Originally posted on 05/11/2012:

Alright dudes. I'm not suggesting this is a bible or anything, but just a few tips that I have found useful over the years betting on Grand Slams. Everyone and their mother comes out of the betting jungle for these events, so thought I would share. Use it or don't, whatever's clever.

#1. WAIT FOR THE DRAWS TO COME OUT
I don't know how many times people start threads these last two weeks before Grand Slams about Player X having GREAT VALUE because they either just ran through a tournament and wound up winning or whatever the case might be. There is far less value if the draw is tougher than a mother f*cker IMO. Gauging the easier draws helps you get the best value out of your futures plays. This is where I start my homework. Until then, I don't really see the point of playing the guessing game.

#2. DON'T OVERLOOK PICKING PLAYERS TO WIN THEIR QUARTER
Most are going to shape up their futures plays with selections to win the Championship. Nothing wrong with that, but there are some excellent plays you can make on players to win their quarter of the draw and if you're going to go for an upset pick - these are really the best places to try bigger prices. This is especially useful I think on the men's side where the Big Four rule the roost for winning the title, but we often see one or two of them fail to make the semifinals. In two of the last three FOs, at least one of the Big Four has not made the semis. Last year was the first time in years that the top four men's seed all made the semis.

#3. WTA IS WHERE YOU GO FOR LONG SHOTS
Just look at the last four winners at Roland Garros on the ladies side. Li Na, Schiavone, Kuznetsova and Ivanovic. Only Ivanovic was a top seed [#2] when she won. The rest were at best the 7th seed when they won. So taking the top tier gals @ Roland Garros doesn't normally pay off. Will Azarenka or Sharapova make that different this year? Perhaps, but this is where I think it warrants taking some longer odds.

#4. DON'T BE AFRAID TO TAKE ONE OF THE BIG FOUR ON THE ATP SIDE
You're going to hear and see the term value so much in reference to any futures selection, it's going to make you sick. Bottom line is that one of these guys if not two are likely to be in the finals. So if you can map out the easiest draws of the Big Four and take two of them even at the shorter odds - you have a chance of a nice payoff and the price you take now will be worlds better than the price you'd have to pay if you simply took them in a one match scenario in a final.

#5. DO YOUR HOMEWORK ON WHO PLAYS WELL @ ROLAND GARROS
You can find exact stats for player records @ RG by looking at the ATP and WTA websites on the player pages. This is something I highly suggest for players you may not know much about. Players who have rolled up wins on clay in smaller tournaments in the build-up to the French Open may or may not have a good track record @ RG, making them a better or worse shot. Vice versa - you may find a great deal on a price for someone who has just so-so results in the weeks leading up to the French Open, but have a knack for turning it on @ RG.