Bets are definitely more popular than ever before, with major bet companies raising their minimum bets to attractive levels and offering amazing bonus deals to entice new and loyal customers. But is it really wise to risk your money on a single wager? Is it better to sit back and wait for the winnings from several smaller bets?
The Pros And Cons Of Bets
Bets are awesome when you’re winning, of course. But what if you lose? It’s inevitable that someone will lose money playing the odds, and if you’re not careful, it can happen to you. After all, the house always wins in the end, right?
On the plus side, you get to share in the great moment when the numbers come in and the other players react with shock and awe as the totals stack up on the board. It’s amazing to see the interaction between the crowd and the sports bettors as they await the results. When everyone is on the edge of their seats and pins seem to be sticking where they belong, it’s an experience that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime.
On the downside, there’s always the risk of losing. Whether it’s the thrill of winning that draws you to the game or the opportunity to make some quick money that entices you to try your luck, there’s always the possibility you could lose. When you lose, you lose money. It’s that simple. And while it might not seem like it, when you add up all the financial losses from the various types of betting pools, it adds up to a lot of money!
With so many risks come lots of potential rewards. If you’re looking for ways to make money quickly and easily, you could do a lot worse than to look into betting. The key is to understand the difference between the various types of bets so that you’re selecting the right one for your needs. Let’s take a look at the various types of bets and the differences between them.
Types Of Bets
There are four basic types of bets:
- straight up
- against the spread
- odds
- teasers
Each type of bet shares a few similarities but also has important differences. Let’s take a look at each one in detail.
Straight Up
The most basic type of bet is the straight up bet. This is where you put your money on the outcome of the game without considering any other factors. If you’re playing tennis, for example, and the match is about to begin, you might put your $10 on Roger Federer to win the match outright. Or if you’re playing craps and you throw your $10 on red, you’re committing to wagering $10 that Roger Federer will throw a seven before the end of the game.
This type of bet has several advantages. First off, it’s easy to understand and follow. You’re basically just betting on the outcome of the sport you’re following. Second, you get to enjoy the feeling of winning. When you bet on something you know is going to happen, you’re not surprised when it does. Finally, you’re not putting your life savings or other important funds on the line. You’re only risking what you can afford to lose, which in most cases, is fairly modest. For these reasons, the straight up bet is the most popular type of bet.
Against The Spread
The against the spread (ATS) bet is a little bit like the straight up bet but with a few key differences. With an ATS bet, you’re considering factors other than just the outcome of the game. So if you’re playing tennis and are backing Serena Williams to beat Venus Williams, you’re expecting Serena to prevail but having a bit of a bet on the outcome. You might want to set your bet at $10, expecting Serena to win but still wanting to profit from an eventual Venus win.
Many bookmakers will even give you an attractive range of odds when you place an ATS bet. For example, if you’re playing tennis and you place a $10 bet that Serena Williams will beat Venus Williams in three sets, you might get 3.00 (3 to 1 odds) if Serena wins and if Venus wins, you’ll get 1.33 (1 to 3 odds).
This type of bet can be quite entertaining to follow. You get to keep a close eye on the other bets while your own team performs. If you choose well, you might get a great feeling of satisfaction from seeing your picks turn into winning bets. However, this comes with a price. If you pick wrongly, you might lose a lot of money. For this reason, ATS betting is usually done in groups of friends playing with each other on social media or via online sites like Bookmaker or MyBookie. The anonymity of the internet provides a degree of safety in case you do make a mistake and decide to take your money back. However, in real life, this is usually not an option. If you’ve lost a lot of money, you’re going to come up with a way to recoup it. A lot of times, this simply means you have to wait for the winnings from several smaller bets to come in before your money is back. It’s not always easy to get the funds when you need them, especially when you’re desperate enough to take this route. It’s best to find a way to cover the funds you need with a credit card or cashier’s check, for example.
One important consideration when deciding between the ATS and the straight up bet is security. You want to make sure that your money is safe and sound, especially if you’re going to be placing bets from several different locations remotely (via the internet). For this reason, most gambling sites will only let you make ATS bets from their physical locations due to the high level of security needed. If you do choose to venture into this area, be sure to keep all your cards and id’s close at hand.
Odds
The odds are the other important consideration when deciding between the ATS and the straight up bet. You want to make sure you’re getting a fair deal for your money when you bet on sports. For example, if you bet on Serena Williams to beat Maria Sharapova in a tennis match and Serena wins, you’re going to win your bet but you’re also going to lose your money on the rest of the games. This is because Serena is not that superior a player to Sharapova. For this reason, you might get a better deal if you bet on the games where you’re confident of the outcome. Or if you’re playing craps, you might get great odds on a 3.00 (3 to 1) roll since you’re essentially betting on a sure thing. However, if you want to make money quick and easy, the odds aren’t that great when compared to the ATS bet. This is why most people choose to go this route since they want to make a quick buck. But remember the old adage: you get what you pay for.
Teasers
The teaser bet is a great way to make money off the outcome of a sporting event while avoiding the risks associated with the other types of bets. When you’re playing teaser betting, you’re basically agreeing to bet a set amount of money on the outcome of a sporting event (usually at the end of the game) with added features. It’s essentially putting your money on the table (the so-called “wagering element”) with added excitement.
Let’s take a look at the various teasers available and how you would use them.
T-Billiards
T-billiards (sometimes known as pool betting or ten-ball betting) is one of the more popular teasers when it comes to the pool halls. For each of the balls in a game of pool, you’re placing a bet on the outcome. So if you’re playing against the computer, you’ll want to put $10 on black every time the computer blacks out. If you’re playing against friends, you might want to use one of the many online pool halls that allow for private pool tables so that everyone can follow along from their locations.