It is a question that many people ask themselves, but never truly know the answer to: What does the “-” or “+” symbol mean in betting?
In some sports, such as golf, it indicates a penalty stroke. In others, such as tennis, it could mean the player gets a point for every serve, which is known as a “love point”. For others, it might simply mean you get two chances to win if you achieve a certain result.
In any case, knowing what these symbols mean can be helpful when placing bets or following scores in certain sports. Here is a brief guide to what they mean and when you might need to know about them.
Gain/loss
“Gain” or “loss” is an indication of your team’s or the player’s performance in relation to a theoretical “fixing line” or the “odds”.
For example, if you bet on a team to win a game and they lose, your gain (or loss) is the difference between the “odds” and the “fixing line” at the time you bet (i.e. the line at which you placed your bet).
If the team you bet on wins, your gain is the winnings you made on that bet plus any winnings from bets placed prior to the the win. Your loss is the amount you lost on your bet minus any winnings.
Penalty
If you bet on a player to make a certain number of penalty strokes in a round of golf and he makes the number of strokes you bet on, your gain (or loss) is the amount you won (if any) plus any penalty strokes you have to make.
For example, if you bet on Tiger Woods to make three or more penalty strokes in this year’s Masters and he makes three, your gain is the amount you won (if any) plus three penalty strokes.
Double/treble
The “+” or “-” before a score or a number also indicates whether or not that score is “treble” or “double” the amount you would normally expect to see for that outcome. For example, if you bet on a team to win and they score three runs in the first inning, your gain (or loss) is three runs.
Odd/Even
In the case of some sports, such as tennis and golf, the scoring system is based on whether or not your individual player achieves an “odd” or “even” score. For example, in tennis, if you win every other game (that is aside from the final game), your gain (or loss) will be half of what it otherwise would be.
Win/Place/Show
A win/place/show wager is when you bet on an event in which you want to win, place, or show. For example, if you bet on Tiger Woods to make the cut at this year’s Masters and he makes the cut, your win is the amount you won (if any) plus two points for participating in the Masters Tournament.
First/Second/Third/Any
Sometimes, particularly in the case of some sports such as tennis where the second half of the game is often decided by the outcome of the first, the score at the end of the first, second, or third ‘set’ or ‘game’ is sometimes used to indicate the result for that set or game. For example, if you bet on Tiger Woods to make the cut at this year’s Masters and he makes the cut, your loss is the amount you lost on that bet minus two points for participating in the Masters Tournament.
Red/Black/White/Yellow
Many sports, particularly tennis, use colors to indicate the end results of certain games or sets. For example, a red, black, or white could indicate whether or not a serve, return of serve, or game is won, lost, or drawn (i.e. a tie).
More/Less
The amount of games or sets that must be played in order to determine the winner is sometimes indicated by whether or not there will be “more” or “less” contests after that point. For example, if you bet on Tiger Woods to make the cut at this year’s Masters and he makes the cut, your loss is the amount you lost on that bet plus one additional game played to determine finishing position. If, however, he misses the cut, your loss is the amount you lost on that bet plus two additional games played to determine finishing position.
Less/More/Equals
In other cases, particularly in the case of some sports such as tennis, a “less” or “more” wager might indicate whether or not the score will be “less” or “more” than the “fixing line” for that outcome. For example, if you bet on a team to win and they score one run in the first inning but then go on to lose the game, your gain (or loss) is one run less (or more) than it otherwise would be.
Money Line
A “money line” wager is simply what it says it is: A wager placed on the outcome of a particular game, event, or sporting occasion with a “money line” is a wager where the return is based on whether or not the selected team or player wins or loses the wager.
For example, if you bet on Tiger Woods to make the cut at this year’s Masters and he makes the cut, your gain (or loss) is the amount you won (if any) plus the payout for making the bet.
Keep in mind: The meaning of these symbols can change from game to game and from sport to sport, so you will need to learn to interpret them correctly for each particular betting scenario.