Gambling Blog

As if it was not hard enough picking a winner in a two horse race, or a clash of the majors and the minnows in an FA Cup match, some gamblers want to take the test one step further and look at handicap betting.  What is handicap betting and how does it work?

In simple terms, handicap betting is where you effectively give other players in the race, game or whatever it maybe, an advantage.  In football you may give one team a 2 goal head start, or you may give someone else a so many second head start in a race.  Effectively it is a way of trying to bring the possible bets closer together and bring out the skills in the gambler, the one who can spot a “dead cert”, or an outside horse which might just do well with a “head start”.

Why Would People Bet With Handicaps?

The main reason to bet with this type of system is the increased odds, for example Chelsea v Reading may well see Chelsea 5/1 on to win, but if Reading are effectively given a 2 goal head start, then Chelsea have to score 3 more than Reading to win, and 2 just to get back on level terms.  For this “handicap” the gambler might receive odds of 2/1, and an increased return if Chelsea score 3 more goals than Reading.

The downside is that even if Chelsea were to beat Reading by up to 2 clear goals, that would effectively be a “draw”, and the Chelsea to win bet would be worthless.   The problem with handicap betting is the fact that if Chelsea had an off day, or Reading had a good day, then there is every chance that it may be difficult for Chelsea to make up the handicap deficit. 

This type of betting is only for the brave, or those who really know how to read a market!