People often get confused about what “off” betting is and how it differs from “on” betting, so let’s shed some light on this topic!
Off Versus On
“Off” and “on” are two terms that are commonly used when talking about odds, and it’s important to understand the differences between them. To begin with, “off” means that the odds are extremely in favor of the other team or player – the payout if you win is greatly diminished compared to the odds you originally staked.
For example, if you wager $100 on a sporting event with 10% “off,” this means that the odds of winning are 10% (1 in 10) – meaning you’ll need to win 10 times out of 100 bets to make $100. If you lose, you’ll only need to win 1 out of 100 bets to break even. So, while this might not seem like a big difference, keep in mind that the $100 you staked is now only worth $90.
The Impact Of Credit Card Use
One of the biggest differences between on and off betting relates to credit card use. While it’s perfectly legal to use cash or checks to wager on sports, using a credit card on a sporting event is generally not allowed because of the possibility of fraudulent activity. However, many people still do it because it’s more convenient, and it’s certainly not difficult to keep track of your spending when using a credit card (you’ll know exactly how much you spend on each item because it will all be charged to your card).
This is why many places of gambling, including sportsbooks, have banned credit cards. Many credit cards offer special deals if you’re playing or staking certain matchups, so make sure you take advantage of these offers and don’t let the inconvenience of having to use cash keep you from getting the best possible deal.
Types Of Off Betting
There are several different types of “off” betting, so it can be difficult to understand exactly what it is that you’re agreeing to when you place a bet on something with “off” status. Typically, these types of wagers fall into one of three categories:
Money Line
A money line bet is when you wager on the outcome of a sporting event, with the two teams or players competing having fixed odds of winning or losing the game. For example, if the game is between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts, and you stake $100 on the winning team, your $100 will be matched with the winning team’s odds of 2.0 (2.0 means each team is favored to win).
In the case of the Patriots – Colts game, you’ll need to choose whether you want to bet on New England or Indianapolis to win (assuming of course that you’ve staked $100 on the winning team). If you wager on New England to win, you will win $200 (your $100 stake plus the 2.0 odds of the Patriots); if you wager on Indianapolis to win, you will win $100 (your $100 stake plus the odds of the Colts).
Over/Under
An over/under bet is when you wager on the total number of points that will be scored in a given game. For example, if the total number of points is set at 70, and you wager $100 on the over, you’ll win $300 if the total number of points scores is over 70 and under 60 (your $100 stake plus the odds of the over).
However, if the over bet fails (the total number of points is less than 70), you lose your $100. In this case, the under bet wins because it allows you to make up to $300 back (your $100 stake plus the odds of the under).
This type of bet is common in tennis and some types of golf, as well as in big-wave surfing (when you wager on the number of huge waves that will be in the water).
Heads Up / Toss-up
A heads up (or toss-up) bet is when you wager on whether a given coin, played between two or more people, will come up heads or tails (up being a win for you, of course!). For example, if you’re playing against someone, and you toss a coin 100 times, you’ll need to win 90 of those tosses to ensure you win the bet (each toss being a win for you).
However, if you lose 10 tosses, you’ll only win $500 because you’ll only need to win 5 tosses to make up for your 10 losses. Essentially, heads up betting is a form of “off” betting where you’re getting paid out even when you lose (which is what makes it so popular among gamblers!).
This type of betting is common in coin flips and some types of dice games (like craps and roulette).
Some casinos and sportsbooks only offer these types of bets in certain situations – like when playing poker or blackjack. In other words, you have to ask the casino or bookmaker for permission before you can place a heads up bet (and permission is often denied if you have more than one heads up bet in the same day).
When Does It End?
The fun (and frequently the frustration) of gambling is that the game tends to keep going and going and going…
In many cases, this is because the house edge (the amount of money that the casino or bookmaker makes on each wager) is so high. If you’re playing at a reputable casino or bookmaker, you’re almost guaranteed to lose money (even when you win). It’s just a matter of how much money you’re willing to risk.
This is why most casinos and sportsbooks limit the amount of time that patrons can spend playing, as it’s very easy for a game or tournament to go on for hours and hours… if not days!