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How hedging the bets can help you in betting ?

How can you minimise your risks ?

Table of contents

  1. 💬What is hedging your bets?
  2. ✨Advantageous Changes in Odds
  3. 💡Using Multiple Bookmaking Sites
  4. 🎯Arbitrage Betting (Sure Bets or ‘Arbing’)
  5. ✅Covering Remaining Selections in Accumulators
  6. 🔍Is hedging bets legal?

Have you heard of the phrase “hedge your bets”? Do you know what this oft-used phrase means and how it pertains to sports betting? In this post, we will not only explain the term to hedge your bets. We will also explore the different methods by which you can hedge your bets with one, or more, bookmakers.

In doing so, we will then reveal why you may want to hedge your bets, when the situation is right of course! But let’s begin by examining the meaning of the phrase first.

What is hedging your bets?

In everyday usage, the phrase ‘hedging your bets’ usually means that someone is taking precautions to ensure that they do not lose out.

For example, in a TV show where the main character sets up two dates on the same night with two different people, either in expectation of one of those people dropping out or simply because they want to pick between the two, that character could be said to be ‘hedging their bets.’ 

Of course, it has a different context within the realm of sports betting. Yet it still essentially refers to a similar thing. In this case, a punter making a series of bets that means whatever the outcome of the event in question, they should return some kind of profit. 

So in sports betting, hedging your bets means placing a bet on one outcome of an event. Then utilising the mechanics of bookmaking, odds, certain offers or the type of bet you made initially, to place one or more further bets to ensure that whatever the outcome of the event, you will make a profit or not lose any money!

Of course, bookmakers work hard to ensure that people refrain from hedging their bets on their site. However, punters can hedge their bets in a number of ways, using differences in odds, certain promotions and offers, certain bet types and how they progress, and multiple betting sites.

Let’s explore some of the most popular options for hedging a bet.

Advantageous changes in odds

If you love In-Play betting then the swift changes in odds on selected markets can offer a good opportunity for profit-guaranteed betting! For example, in a tennis match, you back the outside to win with a £10 bet at 2.25. His opponent is a shorter price.

However, the outsider makes a good start in the match and takes the first set 6-2. Now the In Play odds have shortened considerably on the outsider and make them favourite to win. The odds on the former favourite have now drifted out to 2.25.

Now, if you back the former favourite to win at odds of 2.25, then you will be guaranteed a profit of £2.25 regardless of who wins the match!

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Using multiple bookmaking sites

Similarly, you can use two betting site welcome offers (or similar) to guarantee a profit, provided that the bonus is not an offer that refunds your first bet as a free bet if lost. 

With other offers, such as matched deposit bonuses, you can sign up for two bookmaking sites with similar offers and look for a market that has just two selections. For example, the Over/Under market for points scored in an American football game.

When identifying a market, simply place one of your bonus bets on the Over with one bookmaker, and the other with the Under. Either way, one of your bets will win. 

Arbitrage betting (Sure Bets or ‘Arbing’)

Many professional punters use specialist software for arbitrage betting. The software searches through the different betting markets available to find discrepancies in odds between bookmakers. It will then show you how much money to place on each market to ensure you make a profit regardless of the event's outcome. 

Arbing works best when markets have been subject to a ‘boost’ in odds, which can enhance returns. 

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Covering remaining selections in accumulators

There are times when you can guarantee yourself a return with an accumulator bet, regardless of it winning or losing.

A good example is if you place a £10 five-fold accumulator with a bookmaker at combined odds of 20/1, and then you have one fixture left to be decided. 

Nowadays, many bookmakers will offer you a cash-out amount for your bet, which may offer you a profit on your initial stake. It’s worth considering for sure, but it won’t be a huge amount of money. 

However, could it be worthwhile to hedge against your accumulator? Imagine your last selection is a bet on the home team to win the match at an odds-on price. Their opponent is currently 3/1 to win the game and the draw is also a 3/1 shot. 

Having placed a £10 bet on your original acca, which could still win you £200, you could then back both the draw and the away team to win with a £10 bet on each.

That would mean you would stake £30, but guarantee yourself a profit of at least £10 should the away team win or the match finish as a draw. That will likely be more than your Cash Out offer. However, if the home team wins, then you win £210 in total, for a £180 profit. These are just four of the simple ways customers can hedge their bets across betting sites.

Is hedging bets legal?

You should be aware that while hedging your bets is not illegal, betting sites do take a dim view of people openly using this form of advantage betting. Many sites reserve the right to suspend or cancel an account of someone found to be betting in this way. 

However, by using multiple betting sites, it is far more difficult for bookmakers to complain as if you lose with one, you win with another and vice versa. 

You can’t hedge your bets on every market, but there are times when it is possible. As a punter seeking profit, being able to identify these opportunities across multiple markets and bookmakers is a great skill to learn. Don't hesitate to check our page about minimising the risks while betting.

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