Smooth Operator is a new to market horse racing tipster service that come from the Betfan stable of tipsters. The selections themselves come courtesy of a tipster referred to simply as Lawrence.
Introduction to Smooth Operator
There doesn’t tend to be much in the tipster market that I would say is necessarily new. There are a lot of reissues, questionable services, and good looking tipsters. But rarely is there anything that stands out to me. On the rare occasions where there is, it is typically because somebody thinks that they’ve found a new betting market. As such, it is very rare that I am really taken aback by a tipster service. Genuinely intriguing concepts are few and far between. Which is why today’s review subject is really quite a rarity.
In order to start setting everything up, I have to quote Betfan. “Experience The Ultimate In Stress Free Betting” reads the headline for the service. Now, I don’t always think of betting as being “stressful”. At least, as long as you’re betting with money you can afford to lose (which is the only money you should be betting with). Sometime services can be a bit much though. And if Lawrence is to be believed, Smooth Operator is exactly the kind of service that will change that for you.
This is a tipster service that is so laid back, it’s practically horizontal. An attitude and approach that you just don’t see. So, you can rest assured that Smooth Operator is a very interesting thing. It is also early days. Sort of. You see, the structure of this doesn’t really lend itself well to understanding the service. Whilst the ideas are good, Lawrence is really putting out one of the most enigmatic services I have seen for a while. An angle that Betfan somewhat lean into. But the real question is an easy one. Is it any good? Let’s find out.
What Does Smooth Operator Offer?
Rather uniquely for a tipster service, the focus of this review isn’t necessarily on the bets themselves. Of course, this is hugely important. But in some ways, it doesn’t feel like that is what Smooth Operator is about. Instead, it is the approach that Lawrence takes and how Betfan manage the service.
Honestly, there is a lot to talk about in this regard and I don’t really know where to start with it all. There is are a lot of incredibly bold statements that are made that don’t necessarily amount to much. At the same time, Lawrence is pushing Smooth Operator as being something that is truly incredible, but you just have to take his word on it.
Having started typing multiple times now, I am going to start by talking about how Betfan manage the service. This is probably the easiest place to start and it is also an area where they definitely excel. So, if you want to sign up to Smooth Operator, there are a huge number of ways that you can choose to receive selections.
You see, Betfan have been around for as long as I can remember. They are arguably the most prolific publisher of tipster services that I have looked at. As such, I think that it’s probably pretty fair to say that they have an understanding of how to manage a tipster service that is close to unparalleled. It is their biggest strength.
It also means that you receive selections from Smooth Operator directly to your email each day they are available. Standard fare for this sort of thing. Alternatively, you can opt to log in to a member’s area and view tips there. For my money though, your best bet is to use the Betfan app. This makes it much harder to miss a bet, and that is something you definitely don’t want to be doing.
You see, one of the things that stands out about Smooth Operator more than anything else is the fact that Lawrence is advising just a few horses per week. Now, I’m not using hyperbole here. Betfan explicitly mention that there will be a maximum of three bets per week. It starts to become quite apparent why this isn’t a stressful tipster service…
In terms of the bets, there is a mix of straight win and each way bets. What I will say though is that you probably tend to see (subjectively) more of the former than the latter. Why Lawrence does this with Smooth Operator isn’t something that is explored. But I would be inclined to put it down to the fact that the odds aren’t exactly massive.
From what I have seen so far, Smooth Operator is dealing with pretty low odds. The very limited proofing (a topic that I will be coming back to) shows odds of between 3.0 and 3.5. What I would say is that if you are willing to spend the time shopping around and using an odds comparison site, you can increase on these odds. It is something that I would recommend for sure.
Here’s the thing with Smooth Operator. because of that incredibly low volume of bets, everything has to count. I talk about this quite a lot but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it taken to the extreme that it is here. For my money, if you are following Lawrence’s advice, it is imperative that you are using an odds comparison site to maximise any potential returns.
Before I start talking about how Smooth Operator works (which is a whole show in and of itself), I want to touch on the numbers. Something that jumps out at me with Betfan’s proofing is that all bets are advised as being backed to 5 point stake. This is of course necessary given the volume of bets that Lawrence advises.
Unfortunately, it can mean that things get pricey if you aren’t winning. And everything I’ve seen of Smooth Operator suggests that this is a very firm possibility on the table. Despite the way that the service is presented by both Lawrence and Betfan.
How Does Smooth Operator Work?
There is a lengthy narrative to Smooth Operator. Honestly, I find it quite tiresome so buckle in for the quick fire version. Lawrence claims that he fell in racing when he was “a young lad”. That over the years he has “developed an increasing knowledge and understanding of the sport”. Furthermore, we are told, with the advent of betting exchanges, he has found opportunities with a high degree of accuracy.
From there, Betfan and Lawrence change tack and talk about how he has had a career which includes being a race horse owner. It goes on to say that before Smooth Operator, he has privately advised friends and select individuals. That his knowledge and race course contacts are second to none. This is the really important element of Smooth Operator in my opinion. What it really suggests is that this is a tipster who has connections. That is on the inside.
Unfortunately, that is about where the line has to be drawn. Not least of which is because we aren’t told a single thing more about what Smooth Operator entails. There is no discussion of betting strategies, information used, or anything really. Lawrence simply says “the only real way of succeeding as a punter is to have a very good network of contacts as well as a real genuine knowledge of the sport”. I don’t consider that enough.
All of this is of course very problematic, but even more so is the lack of proofing that Betfan provide. At the time of writing there is a single week of bets. 3 days. It’s almost insulting to consider it a data sample. Despite this lack of evidence backing anything pertaining to Smooth Operator up, there is still a lot of talk from Lawrence about how he has done well in the past and that this will continue into the future.
What is the Initial Investment?
If there is one thing that can be said as a positive about Smooth Operator, it is that it isn’t expensive. The entry level for Lawrence is a weekly subscription for just £5 (plus VAT). Alternatively, you can get a “month” for just £15 (plus VAT) Something that is worth noting here though is that Betfan don’t count a month as a month. They operate on 28 days being a month, which means you pay that out 13 times a year.
There is only slightly better value to be had in the quarterly subscription unfortunately. Betfan are asking £42 (plus VAT) for this, although it is at least billed close to quarterly. You will be paying out every 90 days. The best value offering comes from a 6 monthly subscription. At just £71 (plus VAT), this ultimately quite a reasonable seeming offering.
What you have to consider when looking at longer subscriptions though is the fact that Betfan don’t typically offer any sort of money back guarantee on their products. Smooth Operator is no different in this regard. What they do say however is that they “will review every refund request and if we feel a refund is warranted it shall be granted.”. This just isn’t something you should rely on though.
What is the Rate of Return?
At the time of writing, Smooth Operator is in the bin a bit. It is showing a loss of 2.5 points. Hardly catastrophic in the grand scheme of things, but a service like Smooth Operator is only as good as its ability to win regularly. Something that Lawrence simply hasn’t been able to demonstrate, despite numerous claims that he can deliver you consistent profits.
Given that we are told that Lawrence’s passion for “the sport of kings has given me a fantastic lifestyle that would be envied by many a racing fan.”, I think there are certain standards set. Realistically though, I simply don’t see Smooth Operator performing all that well in the long term. Most of these restrictions come from the staking plan Betfan use, and the limitations that exist because of the low volume of bets.
Conclusion for Smooth Operator
There are often services that I desperately want to like. Smooth Operator is one of them. And I want to say that there may yet be a reason to like it too. The fact is that this is a rather unique service with some rather unique elements. And unfortunately, it relies a hell of a lot on Lawrence actually being able to deliver with consistency. Without that, it’s nothing.
So, what is appealing about it all? Well, I like the idea of a tipster service that you can simply turn up to, place a few bets a week, and see a profit. Betting isn’t hard work, but it can be a lot of work. Something that people don’t really talk about. But with Smooth Operator, it is all very straightforward and manageable. This also makes Smooth Operator a very accessible service.
There may be some cause for quarrel over the stakes, but this is also one of few Betfan services where I can see how 5 points per bet is actually justified. All things considered, it is a neat little package that would be an ideal fit for beginning bettors. Especially when you factor in the costs.
It is all based entirely on Smooth Operator actually producing a profit though. And the nature of the service means that losses can add up incredibly quickly. Mostly because of the limited opportunities to counter them. As such, a high strike rate is an absolute must if this is going to work out. At the time of writing, that is yet to be demonstrated.
One of the big issues pertaining to this specifically is that whilst Lawrence seems to have the credentials, there isn’t a lot backing it up. Which is a real shame, because, and I cannot stress this enough, I really do like the idea of Smooth Operator.
There are two ways of looking at all of this. And somewhat ironically, this service that should be, and almost needs to be risk free, is all about how much risk you want to take on. Getting on to Smooth Operator in the here and now does come with risk. But it is theoretically all very measured. One just has to hope that longer term, it balances out.
The less risky way is to simply give this time. Betfan are onto an exciting prospect. But I don’t think that it is unreasonable to simply take a step back and see if Lawrence can deliver. A few more weeks should be more than enough time to understand how Smooth Operator is likely to unfold. This patience is going to b the ultimate test.
All of this begs the question, would I recommend Smooth Operator? Personally, not as it is. But with that said, this is something that is genuinely very interesting with not much on the market that is comparable. Combine that with the very reasonable costs and it is arguably exciting. Given the potential here, it is worth keeping an eye on. But I don’t think I’d be in a rush to pay.
