An If bet is another type of bet that you can make on sporting events. It consists of at least two straight bets and not more than six combinations, tied together by an ‘if clause’ that governs or dictates the wagering process. If the first selection meets the conditions of the clause, the second selection will have action and so forth. In other words, an If bet allows you to place multiple bets that rely on the outcome of the preceding wager. The bets do not have to appear in the same order as the game times. Don’t know how to bet online if bets? Here’s a simple guide to help you through it.
How If Bets Work
In a way, If bets are a type of parlay bets. Similar to a standard parlay, an If bet joins two or more individual plays together. Nevertheless, an If bet is not an all-or-nothing bet. The individual plays remain independent bets and payout at the programmed money line if they win. All selections become active when the first team wins, ties, or cancels – a bettor can then have a straight bet(s) on the rest of the teams. A bettor also has the option of selecting the conditions of If bets, which are basically Win, Win/Tie, Lose, or Lose/Tie.
As always, it is best to illustrate with an example: Let us say you opt to bet on the Atlanta Falcons who are 3-point favorites over the New Orleans Saints at $110 to win $100. Your second bet can be the New York Jets who are set as 7-point favorites over the Buffalo Bills at $120 to win $100. Now, if the Atlanta Falcons are victorious, your profit plus the original bet ($210) goes to your next bet on the New York Jets. The stakes are now at $210 to win $190. If you win the second bet, then you receive a payout of $400. If you lose the second bet, the worst that can happen is that only your profit will be lost.
Two Main Types Of If Bet
There are two main kinds of If bets that you can place. The first one is known as If Win Only, which is a kind of wager you can make only if you win the first part of the If bet. If the first bet is a push or ‘no action,’ your bet is canceled altogether and your wagered cash is returned to you. The second kind of If bet is known as an ‘Action Wager,’ which is a form of wager you can make on the second part of an If bet irrespective of the win, lose or cancellation of the first part of an If wager. Other general rules apply when placing If bets regardless of their nature.
If Bet Rules
You must pick two lines to place an If bet.
You cannot include futures, circled lines, quarter lines, fifth inning lines and props in if bets.
You cannot combine moneylines and/or point spreads for the same team in the same game even when those two lines are from separate segments of the game.
You cannot join both sides of the same wager type (moneyline, total, point spread) from the same section of the game.
You must place your If bet prior to the start time of the earliest sporting event on the ticket.
Your betting amount of the second part of the If bet must match the amount of the first part of the if bet.
Why Place An If Bet
Most bettors use if bets as a way of money management. The main benefit of placing an if bet is that it decreases your exposure to losses. An if bet is an excellent tool to utilize if you are playing with a smaller bankroll, and want to take your chances on multiple games but do not want to risk everything or tie up your money on a parlay bet. They are also a great idea if you want to place two or more bets but do not have the cash to cover the second or more bets. If bets allow you to amplify your betting power while minimizing your risk.
If Bet Wagering Strategy
First, you need to understand that if bets are mostly bankroll management tools for bettor with underfunded accounts. There is little advantage this kind of wagering offers to regular bettors over straight wagers or parlay bets. Even so, you need a clear plan to benefit when placing if bets. The more practice you have the more calculated bets you make. Today, most bookmakers have become sharp, and some strategies you could use in the past are no longer allowed. Nevertheless, you still have a few great ones.
Here is an example of an excellent plan you could use at any sportsbook. Let’s say you want to wager $200 on a Monday night game, and you only have $200 to spare in your account. You also wish to bet on a few Sunday games but the Monday matchup is too crucial. In this case, you could wager the Monday game with an if win/push then place a few Sunday game bets.
To better understand how you can develop a good plan, let’ examine an if bet in its simplest form, which is a wager that contains only two plays. You pick an initial point spread or total. If that bet wins, then the second bet you pick will be placed automatically. If your original wager loses, then the second bet is not placed. Therefore, you should always place first the bet you are most confident about. Keep in mind that the status of the joined bets has nothing to do with starting times or what order the games are played. It is strictly a rational relation. Even if the first sporting event in your wager takes place several hours after the second game, the status of the second wager must await the results of the first game.
