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ITT I will try to follow my team to the World Cup in Russia, and pay for it all with bitcoins I win betting on the tournament!

Given my team is Australia I am including both Socceroos’ home and away qualifying playoffs. First against Syria for the last qualification spot from Asian. Then our intercontinental playoff against the 4th ranked North American side.

Those 2 qualification playoffs and the tournament itself make this a 3-part project. I will treat the expenses, and therefore the winning bets required, separately for each part.

The expenses

Full details will be posted on each parts posts. I will pay with bitcoin as much as possible including Expedia for accommodation and CheapAir for flights. Where I cannot pay with bitcoin directly I will use my Bitpay visa debit card.

The bets

Full details will be posted on each part’s posts. I will bet wherever I see value. For the qualification ties I might simply bet on Australia to win through. In the tournament, itself I might use these betting strategies (https://bitedge.com/blog/2018-fifa-world-cup-bitcoin-betting-guide/#world-cup-betting-strategies) with a stop loss.

I will bet at whichever of the top ranked bitcoin sportsbooks has the best odds on the bet I want to make.

Results

Part 1 – Asian qualifying: Australia vs Syria, October 5th – 10th

1st-leg preview (https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-asian-playoff-1st-leg-preview/)
1st-leg report (https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-asian-playoff-1st-leg-report/)
2nd-leg preview (https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-asian-playoff-2nd-leg-preview/)
2nd-leg report (https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-asian-playoff-2nd-leg-report/)

Amount spent: 886 mBTC
Amount won: Won 886 mBTC

Part 2 – Intercontinental playoff: Australia vs Honduras, November 10th – 15th

1st-leg preview (https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-intercontinental-playoff-1st-leg-preview/)
1st-leg report (https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-intercontinental-playoff-1st-leg-report/)
2nd-leg preview (https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-intercontinental-playoff-2nd-leg-preview/)
2nd-leg report (https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-intercontinental-playoff-2nd-leg-report/)

Amount spent: 939 mBTC
Amount won: 947 mBTC

Part 3 – 2018 World Cup finals in Russia

Amount spent: Pending
Amount won/lost: Pending

Full and updated details are here https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia/

Picture galry with all the images is here https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-in-pictures/

Asian playoff 1st-leg preview

This post is the TLDR, full and updated details are here https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-asian-playoff-1st-leg-preview/

Expenses

Total of 886 mBTC spent on my trip to Malaysia and Sydney.

Bets

A few days ago I made “Double chance: Draw or Australia” bets at odds of 1.23/-345 for more than enough to cover my trip to Malaysia. Now that bet is into 1.15/-667. So I am off to a great start, loving Melaka Malaysia, and looking forward to going to the game tomorrow :)

Asian playoff 1st-leg report

This post is the TLDR, full and updated details are here https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-asian-playoff-1st-leg-report/

The game: 1-1 draw

Conditions where hot and humid with not a whiff of breeze all night. The pitch was slow and a bit bobbly due to the cow grass they use.

The quality of football was abysmal. Neither team deserve to make it to the World Cup playing like that.

The bets

My "Double chance: Draw or Australia" bet won me 448 mBTC. More than half the cost of the full trip :)

Melaka Malaysia

Wow, what an awesome place! This is a vibrant living old Asian colonial pirate town. It’s full of character but is not a tourist trap. It’s modern without being overrun by development and it’s preserving its history without becoming a museum piece.

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/melaka.jpg

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/syria-vs-australia.jpg

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/melaka-river.jpg

seems really adventerous and exciting. Hope you both have fun and profit. May the luck be with you !  ;)

Exciting stuff man!

Don't gamble away too many BTC

That's correct. We shouldn't waste more money in gambling.

But it is more fun to visit all those places to watch these games and also need a lot of money and free time to do these games. All the best to OP at least should recover all his spending on these trips.

such  a big nerved combining your entertainment with gambling as far as i understand you won the game and its pay your expenses its really a great
venture for you OP, hope we see more coming out from your entertainment. good luck

Asian playoff 2nd-leg preview

Sorry I did not update the thread sooner, for some reason I did not get notifications so I thought no one replied. I will check more often now.

This post is the TLDR, full and updated details are here https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-asian-playoff-2nd-leg-preview/

Expenses

Total of 886 mBTC spent on my trip to Malaysia and Sydney. I already won 448 mBTC on the 1st-leg leaving 438 mBTC left to win.

Bets

I have bet on “Australia to qualify” risking 2826 mBTC to win 438 mBTC. I got the bet on before the 1st-leg at odds of 1.155. The same bet is now up at 1.11.

Just like my bet in the 1st-leg this means I have a value bet with positive expectation so I am happy with the bet no matter what the end result.

Honduras or Australia going to qualify for the world cup?

nice topic,a breath of fresh air!
good luck to the OP on his quest to visit Russia and support his team(s) in the process
love how he is betting on his home team too,so far so good
maybe you should include more sports into your betting slip to increase your chances to win :)

Indeed very nice nice and refreshing topic.

I find it very nice that you are spending you betting winning by traveling.

Asian playoff 2nd-leg report

This post is the TLDR, full and updated details are here https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-asian-playoff-2nd-leg-report/

The game: Australia 2 – Syria 1 (Australia qualify)

Another unconvincing performance from the Socceroos. They dominated possession so overwhelmingly that they inevitably created a number of good chances. But they failed to finish all but 1 of them in the 90 minutes.

with this level of play they will find it tough to qualify against Honduras next month.

The bets

In this 2nd-leg my bet was "Australia to qualify" and we did just that. I got it on at odds of 1.155 and it closed at 1.11, so this was a great bet.

Winner winner chicken dinner! The expenses for this trip to Melaka Malaysia and Sydney Australia totaled 886 mBTC. The amount I won betting on the games totaled 886 mBTC!

Sydney Australia

The Socceroos could not have a better home base than Sydney and Stadium Australia is fantastic soccer venue.

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/stadium-australia-sunset-preview.jpg

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/stadium-australia-vs-syria.jpg

Betting my way to Russia - Asian qualifiers: Conclusion

Well this has been an unqualified success! In the 1st-leg I discovered a gem of a town in Melaka Malaysia. In the 2nd-leg I caught up with friends and family in Sydney. I watched my team, the Socceroos, get 2 good results and I traveled in style.

I paid for it all with bitcoin I won betting on the games. If I can keep this up all the way though the World Cup in Russia it will be a dream come true.

Oh nice!! Something fun to talk about. You have been doing very well and it's great that you are taking pictures and recording it all. Such a nice topic. I hope this will encourage other people to do things like this and record their experiences betting with Bitcoin. It would also be great to see someone travel around using bitcoin to pay for things and get around. This is like that but with betting. I think you will do very well and make it all the way to Russia. We all rooting for you and want to see you get there so we can see all the pictures you have taken. :)

Intercontinental playoff 1st-leg preview

This post is the TLDR, full and updated details are here https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-intercontinental-playoff-1st-leg-preview/

I am now in San Pedro Sula Honduras for the game on Friday :) I am nervous for the Socceroos but nothing will get decided until the 2nd-leg next week.

Expenses

The total expenses for going to both legs of the intercontinental playoff in Honduras and Australia is 939 mBTC, itemised in the post linked to above.

Bets

I have bet on “Australia to qualify” at odds of 1.8325. Risking 1135 mBTC to win 947 mBTC.

I'm watching this thread since the first part, now i'll be joining and also bet on Australia to qualify for the World Cup. Nitrogen offers the bet option but the odds are lower than 1.8 so i've tried shopping for better odds and found fairlay offering the same line with lesser juice it was at 1.926 on my betslip. I staked 14 mbtc ($100) to win 10+ mbtc ($90). Let's go Australia  

Edit : Good result by Australia 1st leg ended on a draw

Intercontinental playoff 1st-leg report

This post is the TLDR, full and updated details are here https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-intercontinental-playoff-1st-leg-report/

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/san-pedro-sula-stadium.jpg

The game: 0-0

Honduras played poorly, particularly given they were the home team. All they offered was the long ball which defenses at this level can deal with. Even when they had the chance for a quick counter attack it usually took the form of a hopeful long pass. A team playing like that is counting on luck to help them score.

The bets and expenses

As detailed in my previous post I bet Australia to qualify at odds of 1.83. It is now up at odds of 1.43 which means the bet is much more likely to win (https://bitedge.com/sports-betting-guide/understand-odds-as-probability-with-overround/) now than it was before the first game.

https://i.imgur.com/pNbDks1.jpg

San Pedro Sula Honduras

San Pedro Sula is like Gotham City without Batman. It’s a poor ugly industrial town and it feels a bit unsafe. Really it’s about the same as most unremarkable places in the developing world. It’s not as bad as sensationalist media says, but you would not choose to spend time here unless it was for work or family.

This is fun. Sure is a new and refreshing thread compared tho the others and I'm glad you have made it. You seem to be doing very well and I'm glad tou sre having so much fun good for you. I hope you finish your journey as planned and have even more fun. Keep the thread active and hopefully other people will let us know ehst they think?

man everytime I see this thread or visit bitedge I remember the AUS vs SYR game  :(
both teams wasn't that good but I was hoping Syria could make it especially with the last free kick for Omar Alsoma
anyways glad you making money with these matches and grats for Aussie qualifying , hope you will have good results

I'm a big fan of your site btw , really really great work

This One is one of the best thread I have ever seen in gambling section of this forum, So you are basically living just off the bitcoin which sound quite interesting. This thread can also give other sports lover an inspiration that they can also travel the world supporting their team and betting in their matches with just bitcoin.

This also shows what is possible nowadays with bitcoin.

Good luck for your challenge and trip. Hope you will manage it fine.
Just a question. Trips and tickets are quite expensive. Did I miss something in your initial roll? Also, betting xxx mBTC is enough to pay for such things you are doing?

Really awesome OP, I guess the community is more than happy for you. Just to be honest, I am really happy to see that you even posted pictures of you on the events! I can't say that everyone here would do such a thing since I think most people here value their identities. It's nice to see that you are a living proof that bitcoins can bring you places! Good luck and I hope you can go to every live game you want to go to around the world!

It is good to be ambitious and enthusiastic about going to Russia to watch the world cup. I really find this thread quite awesome and inspirational for me and other people to bet for their team and support them especially with bitcoin. I hope one day all people will be able to use bitcoin freely.

Sometimes we need to do something not usual the break the routine and that is what you exactly are planning to do. I hope you have a good time out there.

Wow, just wow. I envy you mate. Even if you end up losing you'll have so many pictures and new friends. Money is nothing compared to the experiences.
The only thing that strikes me in this thread is the word soccer. Its bloody football ffs! >:(
Good luck with your bets and keep us updated!

Intercontinental playoff 2nd-leg report

This post is the TLDR, full and updated details are here https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-intercontinental-playoff-2nd-leg-report/

The game: Australia 3 - Honduras 1 (Australia qualify)

In my preview to this game I said if Honduras play like they did in the 1st-leg they will lose 3-0. They played like they did in the 1st-leg and were losing 3-0 until the final minute, when they bundled over a consolation goal to make it 3-1.

Don’t let the high goal tally make you think the Socceroos have fixed their scoring problems; all 3 goals were set pieces rather than being scored from general play.

Expenses and bets

Winner winner chicken dinner! I spent 939 mBTC to follow the Socceroos on both legs of the intercontinental playoff against Honduras. I have won 947 mBTC on a bet for Australia to qualify. That is after I had similar success in the Asian qualification playoff against Syria.

I have also had the time of my life with amazing travel experiences, caught up with old friends and family, made new friends, visited awesome places, tried delicious food and generally lived the dream!

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Australia-vs-honduras-penalty.jpg

Thanks for your positive comments guys, people are liking the pics so I made an image gallery with all the photos so far https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-in-pictures/

For the Word Cup itself I have the Australia 3 game team specific ticket and will be able to calculate the expenses soon after the draw in December.

It's a very good topic mate, It's very nice to take some good picture likes that and support your country. I think that you are a big fun for football , and that's great, I hope that you will always win with your bets.
Good luck man.

Wow! Sounds really interesting, and dangerous altogether. Someone following his team in other countries to support it, while earning the expenses through the games being played. It must have been a hell of an experience for sure. Even if i had the money for betting, or i was a die-hard fan of any sport, i wouldn't dare to take that much risk, but as they always say, there is no fun without risk, and for sure you had fun if you have took risks.
Good luck for the next time mate!

I’ve only just seen this thread, this is awesome. OP I will be really keen to follow your journey, great that the Aussies qualified, I wish you all the best.

I will be following this thread from now :)

its been a month now and you are still in a good shape OP i guess you will succeed as your team really making its way to follow the path, just keep it up and enjoy your journey i will try to keep being updated with your success, still a nice topic to follow from here mate. more luck to you.

I thi k it will be great if he's able to achieve this feet and we are all watching closely if anything better will come out of this. Russia is 8 months away and we hope for the best. I likewise wish him the best of luck though

I did it!

I spent 629 m฿ going to the 3 Socceroos World Cup games in Russia (at the time of paying for everything bitcoin was worth 2.5 x more than it is now). Full itemization of expenses is here

https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-matchday-1-preview/

I won 664 m฿ betting on the games, detailed here

https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-matchday-1-report/
https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia-matchday-2-report/

Some pics :)

Kazan

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/kazan.jpg

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/horse-meet-and-olivier-salad.jpg

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/kazan-areana.jpg

Samara

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/samara-river.jpg

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/russian-bbq.jpg

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/samara-arena-australia-denmark.jpg

Sochi

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/sochi-gokarts.jpg

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/sochi-beach.jpg

https://bitedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/sochi-olympic-tourch.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ASDKqyi.jpg

Full details here: https://bitedge.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia/e.com/blog/betting-my-way-to-russia/