GX SPORTS BETTING
HOW TO BET IN A
SPORTSBOOK With so many people travelling to Vegas for the World Series of Poker we here at GX thought this would be an excellent time to go over the basic rules of sportbook betting. This isn’t as easy as buying a Superbowl square in your office pool or making a friendly wager with a friend while watching a game. The sportsbooks in Vegas are going to offer a massive selection and once you’re at the window you will want to know how to place your bet like the pros do. cautions in a race, or which car manufacturer (GM, Ford or Dodge) will win the race. Betting lines can be found on NASCAR races as well as on the various open-wheel circuits.
On Today's Line we use a different format, the idea is the same. You will not find the odds for the Underdog. The Underdog's odds are based on what the casino has for its line. Most use a "Dime Line" or something close to that.
BASEBALL When betting on baseball each team will have a number next to it on the board. When you go to the window tell the ticket writer the number of your team and the amount of your bet. If your team wins, you win. The payout depends on the odds, and baseball uses a “Money Line”
AUTO RACING Betting on Nascar has exploded over the last few years to become one of the most popular sports to bet on. Racing and golf bets are similar as it usually involves picking a winner. The board will usually list 20 or so names and a field option (all others) with the odds out beside them. If the board lists Jeff Gordon at 15-1 odds that means if you place $10 on him and you win then you get $150 plus your $10 back, for a total of $160. Driver Dale Jarrett Jeff Gordon Bobby Labonte
Odds 4-1 15-1 100-1
There’s also racing matchup propositions where two drivers are paired against each other in a head-to-head wager with the odds set by the casino. The driver with the better finish wins (both drivers must start the race for the bet to be live). For example, a matchup may pit Jeff Burton (minus 145) against Casey Atwood (plus 125). If you bet $145 on the favored Burton, the payoff would be $100 plus your $145 back, for a total of $245. If you bet $100 on the underdog Atwood, the payoff would be $125 plus your $100 back, for a total of $225. Driver Jeff Burton Casey Atwood
Money Line -145 +125
Some sports books also post unusual auto racing propositions such as the over/under on the number of
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You have just seen an example of a dime line. Braves -120 Dodgers +110 A 20-cent line would be this. Braves -130 Dodgers +110
Example: Pitcher listed is starting pitcher Bet No Team Pitcher 301 Dodgers Brown 302 Braves Maddux
Odds Total Money line +110 7.5 Over -110 -120 Under -110
Note: The bottom team is always listed as the home team unless otherwise noted. The Braves' odds are -120, meaning a $12 bet would win $10, for a return of $22. The Dodgers' odds are +110, meaning a $10 bet would win $11, for a return of $21.
Here are two more examples of a dime line and a 20cent line. See whether you can tell them apart. Braves -105 Dodgers -105 Braves -120 Dodgers Even You can arrive at the underdog's price by looking at the favorite's line. Dime lines are slowly disappearing as sports books look to make a larger profit during what is traditionally the slowest betting season. Several books still offer dime lines. Money lines change constantly. The listed money line the time you make your bet may be different from the money line when the game starts. The listed line on your ticket is your official odds, unless the starting pitcher is changed. This is explained later. Total: Total runs scored in a game. Also called the over/under. You may wager that the total score of the game will be more or less than the number listed. It makes no difference which team wins. Simply add the final scores of each team. The payout, unless stated otherwise, is figured at odds of 10/11. (-110) Note: When betting a total, these rules apply: (a) The game must go nine innings, or 8 1/2 innings if the home team wins.