Before starting to place bets, a beginner needs to understand the functionality and calculation rules that are accepted in the selected bookmaker. It is difficult for an uninformed person to understand the set of symbols, numbers, abbreviations and designations, which is a bookmaker’s line.

Decryption of bets in bookmakers

The most popular sport on the planet is also the most popular among betting enthusiasts. The line of game sports is approximately the same (taking into account some game features), so let’s consider the classic bookmaker designation scheme using the football line as an example and show you how to figure out football bets.

Match outcome

“1X2” – the outcome of the match in regular time, that is, the base 90 minutes, taking into account the time added by the referee:

P1 – victory of the first team;
X – a draw;
P2 – the victory of the second team.

“Win the match” – the outcome of the match, taking into account extra time and a penalty shootout (published for matches of the cup format):

P1 – victory of the first team;
P2 – the victory of the second team.

“Double Chance”:

1X – victory of the first team or a draw;
X2 – victory of the second team or a draw.

Totals

“Total” – bets on the total number of goals that will be scored in regular time of the match.

“Individual Total 1st” – betting on the number of goals scored by the first team.

“Individual Total 2nd” – bets on the number of goals scored by the first team.

Handicap

“Handicap” – a bet on the outcome of an event with a certain obvious advantage in favor of one of the opponents:

1 0 – victory of the first team with any score, return in case of a draw;

1 -1 – victory of the first team with a difference of two goals or more, return in case of victory with a difference of exactly one goal;

2 +1 – draw or victory of the second team with any score, return in case of a minimal defeat;

1 -1.5 – victory of the first team with a difference of two goals or more;

2 +1.5 – loss with a minimum difference, draw or victory of the second team with any score.

Bets on corners, fouls and yellow cards are encrypted in the same way.

Other rates

“Both to score” – the participants of the meeting will score at least one goal;

“Exact score” – the result of the match, which will be recorded after the final whistle, for the cup format – after regular time;

“Next goal” – which of the participants in the meeting will score the next goal;

“Goal in the interval” – whether the ball will be scored in a certain period of time.

Odds

Next to each of the presented options for betting there are always numbers. This is a coefficient, that is, the number by which the player can multiply the amount bet on the selected outcome.

The size of the coefficient is determined by the analytical department of the bookmaker’s office, depending on the percentage of the probability of the outcome of the event and the set margin value.

Remember that by the time you entered the event line, the coefficient could already have changed under the influence of the money put down for a particular outcome or the receipt of new data from the camp of the opposing teams.

That is, it is not a fact that at this particular moment in time the coefficient really reflects the real balance of power in the duel.

Do not blindly trust the bookmakers, there are too many pitfalls in the odds layouts that ordinary players do not even know about.