In betting, a “+” symbol in front of a number indicates that the amount of the number is to be treated as an odds multiplier. For example, a “+111” in front of the number 11 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 11 (i.e., 1/11 or 0.0909091).
You might wonder what exactly an odds multiplier does, and how it works. Let’s take a look.
What Are Odds And How Do They Calculate?
To begin with, when you place a bet, you’re not actually placing a wager on whether a particular team will win or lose the game. You’re placing a wager on the relative likelihood that one team will win compared to the other. This is called the “line” in sports betting and “spread” in other forms of betting.
This difference in interpretation can lead to some surprising situations. For example, if you’re playing the odds on a team with a 7-point lead in the fourth quarter and it comes down to a last-minute touchdown, you could find yourself losing despite having a head start. In that case, your wager would fail, but it would have been a success if sports betting or other forms of betting had been interpreted in terms of your favor rather than against you.
How Do You Calculate The “True” Odds?
The odds, as always, are calculated using the following formula:
$$\text{Odds} = \text{P} / \text{Q}$$
Where P is the amount of money wagered on the event, and Q is the amount of money wagered on the opposite event. (You can also use the formula above for both P and Q to find the combined odds.)
This formula, as you might imagine, comes with a couple of drawbacks. The first is that it can be difficult to determine the exact amounts of money wagered on each event (e.g., what is the amount of money wagered on the Detroit Lions to win the Super Bowl?). The second is that it assumes a finite amount of money is being wagered, which might not always be the case (e.g., people might place bets in forms that don’t show up on financial reports, like the now-defunct Intertops Poker, or with cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin).
What Is The Difference In Degrees Of Odds?
In most cases, when you see that a number is preceded by a “+” symbol in front of it, the number is an odds multiplier. For example, a “+100” in front of the number 10 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 10 (i.e., 1/10 or 0.1). A “+111” in front of the number 11 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 11 (i.e., 1/11 or 0.0909091). This is why, when you’re calculating the odds of a Detroit Lions win, you need to know what degree of odds they’re being paid.
Similarly, a “-100” in front of the number 10 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 10 (i.e., 1/10 or 0.1), and a “-111” in front of the number 11 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 11 (i.e., 1/11 or 0.0909091). Knowing the difference between these degrees can help you figure out whether you’ve won or lost the wager, as you’ll see later in this article.
What Is The “True” Odds Of Getting One Of These Multipliers?
This is actually more fun than it is useful to know, but it’s worth discussing. When you see a number followed by a “+” in front of it, the number is indicating the degree of its odds multiplier. For example, a “+25” in front of the number 25 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 25 (i.e., 2.5), a “+50” in front of the number 50 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 50 (i.e., 5), a “+75” in front of the number 75 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 75 (i.e., 7.5), and a “+100” in front of the number 100 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 100 (i.e., 10).
When you see a number with a “-” in front of it, the number is indicating that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 10 (i.e., 1/10 or 0.1). For example, a “-20” in front of the number 20 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 20 (i.e., 2), a “-50” in front of the number 50 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 50 (i.e., 5), a “-75” in front of the number 75 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 75 (i.e., 7.5), and a “-100” in front of the number 100 indicates that the amount is to be treated as if it were odds 10 (i.e., 1/10 or 0.1).
The Advantage Of Knowing This Information
If you’re playing the odds, it’s essential to know what these degrees of odds mean. For instance, if you’re playing the odds on a team with a 7-point lead in the fourth quarter and it comes down to a last-minute touchdown, you know that the odds of them scoring are in your favor, but it would be a surprise if they actually did score.
When it comes to gambling, sometimes you want to bet on something that is sure to happen (i.e., a safe wager), and sometimes you want to wager on something that might not happen (i.e., an aggressive wager). You’ll almost always want to be more aggressive with your wagers when playing against other people, since they could be interpreting the odds against you if they’re not sure whether you understand what they’re doing or are just guessing at how the game is going to turn out. For example, if they perceive you as being too conservative with your wagers, they might exploit the fact that you don’t understand the odds by pushing you over the odds of what you would consider a “safe” wager.
When you see that a team is playing at odds that seem high, it can be hard to know what those odds mean. Maybe they’re just assuming you don’t understand or are just trying to be malicious. (Some books or websites will break down the odds for you, but it’s still not an easy concept to grasp without knowing what each degree of odds means first.)
How To Win When You Play The Odds
As you might imagine, knowing what each degree of odds means makes a dramatic difference in how you should be playing the game. When you see that a team is at odds that seem high, it’s usually a safe bet to assume that those odds are on your side. For example, if you see that the Detroit Lions are set to play the New England Patriots at odds of 7, it might mean that they have a 7-point lead in the fourth quarter and you’re just trying to make a quick wager on the game — a safe bet, as you’d expect. But if you see that the odds are actually 11 (1/11), you might want to consider adjusting your wager a bit. It’s still a safe bet that the Detroit Lions will beat the Patriots, but you’re just not sure by how much. In that case, you could end up losing a bit of money because you didn’t take the game quite seriously enough. This goes for any team you’re not familiar with, whether it’s a team you’re playing against or a team you’re supporting.