User Comments

Gentlemen, but this tutorial was not actually meant to anyone of you, so if your bots were working correctly then why you updated bfexplorer app to the latest version, if all was working with your bots using the version of bfexplorer you installed initially?

Of course I am very sorry for any trouble or problems, or even lost in money you mentioned, but again I ask when all worked with previous version of bfexplorer for both of you why you did updated to the latest version? Did I force you to update?

If not then it is really just your responsibility first to check if the latest version of bfexplorer works with your preset bots. Tony you reported you have got setup 800 bots, well that is really quite a lot, I myself never exceeded more than 50 bots or so.

If you setup so many bots, then there is really question?

Do you really need 800 bots with different settings? You maybe use just one or two types of bots, I mean for instance Place Bet bot and trading bot called: Place Bet and Close Selection Bet position. If that is your case then your strategy can be automated the other way, you actually creates just different parameters or model for those two bots, so there is need to rethink your strategy and create your custom bot which works just with preset data, to automatically configure your two bots.

The other question is, when you really spent a lot of time with setting up so many bots why you did not ask me what to do to prevent recreating of all your bots when you update bfexplorer version, because updates to any software are inevitable, they simply happen, it is the way how software industry works, as any technology evolves in time, so updates are necessary!

It is not because some problems in my app, but as they happened sometimes, but it is because of changes in betfair api from time to time, and mainly from the fact that bfexplorer app involves as well, as I myself use it daily.

Just simply hint for all making a lot of bot settings.

Bfexplorer app is installed in folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\BeloSoft\Bfexplorer

So when you are uncertain whether update to the latest version will introduce problems to your current running app version and bots, rename this folder to:

C:\Program Files (x86)\BeloSoft\Bfexplorer.bak

So this way old installation of bfexplorer remains in this folder, the latest version will be installed to the folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\BeloSoft\Bfexplorer

That is not all, bfexplorer also uses different app settings. These settings are saved in the folder:

C:\Users\stefan\AppData\Roaming\BeloSoft\Bfexplorer

Stefan is my username on windows installation, so of course you must replace that with your username, so:

C:\Users\your user name here\AppData\Roaming\BeloSoft\Bfexplorer

Again you can copy that folder and so backup your all settings, or just in case of bot settings you can copy the file:

MyBots.parameters

to your backup folder.

Now you can run the latest version of bfexplorer and first check if all your bots works, you should test it in the practice mode so not risking real money in your test.

You both mentioned Football Bot, yes I updated this bot after one user requested

Bfexplorer Latest Release

to add Start/StopCriteria criteria, as number of different parameters had changed, it was better to implement that this way, and I reported that to release log:

Version 2.0.6957

Adding Goals parameter to Start/StopCriteria for Football bot.

So if I understand it correctly you updated to latest version, just because a new set of parameters was added to Football Bot, right?

But then you either knew that it could cause some problems with previous bot settings, so you were able to rebuild your bots again, or you should simply ask me about that. I really do not remember anyone of you ask about those possible compatibility issues when using new Football Bot. Nor I read about problems with Be the First in Queue bot.

I am betfair software vendor, so vendor providing trading app for betfair. For some of bfexplorer users I am partner as well, mainly for whom I build bespoke bots or apps, and they ask me. So for such users I can advise, in my best knowledge, about solving problem or strategy.

I hope you understand difference between words vendor and partner. In what role you are that do not depend on me but on you.

When you download Setup.exe file and the file is blocked by your operating system, so you cannot install bfexplorer app. Please read this article describing how to unblock such file:

https://www.isumsoft.com/windows-10/3-ways-to-unblock-app-or-file.html

You open a market for monitoring so it is open market, right? All the rest of millions market on betfair are not opened by you, so are not monitored by your bfexplorer app. This is just linguistic term, I had to name some way the view with open(ed) markets.

Any grid view has columns, so you can filter, sort, group data by those columns. Filter your markets by Status, or group them. Now select all closed markets, and click on Close toolbar button, and so all your closed markets will be removed from Open(ed) Markets.

When football match is over, it means that betfair sets the market status to closed. Bfexplorer does not monitor closed markets.

If you run your strategy automatically by Bot Executor tool, whenever your bot finishes its execution, the Bot Executor removes the market from monitoring, so no data are loaded by bfexplorer for such market.

Any action bot, bfexplorer offers, has parameter named:  StopMarketMonitoring. This parameter when set to True (checked in bot parameter’s settings) will set the market status to "inactive", when there is no other running bot on the market, so this way the open market is removed from monitoring. This parameter is useful when you run you bots manually on open markets in bfexplorer so not in automatic mode using Bot Executor tools.

You can use either dark or white app theme:

http://bfexplorer.net/Community/BlogContent/407

And when you go through my post you can really see different app layouts.

Betfair Tennis Trading and Tools

http://bfexplorer.net/Articles/Content/351

Portrait Layout

http://bfexplorer.net/Articles/Content/213

On Bfexplorer Product web page:

http://bfexplorer.net/Products/Bfexplorer

There is icon (like windows) in the main header, and when you move your mouse to this icon the tooltip window appears saying: “Bfexplorer Product Features”, click on to open web page:

http://bfexplorer.net/Products/ProductFeatures

Here in User Interface tab click on: Application layout and workspaces

http://bfexplorer.net/Products/Feature/12

There you can watch video showing how to change app layout.

The base points are: App uses two different user interfaces to present active market: the grid one and ladder one, you can switch between them by clicking on Use Bet Event Trader toolbar button in the main app bar.

So ladders UI is named in my app context like: “Bet Event Trader”, and grid user control (grid view), is named “Bet Event”.

When switching to one or the other mode you can change layout of other views as well, just by resizing or views and/or hiding not used ones.

If you repeatedly use different application layouts, then you can add them to your workspaces, clicking on View/Workspaces/Add.

Then you can simply switch between them using View/Workspaces/My Workspaces/<Your workspace name here>.

When you made changes to already named workspace just click on Save menu item in View/Workspaces/Save.

Bfexplorer remember lastly used workspace and reloads it again when you open bfexplorer again after Exit.

In Application/Settings/Trading Ladder you can set number of trading selections shown in “ladders”, by default it is set to 3, UI of my app is optimized to resolution of 1920x1200. If you have bigger screen with better resolution or more monitors then you can float views to another monitor, on so on.

The concept of moving/resizing/docking windows in base on Window operation system, so it is not just something I implemented in my application: bfexplorer.

Have a look at for instance on Tabs in Chrome/Edge/Internet Explorer, actually in any web browser. You can drag&drop a tab and move it to another monitor, or docked it to another Chrome app, and so.

The same concept works in bfexplorer app, it is called dockable views/windows.

First you need to define what you mean by term “scalping”?

Basically, the word describers manually trading on betfair, so the activity when man using its knowledge on how prices/odds will move, or how the market (so rest of people and bots on betfair) will react on market price changes, and using this knowledge to place back or lay bets, either by offering bets, and or taking what is offered.

The aim of this strategy is to create very short position on betfair market taking just couple ticks profit when market moves in favor or just accept loses, again in couple ticks. Trade is made by placing opposite bet type then opening one, so lay when back first and wise versa.

A tick is price/odds difference between back/lay odds, as betfair odds on non  handicap markets is defined in price groups, so for instance in odds/price range 2-3, it is 0.02, but in odds 3-4 it is 0.05 and so on, then between 2.12-2.14 we have got 1 tick difference as well as between 10-10.5.

That is the basic of trading on betfair.

When man trades on betfair a different techniques are used, you even place fake bets to force market react in your favor, in such cases you need to know what you are doing, as what you offer in such fake/trap bets, can be value for others.

To automate this process we are using betfair bots, so small programs which could automate manual part of your daily routine on befair markets, it is clear that such bots do not think, and are limited only by preprogrammed parameters.

In bfexplorer app you can find following bots which can be used for scalping:

Place Bet

Be the First in Queue

Fill or Kill

Close Selection Bet Position

Close Selection Bet Position at Odds

Place Bet and Close Selection Bet Position

Tick Offset

Scratch Trading

Trailing Stop Loss

Close Market Bet Position

Today's results running the bot fully automatically using Bot Executor tool:

I have just added new bot to bfexplorer called: “Show Market Selection and Alert”. If you want to use it install the latest version of bfexplorer:

http://bfexplorer.net/Products/Bfexplorer

I have created new bot script TennisGameScoreAlertBot.fsx, you can add GameScore parameter adding values like this: GameScores:5 - 4|6 - 5

Scores are separated by | and are written from position of serving player, have a look at the bot script on lines 49 – 63.

TennisGameScoreAlertBot.fsx

I do simple bot script development for my subscribers for free (that requires up to 1 working hour). I checked the script execution on my server, and no error message was reported, therefore I think you just tried to change the bot code and your changes produced error message you reported.

Bfexplorer offers standard bots that require no programming skills. You just set the bot parameters and execute such bot. One of such bots is “Tennis Bot” so basically you can set your trigger parameters, and setup an action by BotName parameter that will be executed when trigger criteria are met.

“Tennis Bot” stops its execution automatically when the action bot is triggered, so repeating bot action again can be made by recursion, what can be done by "Sequence Execution" bot, referring last bot name to execute in sequence to be the name of your sequence bot.

The last think for your custom bot is “Notification Bot”, so bot that will alert you (speak some text), so similar like in TennisBreakPointAlertBot script.

I will add such bot to standard bfexplorer bots adding one useful feature which you could see in the “Watch Favourite” bot. This bot displays market selection in Bet Event view automatically, so when monitoring for instance 50 tennis markets, the bot will automatically show in Bet Event view the market and selection on which the bot was executed.

I will add updated script as well, but my idea was that users willing to share programming bot scripts will do so, therefor I posted tutorial bot scripts for learners of betfair bot programming on my github web page:

https://gist.github.com/StefanBelo

You have got MSCORLIB.DLL assembly on your computer, because when you installed bfexplorer, the .net libraries already must be installed on your computer.

Bfexplorer app is developed in C# and F# programming languages, the script you want to run is written in F# as well.

All you need to do is installed F# language extension to Visual Studio, or any other IDE you use, please read/watch following:

Betfair Bot Programming for Non-Developers

mscorlib.dll is part of .net installation package, and is installed on every Windows OS, .net is here from 2002, so my question is what you do and on what OS?

http://dllsearch.net/dlls/m/mscorlib-dll-file

More about TLS 1.2 for software developers:

https://blogs.perficient.com/2016/04/28/tsl-1-2-and-net-support/

I do not know on what version of .net is built Geektoy, but for instance cymatic is built on .net 4.5, and also does not support windows xp and 7.

http://www.cymatic.co.uk/forum/topic1680.html

By general TLS 1.2 is supported by .net 4.6 and above so all apps built on such .net version does not require any changes, but of course TLS 1.2 must be directly supported by OS, so it must be its default protocol for https.

Other versions of .net require:

ServicePointManager.SecurityProtocol = SecurityProtocolType.Tls12

Because bfexplorer app is always built against the latest version of .net, I did not have to rebuild my app to comply TLS 1.2 requirements, but on the other hand users must use latest updates for OS.

Once again keep in mind what I said before: “I use bfexplorer app daily, so you can be sure there is no problem in bfexplorer app.”, so any problem you have got are in 99% cases on your side.

Similar problems reported at the same day one user from Asia, he told me that app worked day before but not 19 February, I replied similarly like in your case.  Later after 1-2 days he reported that all works fine on another computer?!

So now think a little bit, he used the same app, one was not working and the other was working but on another computer, of course he did not bother to report on what OS he runs bfexplorer that have problems to connect, again I replied by more details about TLS 1.2 as I was sure that it is his problem. He did not reply on what OS he runs bfexporer but again complain, actually just copy pasting original email.

Finally he managed to execute TeamViewer   session, and what do you think what OS he was running, well yes Windows XP.

Keep in mind that when using OS which is no more supported by Microsoft you did not get anymore any security patches, there is 100% chance your computer is full of viruses and all kinds of malware.

What is your OS version? Send me TeamViewer access (by support email) code so I can check it myself.

I tested bfexplorer on Windows 10 and Windows Server 2012 and all works fine. I can confirm that bfexporer will not work on Windows 7 or XP, as bfexplorer app is compiled to .net 4.7 version without support for Windows 7 or XP.

If you want to run app with TLS 1.2 on Windows 7 or XP them it is just not a question of installing the latest version of .net assemblies, just google: tls 1.2 on windows 7.

There was planned maintenance-Tuesday 26th February & Wednesday 27th February 07:00 - 07:15 GMT on betfair servers.

From 19th February 2019 betfair servers accept only TLS 1.2 secure protocol.

Whenever any problem occurs with connection to betfair servers, first what you should do is click on menu item: Help / Betfair Exchange Api Status, it opens the following web page:

https://status.developer.betfair.com/

And so here you can check whether all betfair services work without problems.

If you problem is with TLS 1.2, then simply update to the latest version of windows operating system.

I use bfexplorer app daily, so you can be sure there is no problem in bfexplorer app.

First you need to setup your action bots, Place Bet bots, to place your bet on exact market selections, so 4 action bots, simply you need to declare what bets and on what market selections you want toplace your bets automatically.

You need to create 4 Football bot settings, setting your Start or Stop Criteria, MarketName and BotName (your action bot).

You can use Clone bot (click on popup menu item for Add a new bot), and change your MarketName and BotName for rest of Football Bots, if your Start or Stop Criteria are the same for all your football bots.

And finally you can use “Execute Bots” bot to create your strategy bot executor, adding all 4 football bots to BotNames. This way you have got one bot you can execute with Bot Executor.

Yes, as your strategy requires to place bets/execute action bots on three additional associated markets: Correct score, Over/Under 2.5 Goals, Over/Under 1.5 Goals the Bot Executor will open these markets for when Start Criteria are met, but all bfexplorer bots have the parameter: StopMarketMonitoring.

When you set StopMarketMonitoring parameter to True (checked) then when bot finishes its execution, and no other bot is running on the market, the market monitoring is stopped for such market.

Bot Executor does so automatically as well, even when you did not set the parameter StopMarketMonitoring, simply bot executor will check whether there is still some bot activate on the market, and when no bot is active/running, the Bot Executor stops market monitoring.

You say that on Correct Score market you want to place two bets, then of course you need to create/setup 2 Place Bet bots, and create executor bot for them, so as mentioned: “Execute Bots” bot setting, and this bot add as action bot to football bot BotName parameter.

Of course if you are familiar with bot programming, you can create bot trigger script to orchestrate your place bet bots, this way you will setup only your action bots, and the rest is simplified by bot trigger code, so this way you will need 5 bot settings.

The strategy orchestration just by setting up bfexplorer bots requires 9 bot settings.

Read this post: NinjaTrader

All posts above ninja tool:

http://bfexplorer.net/Articles/Search?text=ninja

Bfexplorer uses PayPal subscription system, and once activated by you it is PayPal making recurring payment in set interval and not Bfexplorer. Recurring payment is active till again you cancel it, so your bfexplorer subscription as well.

Day of betfair api activation in some cases is not the same day when PayPal recurring payment was made, as betfair api activation really takes place only when your betfair subscription code expires, and of course you are still active subscriber, this is set to 30 days.

For instance, as bfexplorer offers trial period, the first betfair api activation is done automatically when you install bfexplorer app, and login to betfair. Now still in trial period you buy your monthly subscription, activating PayPal recurring payment, as your betfair api access is still valid, it is not generated new subscription code, but it is done later when your befair subscription code expires.

So in this case your subscription code can be activated later, and the day when your betfair subscription code expires is not the same as the day PayPal recurring payment was done.

As said before those days could really differ in 30 days. For instance, PayPal recurring payment is done each 30 days, but as your betfair subscription code is really activated by your betfair login, those are requirements from betfair, then when you take some holiday from betfair trading for instance for X days and you did so coincidently at day when PayPal recurring payment was made, then difference between PayPal payment and your betfair api subscription expiration day will differ for these X days, after your will login to betfair with bfexplorer app again, so your new betfair subscription code will be generated again.

Even users using bfexplorer by running automated trading systems, in fully autonomous mode (24/7) on betfair, must re-login with bfexplorer when betfair subscription code expires. Of course they can do so just by opening second bfexplorer app instance, as bfexplorer subscribers could execute as many of bfexplorer app per betfair user name as needed. For such users, common sense says that better alternative is one year subscription.

When testing this horse racing strategy on today’s races using Bfexplorer Bot Executor tool, the bot trigger the action bot on 4 markets up till now, all trades in profit. The rest of races where the action bot has not been triggered the favourite were bred in Ireland.

Testing this horse racing strategy