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A round-robin bet is a system wager that combines multiple bets across three or more selections. It's pricier but less risky than an accumulator because you can still win even if some picks donā€™t come through. In this šŸƒguide, we will explain how round-robin bets work with real-life examples from bookies, and provide handy tips for using them effectively.

A round robin can be a bit of a head-scratcher at first, but itā€™s a valuable addition to your betting arsenal once you get the hang of it. The complexity comes from the format, where multiple selections are lumped together in various combinations. Plus, with different versions of round-robin bets floating around, you might find conflicting definitions online about what a “true” round robin is.

A round-robin bet takes its name from the tournament style, where everyone plays the other. In betting, it means taking all your picks and combining them in every possible way. This way, you can win with any mix of your selections, giving you moreą¹„ chances for a payout than if you lined up yourš’ picks in one big accumulator.

So, what is a round-robin bet? It's a system bet made up of a bunch of mini accas.

The basic form of a round robin includes three selections. Once you add your three picks, the bookmaker will work out a robin bet for you: three combinations with two legs each. This way, you can still secure some profit even if one of your picks loses.

round robin bet infographic

The great thing about round-robin bets is you can aim for bigger payouts with smaller stakes (like you do with a regular acca), and you don't need to get every pick right to win. šŸŒYou can play combo bets and still come away with something, even if only some of your picks come through.

Round-robin bets cost more than a standard accumulator with the same picks because youź¦›ā€™re paying for ā™ˆeach combination. However, they give you that extra bit of security.

There are many ways to make a round-robin bet, anšŸŒ±d it's essential to thoroughly familiarise yourself with the concept before you start bą²Œetting with your bookie.

Hereā€™s how a round-robin bet works with a real-life example. Let's start with the simplest version: a three-selection round-robin. Weā€™ll use Parimatch, one of the best UK bookies, because it has competitive odds and offers more significant returns onź¦“ round-robin bets than most other betting sites.šŸŒœ

WšŸ¦©e've picked three football matches and backed the home team to win in the next three Champions League qualifiers matches:

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    Maccabi Tel Aviv vs FCSB: 11/8

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    Partizan Belgrade vs Dynamo Kiev: 16/5

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    Jagiellonia Bialystok vs FK Panevezys: 2/13

The round robin breaks these ā„±three matchups into three smaller accumulators wišŸ§øth two legs each, with Ā£10 on each combination:

  1. Ā£10 on Mā–Øaccabi Tel Aviv to beat FCSB+ Partizan Belgrade to beat Dynamo Kiev

  2. Ā£10 on Maccabi Tel Aviv to beat ź¦FCSB + Jagiellonia Bialystok to beat FK PanevezyšŸ¦¹s

  3.  Ā£10 on Partizan Belgrade to bešŸŸat Dynamo Kiev + Jagiellonia Bialystok to beat FK Panevezys

screenshot of parimatch round robin
(Source: Parimatch)

This three-pick round-robin bet šŸ¦©covers ašŸŒ±ll possible combos of these three football selections, with two teams per accumulator, costing us Ā£30 in total. If all three of our mini accas win, weā€™ll pocket Ā£175.62.

If we crunch the numbers, we can still profit even if one of our picks flops. For example, if Jagielonnia loses but the other two picks win,ą·“ our acca combinations one and three fail, but combo two wins. In this case, our payout would be Ā£99.96. So, weā€™d š’ƒmake a small profit of Ā£69.96 from the first winning acca.

OšŸ„ƒf course, with lower odds, you might end up with a slight loss on that one winning combo, buź¦°t itā€™s still better than getting nothing, which is what would happen if youā€™d only played a single treble.

You can upgrade your three-pick round robin to incšŸ’«rease the number of winning combinations and bump up the required stake. For example, in addition to the previous acca combos, you can toss in an extra Ā£10 for a treble, effectively creating a Trixie. In this case, youā€™d have four acca combinations:

  1. šŸ“ šŸ”Æ Ā£10 on Maccabi Tel Aviv to beat FCSB+ Partizan Belgrade to beat Dynamo Kiev

  2. Ā£10 on Maccabi Tel Aviv to beat šŸ¼FCSB + Jagiellonia Bialystok to beat FK Panevezys

  3. Ā£10 on Partizan Belgrade to beat Dynamo Kiev + JagiellšŸŽ¶onia Bialystok to beat FK Panevezys

  4. Ā£10 on Partizan Belgradeź¦‰ to beat Dynamo Kiev + Jagiellonia Bialystok to beat FK PanevezšŸŒys + Maccabi Tel Aviv to beat FCSB

For that last treble, the potential payout would be Ā£115.10. So, if all three of your picks win, youā€™d bag that amount (Ā£115.10)āœ± plus Ā£175.62 from the two-leg acca combos in your round-robin, giving you a total of Ā£290.72.

screenshot of parimatch round robin
(Source: Parimatch)

4-Leg Round Robin Example

Letā€™s crank it up by adding another selection to our round-robin. So, alongšŸŽ with the three previous matches, we'll throw in Dinamo Minsk to beat Ludogorets. Now, weā€™ve got these four šŸ’¦matchups:

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    Maccabi Tel Aviv vs FCSB: 11/8

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    Partizan Belgrade vs Dynamo Kiev: 16/5

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    Jagiellonia Bialystok vs FK Panevezys: 2/13

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    Dinamo Minsk vs Ludogorets: 3/1

The round rošŸŸbin splits these into six smaller accumulators with two legs eaź¦¬ch, with Ā£10 on each combo:

  1. Maccabi Tel Aviv tošŸŒø beat FCSB + Partizan Belgrade to beat Dynamo Kiev

  2. Maccabi Tel Aviv to beat FCSB + Jagiellonia Bialystok to bešŸ»at FK PanevšŸ’Žezys

  3.  Maccabi Tel Avivź¦° to beat FCSB + DišŸŒ³namo Minsk to beat Ludogorets

  4. Partizan BelgradešŸ—¹ to beat Dynamo Kiev + JšŸ‘agiellonia Bialystok to beat FK Panevezys

  5. Partizan Belgrade to beat Dynamo Kieā™v + Dinamo Minsk to beat Ludogorets

  6. Dą²žinamo MinšŸŽ‰sk to beat Ludogorets + Dinamo Minsk to beat Ludogorets

This four-pick round-robin bet covers all šŸ…ŗpossible combos of these four football selections, with two teams per accumulator, costišŸŒŸng us Ā£60. If all six of our mini accas win, weā€™ll pocket Ā£484.77.

At least two pairs must hit to profit with a four-pick round-robin. In that case, one of your combos will win, and youā€™ll retušŸƒrn about half your stake. If three out of šŸ¼four picks win, you'll have three winning combos, and your total return will be about three times your stake. Youā€™ll earn around four times your stake if all four come through.

screenshot of parimatch round robin
(Source: Parimatch)

Round-robin bets in horse racinš’†™g are different because you can use each-way bets, which give you extra cover by letting your horse win or place.

Let's kick off with a straightforward three-pick RR bet involving three different winners in three races to give you an idea of how round-robin betting works in horse racing. Weā€™ll again use Parimatch since itā€™s one of the top horse race betting sites in the U.K.

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    Metaverse to win at Goodwood: 13/2

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    Shark Two One to win at Leicester: 9/2

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    Deboraā€™s Dream to win at Sandown: 11/8

The round robin splits these into threeā›Ž smaller doubles, with Ā£10 on each combination:

  1. Ā£10 on Metaverse to win at Goodwood + Shark Two OnešŸ’¦ to win at Leicester

  2. Ā£10 on Metaverse toļ·½ win at Goodwoodā™• + Deboraā€™s Dream to win at Sandown

  3. Ā£10 on Shark Two One to win at Leicester + Deboraā€™s DšŸ“ream to win at Sandown

 This three-leg round-robin bet covers all possible doubles of these three horses, costā™Œing us Ā£30. If all three of our doubles come in, weā€™ll win Ā£721.25.

screenshot of parimatch round robin
(Source: Parimatch)

If Deboraā€™s šŸ’®Dream doesnā€™t come throughšŸ€… but our other two picks do, weā€™ll still win the first combo and come out slightly ahead due to the strong odds.

You can also go for an each-way round robin with these same three horses to boost your chances even more. This way, youā€™šŸƒre covered whether your horse wins or places. Just remember, this will bump up your stake and increase your potential payout if you accurately predict all winners.

screenshot of parimatch round robin
(Source: Parimatch)

Since šŸˆeach-way bets double your stakes, youā€™ll need Ā£60 for a three-pį©šį©šį©šį©šį©šį©šā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©šā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©šā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©šš’€±į©šį©šį©šick round-robin each-way bet. Hereā€™s how it breaks down:

  1. Ā£10 on Metaverse to win or place at Goodwood + Shark Two One to win or place at LeicestšŸŒŒer

  2. Ā£10 on Metaverse to win or place at Goodwood + Deboraā€™s Dream to wišŸ¦‹n or place atāœƒ Sandown

  3. Ā£10 on Shark Two One to win or place at Leicesteā™Žr + DeborašŸ’›ā€™s Dream to win or place at Sandown

šŸ’ If all three horses place, youā€™ll collect Ā£108.34, giving yź§‹ou a tidy profit of Ā£48.34 over your total stake. But if all three horses win, youā€™ll see a payout of Ā£829.59.

Round-robin betting isnā€™t exclusive to football or horse racing ā€” itā€™s a flexible option you can use in any šŸŒœsport. Letā€™s take a look at how this betting strategy can be effectively applied across difā­•ferent sports.

Round-Robin Betting in Tennis

Below is how tennis round-robin betting works in practice with four matches from the Cincinnati Masters 1000 tournament.

For this, weā€™ll be placing our bets on Betway ā€” one of the top UK sišŸ’Ætes for tennis betting:

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    Adrian Mannarino to beat Nuno Borges: 11/5

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    Fabian Marozsan to beat Corentin Moutet: 1/1

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    Felix Auger Aliassime to beat Aleksandar Kovacevic: 2/7

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    Jan-Lennard Struff to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas: 8/5

Now, instead of jusšŸ¦©t throwing all four into a single accumulator and hoping for the best, weā€™ll split these into a round-robin bet and give ourselves a little breathing room. That means weā€™re creating six different two-leg combos, with Ā£10 on each:

  1. Adrian Mannarino to beat Nuno Borges + Fabian Marozsan to beat šŸ’ÆCorentin Moutet = Ā£10 x 3.2 x 2.0 = Ā£64.00

  2. Adrian Mannarino to beat Nuno Borges + Felix Auger Aliassime to beat AšŸ‘leksandar Kovacevic = Ā£10 x 3.2 x 1.29 = Ā£41ą¼ŗ.28

  3. Adrian Mannarino to beat Nuno Borges + Jan-Lennard Struff to bešŸŒ¼at Stąµ©efanos Tsitsipas = Ā£10 x 3.2 x 2.6 = Ā£83.20

  4. Fabian Marozsan to beat Corentin Moutet + Felix Auger Aliassime to beat Aleksandar Kovacevic šŸ’= Ā£10 x 2.0 x 1.29 = Ā£25.80

  5. Fabian Marozsan to beat Corentin Moutet + Jan-Lennard Struff to beat Stefanos Tš†sitsipas = Ā£10 x 2.0 x 2.6 = Ā£52.00

  6. Felix Auger Aliassime to beat Aleksandar Kovacevic + Jan-Lennard Struff to šŸ’ƒbeat Stefanos Tsitsipas šŸ§ø= Ā£10 x 1.29 x 2.6 = Ā£33.54

With this four-fold round-robin, youā€™re covering allš“† possible combinations of these four tennis selections. The total stake for these six combos is Ā£60, and if all matches go youš“†‰r way, you could walk away with a payout of Ā£299.82.

Now, letā€™s consider different scenarios. What if,ā™• say, Marozsan has an off day and loses? No worries ā€” youā€™re still in the game with the other combos, and yšŸŽou could still end up in profit if Mannarino and Struff pull through.

Tennis, particularly at the Cincinnati Masters, is ripe for round-robin betting. Top seeds can have off days, and upsets happen more often than you think ā€” especially on the hard courts, where anź¦•yone can beat anyone on a given day.

Moreover, the tournament kicks off right after the Montreal (or Toronto) Masters, so players who went deep in Montreal might be dealing with fatigue or trā™“ying to adjust to different conditions.

By using a round robin,šŸ¦© youā€™re hedging against those uncertainties while still giving yourself a shot at a decent payout.

Round-Robin Betting in Cricket

LetšŸŒā€™s now check out how round robin works in one of the UK's favourite sports, cricket. This time, weā€™re switching things up by fošŸŽ‰cusing on outright bets instead of match winners. The great thing about a round robin is that you can mix and match any singles markets you like. Weā€™ve chosen outrights because they often come with better odds and keep your bets alive over a longer period.

Weā€™ll get our bet down at BetVictor, since itā€™šŸ…˜s known to have competitive cricket odds.

Here are our outright selections:

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    Surrey to win the VitašŸ¦‹lity T20 Blast: 7/2 (4.50 in decimal odds)

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    India to win the T20 World Cup 2026: 7/4 (2.75 in decišŸ¦©mal odds)

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    Mumbai Indians to win the Indian Premier League: 9/2 (5.50 in deciź¦—mal odds)

With these selections, letā€™s build our round-robin bet. Hereā€™s how itš’ˆ” shapes up:

  1. Surrey (7/2) + India (7/4) = Ā£10 stake x 4.50 x 2.75 = Ā£123.75

  2. Surrey (7/2) + Mumbai Indians (9/2) = Ā£10 stake x 4.50 x 5.50 = Ā£247.50

  3. India (7/4) + Mumbai Indians (9/2) = Ā£10 stake x 2.75 x 5.50 = Ā£151.25

Total potential return: Ā£522.50

ā€ The combo of Surrey and Mumbai Indians is the most profitable, offering a potential return of šŸ’§Ā£247.50. But no matter which duo lands, youā€™re already sitting on a tidy profit.

Hereā€™s where you reaąµ©lly see the benefits of a round-robin bet. The Vitality T20 Blast and IPL wrašŸ¼p up first. Now, had you played a standard accumulator, youā€™d be on edge, wondering whether to hedge your bet on India winning the World Cup or thinking about cashing out if the bookie offered it. But with a round robin, youā€™re already counting your winnings at this stage.

Because those earlier legs have already pašŸŽƒid out, youā€™re free to let that final leg ride. Whether you hedge your India bet or not, youā€™re in a great spot. If youā€™re confident in Indiaā€™s chances, you can just sit back, enjoy the ride, and potentially rake in even more.

The round-robin bet givā™›es you the freedom to manage your strategy without the usual stress, knowing youā€™ve locked in profit before the final showdown.

Since bookies donā€™t show the payout for each acca combo on your round-robin bet slip ā€” just the max potšŸŒŒential if all come in ā€” youā€™ll need to figure it out yourself. Weā€™ll sš“†‰how you how to calculate round-robin bet payouts.

Your total payout depends on the odds fą½§or each selection and how many combos you hit.

First, use our odds calculator to convert all your odds from fractional to decimal. Then,ā™ˆ calculate the payout for each acca combo.

LetšŸ”Æā€™s go back to our round-robin bet example witā™Žh three football matches from the Irish Cup and convert the odds to decimal:

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    Maccabi Tel Aviv vs FCSB: 11/8 = 2.38

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    Partizan Belgrade vs Dynamo Kiev: 16/5 = 4.2

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    Jagielloniš“ƒ²a Bialystok vs FK Panevezys: 2/13 = 1.15

Imagine placing a Ā£10 bet on a three-pick round robin, creating three acca combos with two legs each. To calculate the ā™špotential payout for one acca combo, multiply the stake by the odds for each leg. Hereā€™s how it would look:

  1. Ā£10 on Maccabi Tel Aviv to beat FCSB+ Partizan Belgrade to beat Dynamo Kiev = Ā£10 x 2.38 x 4.2 = Ā£99.96

  2. Ā£10 on Maccabi Tel Aviv to beat FCSB + Jagiellonia Bialystok to beat FK Panevezys = Ā£10 x 2.38 x 1.15 = Ā£27.37

  3. Ā£10 on Partizan Belgrade to beat Dynamo Kiev + Jagiellonia Bialystok to beat FK Panevezys = Ā£10 x 4.2 x 1.15 = Ā£48.3

 So, your potential payouts for each combo would be Ā£102, Ā£36.60, and Ā£41.48 respectively. Add these to see your total potential return if all your combos wź¦“inšŸ².

To determine your payouts, you can also use a free bet calculator for round ā™‹robin.

Since most UK bookies donā€™t have a direct option for a round robin on the bet slš”‰ip, hereā€™s a step-by-step guide to help you set one up. Letā€™s use 1šŸ¼0bet as an example:

  1. Head to your chosen bookie: Pick one from our top list.

  2. Sign up for an account: Fill in your detaią“œls, including your name, address, and login credentials.

  3. Deposit funds: Click thšŸ„‚e plus icon in the top right to add funds to your account.

  4. Make your selections: Head to the sports lobby and picšŸŒ„k at least three horseź§‚s.

  5. Open the ā€œSystemā€ tab: Go to your bet slip and find the ā€œSystemā€ tab.

  6. Enter your stake: Under ā€œā­•Doubles,ā€ input how much you wāœ±ant to stake on each round of the Robin Acca combination.

  7. Place your bet: DšŸ¼ouble-checā™›k your selections and stakes, then hit submit.

Round-robin betting is an advanced strategy. Here are some savvy tips to help you get the best out of yourļ潚”ļæ½ round-robin bets:

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Pick strong favourites

Always include a couple of favourites in your round robin ā€” they tend to have betšŸ’™ter odds of winning and provide a stable base for your bet combinations.

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Mix up markets & sports

Donā€™t put all your eggs in one basket and focus on one sport or market. Cast your net wide across different events and sports. Football is one of the best sports for round-robin betting due to the many options available, but you should also consider other sports. This cushions your bets and opens upšŸ§” more chances to catch a winner.

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Implement full coverage

Make sure you're cź¦¬overing all possible combinations among your picks. It's more šŸ€…of a punt, but ramps up your chances of scoring some returns.

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Opt for limited coverage

If you're watching your pennies, focus on covering only the most promising bets. This strategy keeps your spending down but š”keeps you in the game for a decent win.

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Balance risk & reward

Balance your selections between the low-risk favourites and those cheeky long shots. If the long shots pull through, you could be laughing all the way to the bšŸ¦¹ank while the favourites keep your bet grounded.

Round robin is just one of many system bets you can explore. Other variations tend to build on the round-robin concept, ā™which means a bit more outlay butšŸ’ƒ also the chance for a bigger payout.

Here are some great alternatives, depending on how much youā€™re ready to spendā™› and the kind of return youā€™re pursuing.

Trixie

A Trixie bet is like a three-leg round-robin but with an added treble on top of the doubles. The level of risk is on par with a round robin, but the potential payout is higher since you also win on the treble if all three picks come through. However, itā€™s a bit more expensive because youā€™re covering the stake for that extra treble. Itā€™s a ź§‘smart way to push for bigger returns without taking on more risk.

Check out our dedicated article to learn more about Trixie bets.

Patent

A Patent bet covers three selections with seven bets: three singles, three doubles, and a treble. This means you can still get a return even if only one of your picks comes through. Itā€™s a goodchoice if youā€™re looking for a bit more security while keeping the potential for a deceź§™nt return if all your selections win.

Yankee

A Yankee bet involves four selections andšŸŽ 11 bets: six doubles, four trebles, and a four-fold accumulator. Unlike Trixie and Patent, Yankee doesnā€™t include singles, so youā€™ll need at least two picį©šį©šį©šį©šį©šį©šā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©šā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©šā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©šš’€±į©šį©šį©šks to win to see a return. Itā€™s a well-balanced bet for those who want to spread their risk but are also aiming for a larger payout, especially if three or four of your selections come through.

Canadian

A Canadian bet, also known as a Super Yankee, is a massive wager that involves five selections broken down into 26 differešŸ”œnt combinations: 10 doubles, 10 trebles, five four-folds, and a five-fold accumulator. To see any returns, you need at least two of your selections to come through.

Keep in mind that this is a pricier option since youā€™re covering the stake for each of those 26 bets, but the upside is the broader coverage. The good news is that most bookies have a Canadian option built in, so you donā€™t have to manually sort out each combination ā€” just choose your stake (which is per comboź¦‡), and the slip will work it out for you.

Here's a quick overview of the advantages and disadvantages of round-robin betting to give yź¦“ou a clear picture of what to ā™ˆexpect.

Pros:
  • Increases chances of winning by covering various bet combinations.
  • Lowers the blow of losses by diversifying stakes across several bets.
  • Provides a bigger maximum payout than betting singles.
Cons:
  • It can be tricky for new punters to grasp.
  • Higher upfront cost due to multiple bets being placed.
  • Not all winning combinations may recover the total staked amount.

Round-robin bets can be a valuable addition to your betting toolkit. Is the added safety net worth the extra outlay? That depends on your risk tolerance and betting style. These bets offer a safer, more balanced approach with a higher chance of getting some return, but donā€™t necessarily increaseź§Ÿ the expected value compared to a ź¦‡standard accumulator.

Yes, you can win all combinations in a round-robin bet ifāœ… every one of your selections wins. This results in all your doubles, trebles, and any higher accumulators coming through, leading to maximum returns. Itā€™s the dream scenario for round-robin punters.

A three-pick round-robin bet involves three selections, creating three doubles and one treble. For example, if you pick hšŸ¦„orsešŸ„€s A, B, and C, youā€™ll have bets on A+B, A+C, B+C, and A+B+C. It gives multiple chances to win, even if not all selections come through.

The cost of a round-robin bet depends on the number of selections ašŸ·nd your stake per bet. A three-selection round-robin has three bets (three doubles). So, if you stake Ā£10 per bet, it will cost you Ā£30 in total.

In a round-robin bet, you can afford to lose sź¦¬ome legs and still win on other combinationšŸ·s. For example, with a three-selection round robin, losing one selection still leaves you with potential wins on one acca combination.

Yes, you can use free bets for round-robin bets if your bookmaker allows it (they usually donā€™t, though). Check the terms and conditions, as some bookies have restrictioāœ¤ns on how free bets can be used, including whether they cover all types of multiple bets.

Author Avatar
ā™Œ WRITTEN BY David CamilleršŸ‰i   View all posts by šŸ»David Camilleri ą¼’

David is a sports fanatic with a particular interest in stats and figures. When not writing about sports, you would probably ą± find him playing or watching football, researching stats or sharing the latest news with anyone willing to listen.

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