recommended to everyone who can handle floating in complete darkness and silence.

Also, I like going out in my Jeep off roading when I can. This is a relatively new pastime, but it gets the adrenaline pumping.

I’m also invested in other businesses and some new start-ups, which I find is a welcome distraction from sports and racing.

A guilty pleasure is clothes shopping, I have a bigger wardrobe than my partner.

Music is part of my daily life, coming from a musical background being in bands, managing them, DJ’ing and engineering in my youth, a life-time ago. When I get more time I’ll set up a studio in the basement, and lock the door for a month to see what I can come up with.

I do have a lot of interests, but another guilty pleasure I have to admit is games modding, yeah I confess. I haven’t had time to do this since starting Exponential Bet, but look forward to finding some time again. It’s weird I know, but spending days modding triple A games is actually therapeutic, really don’t ask, haha.. I’m such a video game geek, if I had the time I’m sure I’d spend most my free time on this, but would never ever be productive which is why I’ve put a ban on it until I hit my early retirement target.

Anyway, thanks for reading about me and my website. If you’ve any questions just contact me via the website and I’ll get back to you asap.