TYPES OF BETS
Asian Handicap
ASIAN HANDICAP
It is an undeniable fact that there are times in sports where the two competing sides have a huge difference in class and potential. While there are also plenty of cases where David has defeated Goliath, those are rare. There would be no point in betting on the outcome of such an event. No bookmaker would offer odds that are worth the name, for the act of “shooting fish in a barrel”. Unless of course there is an edge that levels the playing field.
However, people still want to bet on those matches, and want to make decent profits out of it. This is business that no self-respecting betting establishment would ignore. The solution to the issue is given by the notion of the Handicap. What it actually does, is to provide a starting advantage to the weaker side of the equation. For example, if Team A is expected to win easily a game against Team B, a handicap would say that for a bet to be won providing a decent profit on Team A, they should win by at least 3 or 4 goals’ margin. Otherwise any and all bets in favor of Team B would win.
The two versions
There are two main styles. The European Handicap introduces halves to the spread (1.5, 2.5, 3.5, etc…). The Asian Handicap takes the notion further by introducing quarter halves (0.25, 1.75, 2.25, etc…). In effect, the latter takes out the draw as a result thus limiting the possible outcomes to only two.
Choosing to bet on quarter halves, actually splits the bet in 2 parts. The first part is on the half decimal below the threshold and the second part to the equivalent above. If you choose a 1.25 handicap, then half of your stake is applied on handicap 1.00 and the other half on handicap 1.50.
Asian handicap options
Introducing the quarter halves, doesn’t mean that there are no other options:
- Full unit or Standard: This option does not include decimals. i.e. what you get is +1.00, -2.00, +3.00, etc… If the outcome including the handicap is a draw, then you get your money back.
- Halves: The odds are given in half decimals (0.5, 1.5, 2.5, etc…) and the draw is eliminated as an outcome completely. Consequently, there can be no refund of the stake and all bets are settled as won or lost.
- Zeros: Effectively, such a handicap is the same as a “draw no bet”. It provides no advantage to the weaker side. If the outcome is a draw, then all bets are voided and the stakes refunded.
- Three Quarter or Quarter Handicaps: This is where the bets are split in the 2 parts described above. The type reduces the chances of a complete loss of a bet to the minimum. The 2 parts are settled independently allowing for a number of combinations like half the bet won and half refunded, or half lost and half won.
Handicaps are among the most popular types of bets. Usually because the odds offered in favour of the “weak” side are higher then the respective ones given on the “strong” side. They provide the chance for some quite decent profit on matches where the search for it, would lead to other markets or special bets.