Hedge Betting Explained in 2021
Every punter's dream is to beat the bookies regularly and always end up in profits. What if we tell you it is possible, would you believe us? Thanks to hedge betting, you can get a payout even if your initial bet loses. Do you want to find out how? Then, stay with us as our team of professional punters reveals their tips and strategies to become a diligent gambler. Let's get straight to the point!
How does Hedge Betting work?
We cannot consider hedge betting just as a wagering type, and it is more a risk management strategy. The fact that you can win money even if your original bet loses involves more elements than just placing a wager. Hedge betting is about putting the opposite bet of the initial one. We are sure this still puzzles you, so let's dig into it deeper.
Imagine that you made a wager that Mumbai Indians will win the IPL at pre-season with the odds at 3.00. Indeed the Indians made it to the finals. However, there is still one game to be played, and you don't want to lose the entire bet. Therefore, you make an opposite one, meaning that you should back the opponent in the finals. In our imaginary case, the odds of the Indians' rivals are at 2.25. No matter who wins the trophy, one of your bets will win, and you'll end up with profits. Although they are going to be smaller than the projected ones, hedge betting guarantees you a payout.
How do I place & win a Hedge Bet?
Assuming that you have already placed a wager that needs protection, you should follow these steps to make a hedge bet. It won't take you much time to put it.
- Identify a bet you want to protect: You don't need to hedge every bet you made. Those in which you are pretty confident shouldn't be considered, so focus on the ones you are not entirely comfortable with.
- Make sure to cover all possible results: Be cautious not to miss a thing, and cover other possible outcomes. For instance, if you want a home win bet insurance, you should bet a double chance on the visitors.
- Choose a sportsbook: Select a sportsbook that offers you the most generous odds on the hedge bet.
- Navigate to the desired wager: Go straight to the event and the market you want to protect, and click on the odds to populate the bet slip.
- Submit a bet: Carefully choose the stake so that the hedge bet can get you the initial stake back, at least. Hit the Place Bet button, and just wait for the event to ends to collect the profits.
What Sports offer Hedge Betting?
Hedge betting doesn't restrict you to the type of sport, and you can apply this strategy to any of them. We are just going to cover the most popular ones.
Football
This betting strategy is very famous in football since you can apply it to different markets. Besides the moneylines, where you can back a winner in the initial bet and then protect it with a Double Chance, you can also apply it on totals. Indeed, they are more suitable since you wager the yes/no question, and you have only two possible outcomes. Hedge betting strategies may be used for the handicaps as well since they very often exclude the possibility of a draw.
Cricket
Cricket is another sport where you can benefit from hedge betting, and again, totals are most suitable. Even if the event has already started, you can protect your initial wager thanks to the live betting and get guaranteed profits.
Tennis
Since there are just a few tennis players that win Masters tournaments, you can apply the hedge betting strategy to futures. For example, the major trophies will likely go into the hands of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, or Rafael Nadal. You can back one of them at the start of the tournament and protect it in the very late stages.
Examples for Hedge Betting
You should play your hedge bets right so that you can get guaranteed profits. With the following two examples, you will learn much easier how to protect your wagers.
Winning example of hedging a bet
You decided to make a parlay bet on the IPL. You selected three games, and the first two on your bet slip were successful ones.
| Selection | Odds | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Challengers Bangalore to win vs Rajasthan Royals | 1.72 | 179:177 | |
| Mumbai Indians to win vs Kolkata Knight riders | 1.65 | 149:148 | |
| Delhi Capitals to win vs Kings XI Punjab | 1.72 | 164:167 | |
Before the kick-off of the last game, you decided to protect your original wager by backing Kings XI Punjab at the odds of 2.15. It turns out to be a good move since Delhi Capitals failed to a 164:167 defeat. Although your original bet lost, the hedge wager brought you some returns.
Losing example of hedging a bet
You wagered a double at two football events.
| Selection | Odds | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester City to win vs Arsenal | 1.60 | 1:0 |
| Liverpool to win vs Aston Villa | 1.50 | 2:7 |
Man city managed to boo a narrow 1:0 win over the Gunners, and you wanted to protect your original bet by backing a draw in the clash between Liverpool and Aston Villa. However, you didn't anticipate the possibility that the Villans can win as well and missed the opportunity to cover that outcome as well. The Reds fell to a shocking 7:2 defeat, and you lose both bets.
Is a Hedge Bet a Good Bet?
If you are still not comfortable with making hedge bets, these five tips may help you make it more successful. You can apply them and enhance your wagering experience.
5 Tips for your next bets
- Look for the bets with two possible outcomes: The easiest way to hedge your bets is to wager two-way events. It means that only two results are possible at the end of the game. The most common sports for this kind of hedging are basketball, tennis, or cricket.
- Ensure to cover all possibilities: When protecting your initial wager, you need to cover all other outcomes with a hedge bet. In case you want to hedge a football bet where you backed a home win, use a Double Chance to protect it with a hedge wager.
- Calculate the hedge bet stake: Protecting a bet is not just placing the opposite one. When safeguarding wagers, you need to do some maths as well. Carefully calculate the stake sizes so that the hedge bet's profit covers the stake of the initial one in the worst case.
- Capitalize on hedging futures: It's quite challenging to pick the winner of the entire contest, and therefore, the futures odds are pretty high. However, you can split the stake into multiple future bets to cover different options but still ending up in profits thanks to the generous odds.
- Take advantage of in-play betting: If you are confident that your original bet will be successful, you don't need to rush into hedging. Thanks to live betting, you can wait for the event to start, and if things are not going as expected, you should act fast and protect your initial wager.
Which betting site is the best to bet on?
After learning everything about hedge betting, you should be ready to apply it to your wagering experience. You don't have to look far for the best odds, as you can find them at 10Cric. Don't hesitate to register for an account and make the first deposit. Keep in mind the strategies from this comprehensive guide, and you will enjoy great success with hedge betting.
Undoubtedly, it is. You are not about to do anything illegal with hedge betting. It is just the strategy that includes a little bit of maths and helps you capitalize on different prices offered by bookmakers. Sportsbooks protect themselves against losses in the same way.
The principle behind hedging a bet is quite simple. You should just place a wager opposite to the initial one. Bear in mind to cover all potential outcomes of the market you are covering with your bets.
Sports that provide a two-way outcome are the most suitable ones for this strategy. Logically, you need to cover just two possible results of an event. Therefore, basketball, cricket, tennis, or American football are a perfect fit for hedge betting. However, that doesn’t exclude this approach to three-way sports such as football.
It would be best if you worked on your staking strategy to make hedge betting profitable, or at least, not risky. It is recommended to hedge the high odds since you won’t require big stakes. Always put enough money on your hedge bet to at least break even.
