Betting on Low Odds: Strategy Explained

New gamblers place their initial wagers on low odds without knowing the importance of numbers. The all-in strategy may be basic, but in reality, every bet necessitates thorough examination of the event. It is as crucial for most novices to understand how betting works through guides like the 1xBet app for Android as to know tactics. This article will explain how betting on low odds works, providing both the advantages and disadvantages.

The key to the strategy

A bet on odds 1.05–1.1 is a tempting bet because it minimizes risks, but in practice, the bettor is risking his entire bankroll. Many newcomers believe that such odds indicate that there is no other outcome conceivable — but that is simply not the case. Sports are unpredictable, and anything can occur at a match. Professional players avoid such bets because they know the true cost of losing the whole bankroll. Low odds appeal to a good bankroll but contain much trap. Two known techniques:

• Ladder betting. With each win, the subsequent bet is placed on the whole bankroll, and so on. Example:
  $100 at 1.1 → $110 at 1.1 → $121 at 1.1.
  The player is earning small increment gains but can lose all at once. Very simple, but very risky.
• Fixed-stake betting. The same $100 is wagered routinely at 1.1, and on each victory, the size of the stake remains the same.

The second type is more suitable for long-sighted players who have to keep some money for the next bets even after they've lost.

Selecting Events

New players tend to bet without going through the odds completely, and it is a huge error. There are some periods when these kinds of bets will be worthwhile, and winning players are aware of how to identify them. Let us go through the most popular markets where low odds tend to be applied:

• Under totals. A typical example is under 2.5 or under 3 goals around the 75th minute of the game when the score is still 0–0. At this time, the under total odds are usually 1.08–1.1. Bookmakers ultimately redraw the lines such that under 1.5 is only left at equivalent odds, and that is where the majority of rookies get trapped.
• Match totals. Wagering on over 0.5 goals at 1.08–1.1 is a fan favorite. Since most sports aim to score, this is a no-brainer — but miracles still happen.
• Individual team totals. These wagers are optimally placed on favorites. Bayern Munich, for example, usually has over 0.5 goals at 1.07–1.2, which looks like the "sure thing.".
• Handicap (+) or (0). It's a safe wager when competing teams are fairly balanced. For instance, before kick-off, +2.5 to +3.5 odds tend to fall in the reasonable bracket. Only in extraordinary situations are there blowout wins, but miracles might always occur.

At the same time, some bets are extremely perilous while at the same time having little odds:

• Favourite to win. As an example, 1.1 may be quoted by a bookmaker for the favourite and 9.0 for the underdog. The typical example is a Bayern Munich against Werder Bremen match. Everyone assumed that Bayern would coast to victory, but the game ended 1–1. Such "obvious" bets occasionally make bookmakers rich.
• Over totals before the game. Bookmakers deliberately offer low odds for over 1.5 goals to attacking teams, making punters bet strongly. But in reality, teams will go for defensive football, and goals can fail to turn up.

Key Factors

Bookies always take their margin, say 4% to 10%. What you are presented with when odds are 1.1 is actually equating to fair odds of approximately 1.14–1.2. Now the "safe" bet doesn't look so safe after all.

Most bettors also overestimate the risk. To double a $100 deposit with set stakes at odds of 1.1, you would have to win 10 bets in succession. And one loss somewhere along the way wipes out most of the profit.

Advantages:

• Less chance of losing per bet.
• With the right strategy, you can place a great many bets within a short space of time.
• No need for extensive team and sport knowledge.
• Easy to play.

Drawbacks:

• One loss wipes out the bankroll.
• Tiny profit on each bet.
• Sports come unexpectedly.
• Bookmakers exploit novices with these odds.
• Doubling the bankroll would take about 10 wins in a row.
• Streaks of winning always break suddenly.

Clearly, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. That is why most professional gamblers like to divide their bankroll into portions of lesser amounts (e.g., 5% per wager) and use a fixed-stake approach.

Conclusion

Low-odds bets are a kind of trap for beginners, but they remain an instrument in the hands of professional players. Only a very lucky player or a great expert has a probability to win money on this strategy every time. Nevertheless, low-odds bets are always a source of fascination for players due to psychological factors. For bookmakers, it's a gold mine. The system exists, but the risk of losing all money on one erroneous bet removes most of the profits.