Types of bets in betting shops

In order to bet successfully on sports, a player needs to be well versed in all the betting options available. In particular, the bettor should know:

• types of bets (single, express or system);
• the betting markets (outcome, double odds, handicap, total, etc.);
• the betting period (pre-match or live).

Types of bets

There are 3 main types of bets. The most popular one is the single. It is a bet on just one event. If several events are added to a betting slip, it is called an express. In this case the odds of several single bets are multiplied. As a result the player gets a high total odds. The minus of expresses is that even one mistake will lead to the loss of the entire bet.

A system is a combination of single bets. For example, a 4 of 6 system means that the player bets on 6 events at once. In this case, 15 variants of mini expresses are formed. If all 6 events in the system pass, the player wins the maximum amount. If 4-5 events pass, the player will still win. But in that case the winnings can be even less than the bet amount. If the player guesses the outcomes of no more than three events, the bet will be a loss.

Betting markets

It is also customary to classify bets according to markets. The most popular markets today are:

• Outcomes (P1, P2 or X);
• Double odds (1X, X2 or 12);
• Handicaps (on goals or points);
• Totals (on goals, points, warnings, infringements and other statistics).

Players also often bet on odds, double odds, exact scores and individual scores (in football, hockey and basketball).

Betting period

Sports betting can be either pre-match or live. Pre-match bets are bets placed before the start of the match. Live bets are placed after the starting whistle.

Other types of bets

Other betting options are available from the bookmakers. For example, bookmakers often offer bets on non-sporting events. Players may try to predict the results of political elections, the weather, the outcome of prestigious music and film awards, the winners of popular talk shows, the endings of TV series (e.g. the ending of “Game of Thrones”), etc.

During the quarantine period, when almost all sporting events were suspended, virtual sports betting became hugely popular. Bookmakers offer betting on virtual football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, etc. matches. In this case, the results of the matches depend solely on artificial intelligence algorithms.

Cyber sports betting is also popular today. This discipline should not be confused with virtual sports. In cybersports, players or characters are controlled by real people. In this discipline, teams compete in popular computer games – Dota II, Counter Strike, League of Legends, etc.

In some betting shops you can also bet on the sweepstakes. This game involves betting on several matches pre-selected by the bookmaker’s office. To win in the sweepstakes, a player has to guess the outcomes of, for example, 10 out of 12 matches. The number of matches in the betting slip and the betting conditions may vary considerably from one bookmaker to another.