As the name suggests, a sure bet is nothing but a series w88 of bets placed on a single event either with multiple bookmakers or multiple betting exchanges so that, no matter what the outcome you are sure to win. In betting parlance, it is also known as arbitrage betting and means that you always make a profit by betting on any events outcome. The person placing the bet is known as the arber.
Though this sounds simple enough, sure bets need a lot of calculation and planning before you can actually place the bets. If you are using a betting exchange for placing sure bets you have to be really quick to take decisions on the basis of continuous updates or risk losing out on the win. An example to show how a sure bet works will give you a greater understanding into this topic:
Consider a match between Team A and Team B. The betting odds are, Team A win – 3, Match Draw – 4, Team B win – 5. This is stated as, 3-4-5. If you want to place a sure bet you will want to bet on all the 3 outcomes and make the same amount in winnings. So a bet on Team A for $ 1000 could make you win $ 3000 if team A wins (1000×3). Similarly, if you want to win $ 3000 in the case of a draw or Team B win you will have to invest – 3000/4 = $750 and 3000/5 = $600. Your total investment will therefore be, 1000+750+600 =$2350. Your winnings will be a cool net of $ 650, whatever the outcome of the match or event.
Though placing sure bets sounds exciting and encouraging, it has its own flipsides. You will need to have more than one account with several bookmakers or betting exchanges to place a sure bet. Betting small amounts will get you very low profits and even these could be eaten away if you are charged commissions and operating expenses. So the bets have to be placed in high denominations.
Sure bets also run the risk of losing their aim, which is a sure win in case a bet is voided by an exchange or bookmaker. You then lose the chance of winning if the voided bet happened to be the winning bet. This happens when there is an oversight or error on bookmakers or exchanges part and they end up posting very high odds. They may soon withdraw this information when they realize their error.
This leaves you with an option to either shoulder a loss or place another smaller bet with lesser odds to offset your loss or make a very small profit. Sure bets also need considerable accounting skills, and maybe even calculation software if you are a full time bettor. Otherwise you may run the risk of miscalculations and end up making long term losses.
A great tip for placing sure bets is the usage of betting exchanges as they tend to be more reliable and do not void a bet as frequently as a bookmaker. Additionally, unlike bookmakers betting exchanges provide you such information as the maximum amount that is acceptable for betting when you place the bet. This enables you to divide your funds wisely between all the outcomes and avoid jamming a significant amount into a single outcome and being forced to select lesser alternatives for the other outcomes.
