Place2bet – Sports betting
In short, sports bets are bets made by a player who bets a certain amount and thereby predicts the outcome of the match or an event. If the predicted result is correct, the bettor earns a certain amount. However, if the predicted result is not correct, the player will unfortunately lose the wagered amount.
Where do sports betting come from and what can you do with it?
We cannot ignore the fact that sports betting is a hot topic in Belgium. Controversy about these bets regularly hits the media and many sports teams have a logo of a betting company on their chests. But how did sports betting actually come about and what opportunities are there to participate in it? We briefly summarize it for you.
A dive into the history of sports betting
Man is a competitive animal and likes to take a gamble, that is of all times. The first traces of sports betting were already found with the Ancient Greeks. So sports betting is at least 2,000 years old. With their great sporting tradition, just think of the Olympic and Corinthian Games, the Ancient Greeks naturally had many trump cards in their hands to organize sporting events on which everyone could bet. Football as we know it today did not exist then, but there was a lot of focus on sporting competitions such as athletics and other disciplines of the Olympic Games, which we inherited from them.
The Romans who took over the rule of the Greeks not much later, took over the tradition. There was a lot of betting on the fighting gladiators in the arenas. These fights to the death provided entertainment and spectacle and mobilized a lot of people. It was an honor to serve as a rich Roman as editor muneris, which means ‘the organizer of competitions’. The same editor was also allowed to decide at the end of the match whether or not the losing gladiator could live. Specifically for betting on football, England is undoubtedly the cradle. It is fair to say that the British “invented” football.
The Football Association has been around since 1863, which makes them the oldest official football association worldwide. Betting on football matches also originated in England.
Betting on the Favorite, woodcut from 1870 (Wikipedia) So betting on football first became popular in Great Britain, but gradually almost all countries switched to betting on a football match, and eventually also on other sports betting. Betting on football has meanwhile grown into a booming business and gives many people entertainment and the opportunity to immerse themselves in a sports match. The advent of the internet made sports betting even more accessible. It marked the big breakthrough with a much wider audience. Nowadays, taking a gamble is a piece of cake, it can be done from the comfort of your home, completely anonymously.
How does such a bet actually work?
No doubt you have already seen those numbers with odds at sports betting providers, but how does that actually work? To start with, it is good to know that there are always two parties: the one who is going to bet and the bookmaker who offers the bet. The next step in the process is that whoever is going to bet determines what he or she is going to bet. In technical terms, this is also known as the ‘stake’. So this is literally and figuratively what you are putting at risk. Another term is “odd”. Here we come to the aforementioned quotation. It is a kind of probability calculation performed by the bookmaker. There are all kinds of factors that play a role in the establishment of this probability calculation. There are two options on which a bet can be made, and from which a bookmaker also immediately gets his profit:
Fixed odds bet
This is a type of bet made between a player on the one hand and the organizer on the other. Before the match starts, the organizer determines what the odds are “of a sports result” – so the odds – at which a player can bet a certain amount. These odds determine what a player will get paid if he makes a bet and of course wins it.
Exchange betting or parimutual betting
This is a bet between two players. The organizer of the bet receives a predetermined commission for this. What can you win? Your money wagered times the odds is what you can end up pocketing, if you’re right of course. For example, if you bet 10 euros and the odds were 2.00, you will eventually receive 20 euros. A nice profit, right?
What sports bets are there?
What once started with a simple 1, 2 or an x, has now grown into a flourishing business with hundreds of possibilities. Not only can you bet on just about every sport and competition in the world, the number of options you have per match is immense. You can bet on just about any event. Just think of the first throw-in at a football match, the first ace at a tennis match or who crosses the finish line first in an F1 race. Although most gamblers still stick to a win, loss or draw, anything is possible.
The following types of sports betting can be entered into.
1×2 Bet
The simplest and most commonly played way to bet on a match is a 1×2 bet. Bets can be made pre-match or live, for the entire match or per half. Betting on a 1×2 bet on a cup match is only possible during regular time. Penalty kicks and overtime do not count. The principle of a 1×2 bet is simple: choose ‘1’ if you think the home team will win the game, choose ‘2’ if you think the visiting team will win and choose an X if you think the game will be on a draw will end. It seems easy, but it does require some thinking, especially when one hopes for the payout of a hefty profit. Some tips when betting:
- It goes without saying that betting on the favorite team gives the best chance of winning, but keep in mind that the amount to be won will be lower, because just a lot of people will bet on this favorite and the pot will have to be among a lot of winners to be divided. Those who dare to take a bit of risk and bet on the underdog or maybe on a slightly safer draw, often get higher profits!
- Also keep in mind that during the first half a team often scans the other team and will play a bit more hesitantly than after the break. The chance of a goal is statistically much higher in the second half. Only betting on the first half gives a boost to the favorite club, which also increases your chance of winning, but is also a risk.
- Be sure to look at the playing behavior of both teams. Are they evenly matched? How much have they scored in previous matches? Are there any players who have just had an injury?
Popular variants on the classic 1, 2 or x bets
Double Chance bet
A Double Chance bet is known as the ‘safer variant’ of the 1×2 bet. You do not bet on 1 possibility, but on 2 possible outcomes. So you choose a ‘1’ and an ‘x’ when you bet on a home team win or a draw and you choose an ‘x’ and a ‘2’ when you want to bet on a draw or a win for the away team.
The chance of winning is doubled that way, but unfortunately the amount to be won is also smaller at the same time. A Double Chance bet can be useful when you are in doubt, for example because the top scorer of the favorite team is injured and does not play, which significantly reduces the chances of winning for that team. Even those who are not yet completely familiar with betting on football can gradually become acquainted with the way of working with a Double Chance bet.
Over/under bet
In an over/under bet, you are betting whether less than 2 or more than 2 goals will be scored in a given match. This is valid for the entire match as well as for a half. It is also possible to only bet on the number of goals scored by one of the two teams. Also with this type of bet it is best to inform yourself in advance about the recent playing behavior of the teams playing the match.
Are they teams that score a lot? Will there be a top scorer? Are there still things that could cause a lot, or just a little, to be scored? Certain bookmakers also organize over/under bets on the number of corner kicks, the number of yellow and/or red cards, the number of penalties,… The possibilities are endless.
Draw no Bet Bet
Super simple: with a Draw no Bet bet you bet on either a loss or a profit. If the match ends in a draw, the amount you wagered will be refunded in full. Here too it is possible to only bet on the first half. If the teams go into halftime with a tie, your bet will be refunded in full. This is also a safer way to bet for those who aren’t quite sure which team will score the most, or for those who aren’t really skilled at betting on football yet.
Booking Points Bet
With this bet you bet on the number of yellow and/or red cards that will be dealt during a certain match. Also on which player, which team or in which half a card will go can be used. In a Booking Points bet, a yellow card equals 10 points and a red card equals 25 points. With this bet you bet whether the total number of points is below or above an x number of points.
Goal Bets
There are plenty of options within the goal betting category. For example, you can bet on the player who will score first, which team will get a ball between the nets first and also whether the first goal will fall within the first half hour of the game. Other popular betting options:
- No draw: the wagered amount will be refunded if no goals were scored.
- Team to win to nil: players can bet on the team that will both win the match and keep 0 at the same time. The opponent may not score a goal. This difficult bet gives very large winnings, but a very small chance of winning.
- Team Goals: Here a player bets on the score of a certain team. It doesn’t matter whether he wins or loses the match, only the score matters.
- Both teams to score: both teams must score, or not.
- Next to score: in live betting you can bet in real time on the next goal.
- Number of goals in one half: an amount can be bet on the number of goals in the first and/or second half.
Corner Bets
Similar to goal bets, there are also different options for this betting method:
- The total number of corners in the match (over/under bet)
- Which team will be awarded a corner?
- In which half(s) is a corner awarded?
More than with other bets, a good knowledge of the teams playing the match can increase the chances of a good bet:
- Does the team play offensively? Then the chance of a corner kick is much greater!
- How many corner kicks have the respective teams been awarded in previous matches?
- Does a team play at home or in a stadium unknown to them? This often makes a difference to the playing behavior of the football players. The predominant presence of own supporters at a match also has a significant influence on playing behaviour.
Half Time/Full Time Bet
In this type of bet, a player bets a certain amount on the halftime score and on the final score. Again, penalty kicks and overtime are not counted. This form of betting on football actually requires some experience and certainly also a thorough knowledge of the teams that play. The big advantage of a Half Time/Full Time bet is the extremely high chance of a high profit.
Handicap Bet
In a handicap bet, a (virtual) lead is given to a certain team. This bet can be made in different variants. For example, you can give one of the two teams a lead with a number of virtual goals, so that the other team will have to score a higher number of goals to effectively win the match.
Correct Score Bet
A more difficult type of bet, with a low chance of winning but with which you can also win high amounts at the same time, is the Correct Score Bet. In this form of betting on football, a player has to predict the correct final score of the match. It must therefore not only be indicated whether the home team or the away team will win, but also what the final score will be, for example 2-3 or 0-1. Many players try to increase their chances of winning by competing for the prize pool with multiple results.
Even/Odd Bet
In an Even/Odd bet, you bet on ‘even’ or ‘odd’, which can relate to different game variants:
- Goals: the total number of goals is even (e.g. 2-2) or odd (e.g. 2-1)
- Cards: the total number of yellow and/or red cards dealt is even/odd
Outrights Bets
If you see it feasible to make a prediction for an entire football season, then making an outrights bet is ideal. Here too, various topics to bet on are proposed:
- Who will be the champion of a certain competition?
- Who will score the most goals in a full season?
- Which team was awarded the most penalty kicks?
VAR bets
Since its introduction in 2018-2019, the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) has caused quite a stir, but immediately opened up new betting opportunities. Gamblers can bet on the time in the match when the VAR is to intervene, in the first or second half, for which team or player and whether a card drawn or a penalty kick follows the decision of the VAR?
There are also bookmakers who, for example, pay out a free bet or a bonus when your bet is voided by a certain decision made by the VAR during the course of the game. This new form of betting on football has been very successful, especially with betting on elements of the game that are directly influenced by VAR, such as betting on corners and drawing red or yellow cards.
live betting
A player can bet live, i.e. during the match, on the match or on certain elements of it.
The most popular sports to bet on
In addition to the various variants of ways to bet a certain amount, there is also plenty of choice in sports and disciplines on which you can bet.
Football
In Europe, football is head and shoulders above the rest. You can bet on national competitions, but also on bigger tournaments such as the World Cup or the English Champions League. Especially when major championships such as the European Championship are played, bookmakers see the number of bets and players skyrocket.
Tennis
In second place in the list of most popular sports to bet on, we find tennis. Tennis offers a surprisingly wide range of betting options. Bets can be made on tournaments as well as on a single match. Just like in football, a bet can be made before the start and also live, during the match itself.
The game
In order to be able to bet on a tennis match, it is good to learn the basic rules of the game. One of the players starts by hitting the ball crosswise. In technical jargon this is called ‘serving’. The opponent gives a return by returning the ball over the net to the first player’s court. This hitting the ball back and forth is a ‘rally’.
Players can surprise each other by hitting the ball briefly over the net with a volley or hitting the ball with full force onto the opponent’s court with a smash from above, out of reach come. Players score a point when they manage to bounce the ball twice on the opponent’s court. In tennis, a point won with multiple points is displayed on the scoreboard.
A first point gives a score of 15-0, two points is 30-0 and three points is 40-0. Zero is also called “love” by the match commentators.
A player wins a game after scoring four points and wins a set when four games have been won. Depending on the tournament played, either two or three sets are enough to win the match.
deuce
With an intermediate score of 40-40 we speak of a ‘deuce’. The game rules state that with a deuce, a player can only win the game by scoring two points in a row. The next point the player can make is called advantage, if he manages to score another point, he wins this game.
Competitions and tournaments
In addition to the regular tennis matches, several major tournaments are organized worldwide.
The Grand Slam tournaments
The Grand Slam tournaments are the four largest tennis tournaments played in the course of a year. It concerns the following tournaments: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Australian Open
In January, the top of the tennis world will compete for the victory at the Australian Open. This popular tournament is played in Melbourne, on the hard courts of Melbourne Park. There are competitions in men’s and women’s singles and men’s and women’s doubles, as well as competitions in wheelchair tennis.
Roland Garros
Roland Garros is played at the end of May on the clay courts of the Stade Roland Garros in Paris. The tournament is also known as the French Open or the French Open tennis championships. In addition to the traditional singles and doubles games for men and women, there are also mixed doubles, a junior tournament and various competitions for wheelchair tennis players.
Wimbledon
The Wimbledon Championships, often abbreviated to Wimbledon, is known as the most prestigious tennis tournament. It is also the oldest of the four Grand Slams and is extremely popular. In June and July, players compete on the grass courts for the coveted first place, and this is mandatory in white tennis uniforms.
US Open
Shortly after Wimbledon, the last Grand Slam tournament is organized. At the end of August, host city New York will receive the players at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing in Queens, a neighborhood in New York. Players settle the matches on hard courts. Of course, winning a Grand Slam is only for strong, professional players. In total, only eight men and ten women managed to win all four tournaments.
ATP Tour Masters 1000 – men’s tennis
The tournaments from the ATP Tour Masters 1000, also known as the Super 9 series, are nine important competition tournaments where you can earn a nice prize pool. The 1000 in the name refers to the thousand ranking points that the winner gets. These following nine tournaments are part of the ATP Tour Masters 1000:
- Indian Wells Masters
- Miami Masters
- Monte Carlo Masters
- Rome Masters
- Madrid Masters
- Canada Masters
- Cincinatti Master
- Shanghai Masters
- Paris Masters
WTA Finals – women’s tennis and ATP finals – men’s tennis
The WTA Finals are only reserved for the real top players in women’s tennis. Only the first eight ladies and the first eight couples of doubles tennis are allowed to participate in this competition. The WTA Finals will be hosted in Shenzhen, China. This also applies to the ATP finals, the men’s tennis world championships. This tournament will be settled on the hard courts and indoor courts of the O2 Arena in London.
The types of bets when betting on tennis
There are many options for placing a bet. We list the most popular for you:
Outright bet
When placing an outright bet, you bet a certain amount on the player you think will win the match. It is good to know that in tennis – unlike other sports such as football – a match can never end in a draw. There is always a winner and a loser. This means that the chance of winning when placing an outright bet on the winner is a 50% chance of winning.
Long term bet
With a long term bet you bet for a full tournament, so for a longer period.
Over/under bet
Players bet their money on the number of sets or games of a particular match, namely whether the number of sets or games is above or below a certain number. Another option is to bet on the exact score of a set, and whether it will be even or odd.
Handicap Betting
In handicap betting you decide to grant a certain tennis player a so-called advantage or disadvantage, by giving him a number of points at the start of the match, so that the opponent first has to catch up in order to reach the same level.
Tips for betting on tennis matches and tournaments
- Know the players
Very important is the player’s place in the world ranking at the time of the match. The higher that place is, the more matches that player has won. Also keep in mind the condition of the players. Has he had an injury recently? How have the last matches he played have been? What was the result of previous matches against this opponent?
- Pay attention to the surface of the tennis court
The surface on which a match is played is not the same for all players. Some tennis better on a hard court, others better on artificial grass.
horse racing
A third popular sport that is regularly bet on is equestrian sport, The origin of this sport goes back hundreds of years, to the Romans. Back then, betting on horse racing had a completely different image and was really only for the elite and the wealthier population. Horse races were still popular in medieval England, but even here only rich people could bet on the races.
This changed under the reign of Charles II of England, who was a great lover of horses and racing competitions. He made sure that the sport gained more name recognition among the rest of the community. Thanks to this intervention, everyone who came to see the races could also place a bet on the races.
The success of sports betting then got a huge boost. So what was one of the most popular sports betting in the past, albeit among a select few of the wealthy, is now available to a wide audience.
Players can easily bet online thanks to the wide range of virtual horse races.
Popular sports disciplines outside Europe
If we look at it worldwide, then of course a lot of money is bet on American competitions. Just think of the NBA, the NFL and Major League Baseball. Perhaps less expected in the top 10 is cricket, which is especially popular in Asian countries. Asians are serious gamblers anyway. Golf, Formula 1 and boxing also remain popular sports betting.
E-sport
In addition to regular sports competitions, the range of online sports competitions is also being expanded more and more. E-sports are extremely popular thanks to the great accessibility for a wide audience. Betting on an e-sports game is simple, can be done from anywhere and is completely anonymous. No wonder that more and more people are finding their way to online sports betting. There are plenty of e-sports betting options in the following sports:
- Motorsport
- Football
- Basketball
- baseball
- boxing
- Ice hockey
- american football
- Volley-ball
- Darts
- golf
- Table tennis
- Water polo
- Cycling
- baseball
- Handball
- Athletics
- cricket
- Martial arts
- To sail
- Cyclocross
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