Handicap in betting shops

The term handicap is used quite often in the world of sports, but for players betting on bookmakers it is especially important. In this article we will take a closer look at the concept of handicap-what it is, what are its types (European and Asian handicap), in the offer on what sports you can meet it most often, as well as what are the advantages and disadvantages of the game handicap. Here you will find many examples of handicaps and practical tips on how to play with them.

Handicap – what is it?

A Handicap is a type of betting whose idea is equalizing the odds of the teams playing in a given match (or the players). The Handicap consists in adding the number of points (goals) to the result that the selected side will get in the match, which increases the chance of its virtual win (or at least a draw) and reduces the chance of winning the opposite side. How easy to guess, points are added to the result of the team whose chances of winning the match are less . Bookmakers also use negative points, applying them to the favorites of the meeting.

Thus, explaining what a handicap is, it can be said that a handicap is a treatment that, for the needs of bookmakers, equalizes the chances of competing teams/players. After the meeting a handicap bet is settled based on the actual score of the match adjusted by the virtual number of goals/points taken at the beginning . That is: the sum of Points Earned really and virtual points counts.

Example:

Bet: handicap 0:1 (1 goal advantage for guests)

If the actual result of the match is:

0:1 (guest Win – - Handicap score is 0: 2 (guest win),

0:0 (tie) - handicap score is 0: 1 (guest win),

1:0 (home win – - handicap score is 1:1 (draw),

2: 0 (home win) - handicap score is 2:1 (home win), etc.

Why play handicaps?

Well, the general principle of operation is simple, but why actually invented a handicap? This type of betting may seem unnecessarily strange at first, but virtual points have very practical effects . Let's assume that before us the match Celta Vigo-FC Barcelona, in which the Catalans are the clear favorite. Odds on a regular 1x2 bet is for this meeting eg. 6.00 – 4.60 – 1.50. Betting on Barcelona winning is therefore not very profitable, while other options, according to the analysis, will most likely be lost. And here comes the handicap. Bookmaker it can encourage players to bet, and they have a chance to make more profit.

For example, take the -2.5 handicap for Barcelona, which is a bet where 2.5 goals must be subtracted from the real result of Barça. Since it is much more difficult in this situation to bet a hit Coupon on the victory of this team, the odds for this result will be higher than in the usual 1X2. In turn, the selection to win Celta Vigo must receive a lower rate (because the handicap increases the chances of such a result). If the typer believes that it is likely that Barcelona will win by 3 or more goals, it is a good way to bet on her winning with this handicap – such a bet will bring a bigger win than betting 1X2: the odds from 1.50 will increase, for example, to 4.50. On the other hand, even if a player thinks that Barça will win, but estimates that its advantage will be at most 2 goals, he should consider betting on Celta Vigo to win – also using the handicap of -2.5 for Barcelona (of course, you also need to check what level the odds are in this case, because it will be quite low, for example, 1.22).

As you can see, the handicap, depending on the specific situation, can prompt you to bet on the win of the favorite or the outsider, as well as bring the players greater profits . In turn, bookmakers can encourage more people to play, so that their profit from the margin imposed on bookmakers he'll be taller, too.

Asian and European handicaps

To get a better idea of what a handicap is, you still need to know what the European and Asian handicaps mean. These 2 most important types of Equalization bets differ 2 issues. Firstly European handicap which is indicated by the symbol "EH" , has 3 possible results: home win, draw and loss (the so-called three-way plant). In turn Asian handicap which is hidden under the sign "AH" or "AHO" has no draw option - you can bet only on the victory of one of the sides of the competition (the so-called two-way bet). This is a consequence of the second key difference between these handicaps: asian handicap has half or quarter values , e.g. +0.5, +0.25, -1.5. Therefore, when choosing the Asian handicap, it is impossible to type a draw result – the initial advantage of a quarter or half of a goal excludes the possibility of a draw. It is true that the Asian handicap also occurs in the form of full points, but in this case a draw returns the bet . In turn the European handicap uses only integers : added or subtracted can be e.g.: 1, 2, 3 (etc.) goals, and a draw after adjusting the result of the meeting for virtual points is as acceptable as possible.

Since the Asian handicap is much more $married than the European handicap, we will take a closer look at its different varieties.

Asian Handicap DNB

This is a very specific Asian handicap, because it gives no advantage to either side. . It is written as „ AH 0”, and its other names are Draw No Bet (DNB) or bet without a draw. This is a plant in which there is no possibility to type the draw result and if it happens, the bookmaker returns the bet to the player, that is, it settles it at odds of 1.00.

Asian half Handicap

This asian handicap is very popular, so it's worth taking a look at how it works in practice.

Example:

Borussia Dortmund - FC Augsburg

Bet: Borussia Dortmund AH (-2.5) (handicap -2.5, or 2.5 goals advantage for FC Augsburg)

If the actual result of the match is:

3:0-the result with a handicap is 0.5: 0 (won by Borussi Dortmund),

2:0-handicap score is -0.5: 0 (win FC Augsburg).

It follows that betting on the win of Borussia Dortmund with a handicap bet of -2.5, our coupon will be won if they win by at least 3 goals advantage (FC Augsburg has 2.5 goals more at the beginning). However, if we Type G FC Augsburg's win, then we will only get a win if Borussia Dortmund wins by no more than 2 goals or there is a draw or, of course, FC Augsburg simply wins.

Example:

Olympique Marseille-PSG

Bet: Olympique Marseille AH (+0,5) (handicap +0,5 advantage for Olympique Marseille)

If the actual result of the match is:

1:0 – handicap score is 1.5: 0 (won by Olympique Marseille),

0:0-handicap score is 0.5: 0 (won by Olympique Marseille),

0:1-Handicap score is 0.5:1 (PSG win).

In this example, if we place a bet on Olympique Marseille winning, all we need to win the bet is that the match will end in a draw. In contrast, a typical PSG victory must win the match by at least 1 goal advantage.

Asian quarter Handicap

Another asian handicap is more complicated because it is de facto a double handicap. What does that mean? It consists of two parts, the bet is divided in half and allocated to 2 handicaps . Let's look at the 0.25 handicap and then the 0.75 handicap.

Example:

SL Benfica – Lech Poznan

Bet: SL Benfica AH (-0,25) (handicap 0,25 goals advantage for Lech Poznan)

Rate 10 $

$ 5 is wagered on handicap AH 0

$ 5 bet on handicap AH -0.5 SL Benfica

In the case of this bet, the handicap only affects the draw situation: if we bet on SL Benfica winning, we lose in the case of a draw, and if Lech Poznan winning – we get a refund. But note, it is partial ($5), because it comes from the bet AH 0, while the bet AH -0.5 is lost.

Example:

Real Madrid-Villarreal

Bet: Real Madrid AH (-0,75) ((handicap 0,75 goal advantage for Villarreal)

Rate 10 $

$ 5 bet on handicap AH -1.0

$ 5 bet on handicap AH -0.5

If we are betting on Real Madrid to win, it must win at least 2 goals advantage. A win by only 1 goal means a partial refund (handicap -1.0 gives a draw) and a win from a bet with handicap AH -0.5. A draw or a win by any number of Villarreal goals is a losing ticket in this case.

European and Asian Handicap-comparison

Let's summarize what has been said about the general differences between the types of handicaps discussed.

European Handicap:

• You can bet on home win, away win or draw (3-way bet).

• Handicap has the form of only full numbers (1,2, 3...)
• The Handicap is marked as EH, and the notation of the match result looks like 0:1 (1 goal advantage for the guests), 2: 0 (2 goals advantage for the hosts), etc.

Asian Handicap:

• You can bet on the host win or the guest Win (2-way bet).
• Handicap can take the form of full numbers, halves (0.5, 1.5, 2.5...) or quarters (0.25, 0.75, 1.25.... )

• The Handicap is designated as AH, and the notation refers to the result of one team / player, e.g. -0.5 (half a goal less for the favorite), +1.25 (1 and a quarter of a goal advantage for the outsider), etc.

When is it worth using a handicap?

After the previous explanations, it is already clear in which situations it is worth betting on a handicap. Betting of this kind makes sense primarily when there are large power imbalances between the participants of the match, and therefore when he plays a clear favorite (the odds of his winning are very low) and a much weaker outsider (the odds are high) . Depending on the specific case, the handicap allows betting winning the favorite at a higher rate, but also typing the victory of an outsider-albeit at a lower rate than in a 1x2 bet, but with a much higher probability of winning. But that's not all. Handicap also works, for example, in the case of doubles (match + rematch) - when we know the result of the first meeting and the real advantage of one of the teams, we can properly choose a bet with a handicap to win the selected team in the whole double.

Handicap-what sports can I bet on?

Handicap in the game at the bookmaker appears most often in sports such as football, tennis, basketball, etc. The point is that the handicap works best where the result of the match depends on the difference in points / goals scored by teams/players in a given match . Team sports lead the way and these are the most popular : football, basketball, volleyball or ice hockey. When it comes to individual sports, the handicap is very often seen in the offer of bets on ground tennis, but also table tennis or badminton. Of course, in other sports handicaps also appear, but less often.

Bookmakers in Poland, most often provide handicap betting on football – in this sport, you can meet basically any type of handicap and it's not only about the final result of the meeting, but also the result of the half. W basketball there is a point handicap for a quarter, a half or the whole match, in retinal - handicap concerning the result in the form of sets, but also the so-called small points, in ice hockey - a handicap relating to a period or the whole match, in slag - handicap relating to points in the overall result of the race, and in tennis - handicap for gems, sets or the whole match.

It should also be emphasized that individual sports have their own specifics, which translates into the offered handicap betting. For example, since in a basketball game teams score much more points than they score goals in a football match, the offer of handicaps for basketball also needs to be more extensive.

Handicap-pros and cons

What are the advantages of handicap?

Handicap in the game of betting has its advantages for the typer, but also disadvantages. On the part of the former, it should certainly be mentioned that when it comes to handicaps, the bookmaker uses lower margin . This in turn translates into higher odds and bigger potential wins. Secondly, bookmakers type handicap bets placed on favorites have higher odds than regular 1x2 bets - thanks to this, betting on the win of the stronger team becomes more profitable (sometimes typing ordinary bets on the favorite may not be calculated at all – remember that after taking into account the 12% game Tax, betting on odds of 1.13 and lower brings losses even if you win). Especially when a player thinks that a particular team or player will win a large number of goals or points, it pays to bet a handicap, because the winnings from such a bet will be much larger. On the other hand, if the player's predictions say that the advantage of the favorite will not translate into a large number of goals/points, then he should consider placing a handicap bet, but betting on a weaker rival. Handicap thus, it allows you to type an outsider's win and achieve a win even if he loses the meeting .

However, when it comes to Asian handicaps, they reduce the results of the bet to 2 possibilities (win, lose), eliminating the draw (in his case there is a return). The bet is safer, the risk of loss decreases, and the player has a better chance of hitting (choose between 2 or 3 possible outcomes.) In turn, the Asian quarter handicap is also a good way to plant diversification - if the bet is split, then a small mistake in typing will not result in the loss of the entire bet amount, only half of it, or the return of half the BET and a win from the second half of the bet.

What are the disadvantages of handicap?

However, it must be remembered that in order for a handicap in a game at a bookmaker to be effective, a very thorough analysis of a typical sports meeting is necessary – typing a 1x2 bet is easier . The chances of hitting a handicap bet are therefore less. A Handicap is also not generally recommended when very even teams are to face each other in a match. Let us also remember that the odds offered by bookmakers on such bookmakers do not necessarily have to be attractive. It must also be admitted that bookmakers operating in Poland legally do not have a particularly developed offer for a handicap – bookmakers of this kind are of course available, but often only in the basic range and for the most popular events.

Handicap and other betting

What has been said so far should largely explain the handicap – what it is, how it works and when it is worth playing when using it. Finally, it is worth mentioning that in some cases completely different bets are actually equivalent to a handicap bet. Bookmakers double chance they are a good example of this. Well, if you place a double chance bet (otherwise called a bet with a support) and choose the X2 type, that is, a guest win or a draw in the match, then this is a bet equivalent to a handicap of 0:1 (advantage goal for guests). However, due to the size of the courses, the it is more profitable to bet on a handicap. - it is worth remembering about this and using knowledge about such dependencies in practice.

Moreover, sometimes a European handicap of a given type turns out to be equivalent to a certain Asian Handicap. For example, the hosts ' winning type with an asian handicap of -2.50 is equivalent to their winning type with a European handicap of -2.00. Note that the values of both handicaps are different – the following rule applies here: to calculate the value of the Asian Handicap, subtract 0.5 from the value of the European handicap . In contrast, the European handicap with a value of e.g. +1 is a completely different bet than the Asian handicap +1 and works differently. To better understand this, let's take a look at an example.

Example:

Bet on guests with handicap win +1

Match score: 1:0

Handicap result: 1:1 (tie)

If a player has placed a bet with a European handicap-the bet is lost.

If the player has placed a bet with an asian handicap-the bet is refunded.