Although it is very popular, tennis trading can be difficult, especially as only a group of elite players generally manage to reach the final of any tournament. Backing the favourite outright usually does not offer attractive odds, but there are still ways to enjoy tennis betting and hopefully pick some winners, such as betting on the outcome of sets, and the spread of games. There are a number of tennis betting tips, but one of the most interesting is to bet “in-play” – that is to say, to bet online whilst a match is actually in progress.

One particular market of interest with in-play tennis trading is the “Win Current Game” market, where you are trying to predict the winner of the next game, with the odds getting slightly longer as a set progresses.

A variation on this is to bet in-play on the server to win the next game. Despite the varying playing styles, winning the serve is still the integral building block to winning a tennis match. In nearly every case, he or she who can hold their serve the best will eventually triumph, particularly on a fast service like the grass of Wimbledon, or the hard courts of Melbourne or Flushing Meadows.

Betting on the server to win the next game works best if there is a gap in quality or ranking between the two players. It also helps if a player on serve is known for the quality of their serves, such as Ivo Karlovic and Milos Raonic, and the player facing them is known as a poor returner. It is also best to pick games in the middle of a set. This is because the first two or three games of a set will lack intensity, and concentration may waver, even among the best players, whilst the last ones – 4-4, or 5-5 – should also be avoided, because there is added pressure, and that is time the best players often choose to make their move in a set.

To offset the bet, a corresponding wager should be made for the player, who we have picked to win the next service game, to then go on and lose the set. The adjustments in odds should not only cover the bet but ensure that if the bet succeeds, sufficient profit will be earned to make the overall gamble succeed.

It should be noted that there is not much money to be made on individual bets made this way, because the odds are quite short, but if the strategy is applied amongst a number of games played in the day, the cumulative profit to be made can be quite significant.

There are ways of increasing the odds, for example, wait until the server has lost the first or even second point of a game, and then bet on them and the corresponding “back” bet at the same time. However, this is a risky strategy and can put the whole bet at risk. Alternatively, if the server starts the set by losing the first few games, then the odds on them winning the next service game will improve.

Although in-play server is one of the simplest tennis betting strategies it requires quick thinking and reactions to enact it. Tennis is a fast-moving game and you need to act quickly whilst a match is in progress to make your bets.

As with all tennis betting tips, it is worth taking the time to research your players and their statistics, noting which players have the highest percentage of games won with their serve, and who are the best returners.