What Is A Banker Bet

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Introduction

Sports betting is a battle between a bookmaker and bettor. The bookie compiles the odds with a built-n profit margin. Punters are fighting a mathematical disadvantage which does not reflect the true probabilities. Bookmakers provide a betting service and the cost of that service is the theoretical profit margin. Payout rates vary but typically a bookmaker returns about 90% of stakes in the form of winnings. Bettors try to negate the bookies edge and one method is to identify a banker in multiple or system bets. The starting point for any combination bet is a banker.

Definition Of A Banker Bet 

The banker in any bet is the selection that is most likely to win. It is the most reliable leg of a multiple bet and the one that produces the highest strike rate. The banker tends to be a short-priced selection but that is not always the case. A punter may have carefully examined the form and identified a team in a football match or a horse in a race that ticks all the boxes.  

A football banker may have a form edge, be free of injury concerns and have an in form goal scorer.  A banker horse could have the going and distance that suits the form and running style. The banker is the selection that is least expected to spoil the bet. The bettor has faith in the banker and it is the first selection in any multiple or combination bet. 

When placing a system or accumulator bet with an online bookmaker, bettors can specify the banker bet. Generally, the banker must win for the wager to be successful. Therefore, a bettor includes the selection with the highest probability of winning as the banker. Banker bets can be one team or horse in a combination bet or one horse in a forecast bet.

 

Sports And Markets

Bookmakers offer odds on up to 50 sports and novelty bets on Politics, Awards and TV Specials. Any market that incorporates system bets or accumulators can include a banker. A bet must include at least two legs to accommodate the banker. The most popular betting sports are best suited to the banker and here is information about those that are most bet on with an online sportsbook:

Football

Football is the most popular betting sport in the world. Bookmakers offer odds on hundreds of leagues and Cup competitions. Many matches are shown live on television. The most popular football leagues for betting are the Premier League in England and the Champions League. On any programme of matches, there are several short-priced favourites. For example, when Manchester City or Liverpool are playing at home they are big favourites and potential banker bets.

Horse Racing

Despite the growth of more sports-orientated online bookmakers, horse racing is still an important element of a UK-facing betting operation. Bookmakers offer odds from meetings in the UK and Ireland and overseas fixtures. On any day, punters can bet on at least 100 hundred races. There are always a selection of “good things” each day. These are horses that have conditions in their favour and have a form edge. The odds reflect a horse’s prospects and those with most in their favour can be included as the banker in multiple bets.

Tennis

Tennis is a head-to-head sport and matches nearly always produce a winner. Players may retire due to injury but bookmakers have specific bet settlement rules. One player will always proceed to the next round of a tournament. There are 128 players in the draw in a Grand Slam tournament. Matches in the early rounds will produce some uneven struggles. A contest may bring together the number one seed and an unseeded player. Matches that involve players with a wide gulf in class produce short-priced players and banker bet material.

Other Sports

Bettors strive to identify bankers in many other sports. Customers combine golfers, snooker players, cricket teams and rugby teams in system or accumulator bets. The objective with banker betting is to include the one player or team that on paper cannot lose. The banker is an integral part of multiple bets across many sports.

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Bankers In Types of Bets

Forecasts 

A forecast is typically a horse racing bet which involves predicting the runners to finish first and second in any order. A tricast is a racing bet whereby bettors try to identify the first three places in any order.  Bookmakers accept permutations for these bets. The banker is the horse  that has the best chance of winning and forms the first element of a forecast or tricast.

Doubles And Trebles

Doubles and trebles include two and three selections respectively. The bet placement process can begin with the inclusion of the banker. Other selections are then added to the bet to create these single-line multiple bets.

Accumulators

An accumulator has four or more selections in a single-line bet. Bookmakers accept accumulators with up to 20 legs.  At that point the maximum payout limit will probably have been exceeded. With so many selections, punters may include two or more bankers in these bets.

System Bets

System bets bring together four or more selections in permutations. The most popular system bet is the Yankee which combines four selections in six doubles, four trebles and an accumulator. There will be a return if two or more legs are successful.  Identifying a solid banker facilitates system bets to produce a decent return. 

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