You have probably heard a lot of people talk about live, in-running, or in-play betting before. But what exactly does it mean? What is it all about? Is it something I should be paying attention to?
In this short guide, we are going to cover in-play betting and answer all the questions that you have and more.
In-Play Betting Explained
In-play betting is betting that takes place after an event has started and up until it finishes. In other words, it is betting that takes place during a game. Obvious examples of in-play betting include football, cricket, and horse racing. In-play betting cannot be done before an event is started and, obviously, after it has finished. Betting can only be done whilst the game is officially in play.
It is also worth noting that different bookies refer to it in different ways. Some may call it in-play betting whereas others may call it live betting or in-running betting. These all mean the same thing.
What are the Benefits of In-Play Betting?
There are many reasons why people opt for in-play betting over traditional betting.
First of all, in-play betting allows you to dynamically assess the state of a game before you place your bet. Whilst knowing your sport, your teams, your players, doing research, and reading up on all the available stats is great, this can only go so far. Sometimes, it is far more preferable to just watch things as they unfold and decide where to go from there.
Second, in-play betting allows you to switch up your position as and when. If you get this right, you can achieve some seriously good wins. You can also win on all your outcomes (or at least not lose on any). For example, if you are betting on Team A to beat Team B and Team A go a goal up, you may decide to lay off your stake at a shorter price just to be safe.
The most important thing is that in-play betting allows you to change your mind. You may place a bet before the event but then whilst watching the event you may realise things aren’t going your way and put another bet on to redeem the situation.
How to Bet In-Play
These days, most online sportsbooks and betting sites offer some form of live streaming and/or in-play betting facilities. It is not so much a case of where to bet, it is more of a case of how you prefer to play. If you prefer in-play betting, then most of the time most of the sportsbooks will be suitable as they will have an in-play element.
If you are looking for a solid and reliable sportsbook with decent in-play betting, however, then go for the major players. Sites such as bet365, PaddyPower, and Betfair all have extensive in-play options. Between them, they stream well over 100,000 different events and make them available for in-play betting.
Tips for In-Play Betting
There are plenty of tips for in-play betting. If you have never done it before, you may find some of our own quite useful.
Back a favourite who isn’t winning—by backing a favourite who is currently losing, there is every chance that they will find their feet and get back into the match. This means you are able to take advantage of the long odds. That’s because whenever a player is losing, their odds will return more money.
Hedge your bets—this means that you are betting on a different outcome to your original bet to ensure that you reduce your exposure to a loss. Hedging bets also means you have a higher chance of winning something. If you placed a bet on Team A prior to a match starting and Team B looked like they were going to win, placing a new bet on Team B would be regarded as ‘hedging’.
Bet against the momentum—understanding a game’s momentum is crucial for in-play betting. If Team A score early on, their confidence grows which means they have a higher chance of winning. Be careful, though, because this can also work in the opposite way… don’t get too confident in yourself!