Beginners Guide Part 2: How to place a bet
How to bet To place a bet online a knowledge and consideration of three key areas is required:
Betting markets will be split up between specific sports, and then further arranged by the date of event, national league, tournament, race meeting, fixtures, type of bet, etc. For example a live televised Barclays Premier League Football match there could be up to 200 different markets to bet on (including Match Odds, Correct Score, Half Time/Full Time Result, Half Time Result, First Goalscorer, To Score, Handicap Result and many others.).
Most betting sites use the same terminology for describing the vast choice of possible bets available online. Online bookmaker customer service departments will clarify any confusion regarding markets. Familiarity with betting markets is best achieved by carefully, browsing through a number of different betting sites. Customers should only place bets on markets they fully understand.
Odds and Staking Once a desired market is selected, odds for each selection/outcome will be presented.
The odds on a market selection are a simple mathematical expression which uses the stake amount (the amount of cash that is gambled on the bet) to calculate the potential bet profit. At different odds profits will vary, a bet that is very likely to happen will have short odds and a lower profit than a bet that is less likely to happen which has long odds and a higher profit. The odds demonstrate the bookmaker assessment of the risk (with greater risk leading to greater reward). When placing multiple and accumulator bets the stakes multiply together to give odds of all happening together, this is discussed in the advanced betting guide (coming soon)
Odds are presented in one of three main ways. Most online betting sites offer Decimal odds and Fraction odds. This allows for switching between the two (conversion). American odds are the default offering by US bookmakers.
How to bet
- The practicalities of navigating an online betting site
- Odds and staking
- Issues to consider when placing a bet
- Checking bet results
Betting markets will be split up between specific sports, and then further arranged by the date of event, national league, tournament, race meeting, fixtures, type of bet, etc. For example a live televised Barclays Premier League Football match there could be up to 200 different markets to bet on (including Match Odds, Correct Score, Half Time/Full Time Result, Half Time Result, First Goalscorer, To Score, Handicap Result and many others.).
Most betting sites use the same terminology for describing the vast choice of possible bets available online. Online bookmaker customer service departments will clarify any confusion regarding markets. Familiarity with betting markets is best achieved by carefully, browsing through a number of different betting sites. Customers should only place bets on markets they fully understand.
Odds and Staking Once a desired market is selected, odds for each selection/outcome will be presented.
The odds on a market selection are a simple mathematical expression which uses the stake amount (the amount of cash that is gambled on the bet) to calculate the potential bet profit. At different odds profits will vary, a bet that is very likely to happen will have short odds and a lower profit than a bet that is less likely to happen which has long odds and a higher profit. The odds demonstrate the bookmaker assessment of the risk (with greater risk leading to greater reward). When placing multiple and accumulator bets the stakes multiply together to give odds of all happening together, this is discussed in the advanced betting guide (coming soon)
Odds are presented in one of three main ways. Most online betting sites offer Decimal odds and Fraction odds. This allows for switching between the two (conversion). American odds are the default offering by US bookmakers.
How to bet