While many nations have brought back football, following the lead of European countries, the sport still struggles to find its footing in the UK. There are numerous grassroots initiatives trying to change that, with a view to making the game more accessible and enjoyable for both old and new fans alike.
One such venture, the 3:2 initiative, provides a platform for clubs and players to engage with supporters directly, through matchdays and beyond. Launched by Football Marketing, the initiative brings fans closer to the action, by connecting them with players and managers through digital platforms. Crucially, it also provides a platform for stakeholders to engage with each other, further progressing the great British game.
What is 1st quarter 3 way betting in football?
You will often find people throwing around terms such as betting, odds, and prop bets in a bid to make money from football. Whilst there is certainly some merit in understanding the basics of betting, the lingo can be a bit daunting for the uninitiated. This article aims to simplify things a bit, by defining and explaining many of the terms used in relation to football wagering.
3 Way Wagers
The most popular form of wager in football is the 3 way wager. Derived from betting on three events, with the same money wagered on all of them, 3 way wagers allow for more opportunities for arbitrage, placing bets on matches where you think one team is going to win, yet the odds are heavily in favour of the other two teams.
For example, the same team cannot win the World Cup as England, Germany and Scotland, however you might have a bet that one of those three nations will at least finish as the tournament’s runners-up. Placing that bet wouldn’t cost you anything, as long as you don’t mind losing a little money on the other two results.
First Quarter
When someone places a wager on a football match, it is usually in reference to the first quarter, due to the length of the game, and the fact that there are usually a few minutes of injury time at the end of each period, allowing for some kind of a comeback, or a controversial finish. Sometimes this is also referred to as the first half.
However, the first quarter can be the last three minutes of the first half, or the first seven minutes of the second half, making it fairly nebulous, as far as definitions go. In general, if you are unsure of the exact time delays, it is best to avoid using the term ‘first quarter’ altogether.
2 Way Wagers
Derived from betting on two events, with half the money being wagered on each, 2 way wagers offer a more predictable outcome, and fewer opportunities for arbitrage. The most popular form of wager in football is the 2-1-2 accumulator, where you place a series of bets, on pairs of teams, e.g. Manchester United vs Arsenal, Chelsea vs Liverpool, or Tottenham vs Leicester.
In a 2 way wager, you are effectively placing an accumulator bet, which stands for ‘two to one’ in reference to two-team events. For instance, if you think that Arsenal are going to beat Manchester United, but the odds are also 3-2 in favour of Chelsea, you might want to place a 2 way wager, on the same game, where you will receive win/loss returns, as well as an additional payout, should all of the events you have bet on, come true.
Odds
Odds are used in reference to the amount of money that you will need to wager, in order to make a profit, on an event. When someone says odds, they usually mean the ‘odds on’ or ‘evens’ lines, although they can also be used to reference the ‘dogs’ or ‘over/under’ lines, in sports betting.
For example, if you think that Real Madrid are going to beat FC Barcelona, and the bookmaker advertises the game as a 2-0 home win for the European champions, you might want to place a tenner on that game, on the ‘Evens’ line, meaning that you are going to need to wager twenty pounds, in order to make a profit, if Madrid beat Barca, as advertised. If you instead think that Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are going to draw 0-0, then you might want to place a five pound bet on that outcome, on the ‘Odds on’ line, meaning that you will need to wager fifteen pounds, in order to make a profit, if Madrid and Barca draw.
Prop Bets
Although many people associate prop bets with horse racing, this is far from true. A prop bet in football refers to a wager, where the payoff depends on an event that has not yet occurred. For example, if you think that Manchester United are going to beat Swansea City, but the match has not yet begun, you might want to place a bet on the outcome, where you will receive win/loss returns, as well as an additional payout, should United defeat Swansea, and the result of the match be later in the day, and be a draw, or a stalemate. If the result of the match is a stalemate, or a draw, then you will receive nothing, as the result of the wager.
Some bookmakers offer in-play betting, where you can make a wager on the outcome of a football match, as it is happening. Whilst it might be tempting to partake in such activity, due to the speed of some matches, and the fact that many sportsbooks offer signup bonuses, which are largely matched by a money-back guarantee, it is unadvisable to do so, without knowing the rules and regulations pertaining to online gambling, and signing up with a trustworthy site, where you can trade with confidence.
As you might imagine, the greater the number of ways that you can bet on a given event, the greater the opportunity for making profit. Whilst it is not always easy to predict the outcome of a football match, with a little bit of research, and a bit of common sense, you will be able to have at least an intelligent guess as to the result of most games.