What is the odds of betting on sports

The odds is a numerical value by which the bettor's bet is multiplied in case he wins. The calculation formula is as follows: Bet x odds - total winnings. To determine the amount of net profit should be subtracted from the total winnings of the bet.

To date, there are 3 generally accepted varieties of odds:

• Decimal (European) - the most common in Europe. This option is the most accessible to the perception. It is denoted by a decimal number, for example, 1.35. The calculation of winnings looks like this: the bet amount 100 multiplied by 1.35. The size of the total payout will be 135, net - 35, respectively.
• Fractional (English). Presented in the form of a fractional figure, say 8/3. In deciphering means that at a rate of 300 conventional units, the payout will be 800.
• American - a kind of odds, associated with the peculiarities of American soccer and baseball. It is written in the form of positive or negative integers: 25 or - 93, for example. It is rarely used in European sweepstakes.

It is important to remember, the calculation of odds in the sweepstakes is made in such a way that the office remains in profit at any outcome of the match. To do this, bookmaker use their own margin - the percentage of risk. Because of this, the odds on the same outcome in the same events may be different. This feature often becomes the basis of a number of strategies used by experienced bettors.

Sports betting strategies

Statistics say that only 25% of sports betting bring winnings. Betting participants invariably strive to increase this figure, at least on a personal level. To beat a bookmaker's office, bettors build all sorts of strategies based on the use of various techniques. Among the basic techniques it is worth noting:

• Catch-up - a strategy known among casino gamblers as Martingale. It is based on a consistent increase in bets. With unsuccessful predictions, each next installment is increased so that the potential winnings allowed to "repay" the entire amount of the lost funds.
• The Danish strategy is an "aggressive" version of the overtake. In this variant both the size of contribution and odds increase in arithmetic progression.
• Fork ("Arbitrage", "Corridor") is a strategy based on the above-mentioned difference in odds in the bookmakers' offices. Players bet on the exact opposite outcome of the same event in different sweepstakes.
  In this case, it is important to clearly calculate the ratio of contributions and odds so as to get a win in any variant, regardless of the outcome of the competition.

On the thematic sites and forums are posted special calculators that allow you to accurately determine the amount of additions. But it should be noted, bookmakers do not welcome such betting systems and impose sanctions on players noticed in their use.

• "both score" - this strategy is used mainly in relation to hockey and soccer matches. Experienced bettors recommend using it in major international championships. The likelihood that both teams will score a point is quite high. Although the odds for such events are low and rarely exceed the 1.2 level, the risk of losing a bet is minimized.