Laying a bet means placing money against an expected winner of any sporting event or selection, with an eye toward not winning yourself. This can be done on head-to-head markets, team games or outrights and works best when confident that even favourites possess weaknesses that could see them fall.
Betting exchanges act like bookmakers; you act as the “layer”, while another punter serves as the “backer”. If an event you are laying wins, winnings equaling that stake will be distributed back.
Laying a bet
Lay a bet is a method of wagering against an outcome occurring. For instance, in football you could lay an individual or team not to win their match by placing a bet against them, either directly against them or using head-to-head markets like 888sport’s double chance wager – acting as a bookmaker in that laying users are required to pay out winnings should they accept bets placed by backers who accept your bet and accept your bet by accepting said backer’s bet and accepting his or hers accepting bet is then responsible for paying out winnings to backers – effectively acting like bookmakers!
Betting exchanges offer people the ability to trade against one another instead of against traditional bookmakers, providing many advantages such as guaranteeing profits, reducing risks, and hedging your bets. They also allow users to take advantage of odds that may change during an event such as horse racing or football matches by backing selections at lower prices and then selling them later at higher ones for profit.
Backing a bet
Backing is betting on an outcome to happen while laying is betting for an event not to occur – this strategy, known as “matched betting”, can be an extremely profitable way of making money, though it should be carefully understood before beginning as liability on lay bets may be greater than with back bets – use our lay bet calculator for help in this regard!
More complex back-to-lay strategies require careful monitoring of both the market and selection in question. Horse racing markets, for instance, often see odds shorten considerably shortly before races begin – creating the opportunity for back-to-lay arbitrage that guarantees profit regardless of race outcome. This technique requires in-depth knowledge of betting exchanges and in-play betting platforms like Betfair; but can prove very profitable over time; just remember never bet more than you can afford to lose!
Taking a bet
Laying a bet involves wagering against an outcome happening, whether that be horse racing, football matches or another form of sports. When acting as bookmaker and covering customer losses should their selection lose outright is known as covering.
When placing a lay bet, your stake is matched against traders on an exchange who want to Back that outcome for profit, making the exchange money as it matches up odds that may often exceed what you offered as liability of your lay bets. This way, liability of lay bets is usually higher than stake laid.
To reduce liability and maximize profits, it’s wise to look around for the most suitable lay odds and request prices; although this doesn’t guarantee they’ll be met. In general, look for odds that are lower than what Bookmakers provide as this will allow you to reduce risk and maximize profits.
Taking a lay
Lay betting can be an excellent way to generate risk-free profits with Matched Betting. Betting exchanges such as Betfair offer you the ability to lay any selection on any market at a price you choose and risk. The lower your desired lay price is, the less money will need to be risked in comparison with its potential reward.
Bettors who place bets are betting against an outcome happening – for instance, Manchester United not winning their match. Your bet will win if they lose or draw and you will lose it if they win!
Laying bets requires acting as the bookmaker and subtracting odds from total to determine your liability (the amount that Backers would need to pay in case they win). To reduce liability costs further, it’s advisable to search around for optimal Lay odds, while seeking lower prices from exchanges if possible; this helps limit your exposure.