– Last Updated on May 21, 2011 4:06 pm
Sportsbook Betting Rules
Betting Advice Guide From Cappers Picks
Internet Wagering Types & Rules For Sports Gambling
Please take this piece of advice in mind, remember that all the sportsbook wager types and rules in this page can be modified by your sportsbook, we highly recommend to check all rules before playing. GENERAL SPORTS BOOK BETTING RULES: All sporting events must be played on the scheduled day unless otherwise specified. Sporting events postponed and then rescheduled, will automatically constitute a no action wager, and all money will be refunded.
Official Game Times
Sport Scored Official After
Football (NFL) 55 minutes of play
Football (College) 55 minutes of play
Basketball (NBA) 43 minutes of play
Basketball (College) 35 minutes of play
Baseball 5 innings of play (see baseball for details)
Hockey 55 minutes of play
Golf 54 holes of play (see golf for details)
Boxing After opening bell is rung
Propositions Must have all participants involved in play for action.
Football
Types of wagers available for football and basketball: Straight (point spread & money-line), totals, half-times, and propositions. NFL and college football games must go 55 minutes to have action. All wagers on the side & total will include all overtime scoring.
Basketball
Types of wagers available for football and basketball: Straight (point spread & money-line), totals, half-times, and propositions.
Baseball
Types of wagers available for baseball: Straight (run-line & money-line), totals, and propositions. Winners and losers are official after 5 innings of play unless the home team is leading after 4½ innings. If a game is called, or suspended, the winner is determined by the score after the last full inning (unless the home team scores to tie, or takes the lead in the bottom half of the inning, in which case the winner is determined by the score at the time the game called.) In sports book betting, monies will be refunded if the home team ties the game and it is then suspended. Events will not carry over to the following day (unless otherwise specified).
Baseball games are declared official after 5 innings of play or 4 1/2 innings if the home team is winning. If a game is called or suspended, the winner is determined by the score after the last full inning unless the home team scores to tie or take the lead in the bottom half of the inning, in which case the winner is determined by the score at the time the game is called. Wagers will be refunded if the home team ties the game and it is then suspended. Events will not carry over to the following, unless otherwise specified.
For total (over/under) wagers, the game must complete nine innings (8 1/2 if the home team is winning) to have action. If a game is called or suspended, the score will be determined by the last full inning unless the home team scores to tie or take the lead in the bottom half of the inning, in which case the score is determined at the time the game is called. All total wagers are automatically both listed pitchers (see below).
Rules for run-line wagers and propositions are the same as those for baseball totals.
There are three wagering options for baseball (currently, all Internet baseball wagers are listed pitchers only, check your sportsbook rules!).
Action – wager on team vs. team, regardless who pitches. If one of the listed pitchers does not start the game, the line will be adjusted to the opening line with the new pitcher.
List Both Pitchers – wager only if both listed pitchers start the game. The wager will be “no action” if either or both pitchers do not start the game.
List One Pitcher – wager only if one team’s listed pitcher starts the game. The wager will be “no action” if the specified pitcher does not start the game.
How To Figure Baseball Parlays
For each price or odds quote on your teams, look at their respective payoffs (to $1) and always add $1 to these payoffs. Multiply your bet times the products of these payoffs (+$1) for your parlay return.
Example: Bet $50 on Twins (-150) parlayed to Yankees (-130) bet Twins Yankees return
(-150) (-130) $50 X 1.67 X 1.77 = $147.80 return includes the $50 bet.
Use the same method for any number of team for example: Bet $75 on Cubs (+120) to Reds (-135) to Mets (EVEN) for 3 team parlay
BET CUBS REDS METS RETURN
(+120) (-135) (EV)
$75 X 2.20 X 1.74 X 2.00 = $574.20
(1.00 + 1.20) (1.00 + .74) (1.00 + 1.00)
Return includes the $75 bet, remember to always add a $1 to the payoff price to figure out all parlays. UP or BACK
Hockey
Types of wagers available for hockey: Straight (NHL puck-line & money-line), totals, and propositions.
In addition, in the NHL Playoffs, the reason why casinos post lines in the form of a money line (i.e. PK-250, etc) rather than use a Puck Line (i.e. 1 11ž2) is that you cannot have a time game in the playoffs, one team or the other must win the game in order to advance to the next round…UP
Golf
Types of wagers available for golf: Odds to win & place (top four) tournament, odds to win foursome, straight bets on daily matchups (odds plus stroke line with odds), and propositions.
For any wager, if the selected player (or opponent if daily matchup) does not tee off, the wager is “no action”, and the wager amount will be refunded. For stroke line wagers, the player with the “-” is the favorite and the “+” is the underdog (example, you wager on Fred Couples (+2) over David Duval, Couples shoots 68 and Duval 67: Couples is the winner by a margin of one stroke since Duval was favored by two strokes).
Odds to Place – Wager on a player to finish in first through fourth place for the tournament. If there is a tie for fourth place, the payouts are calculated by dividing the payout odds by the number of players tied for fouth place (example, you wager $10 on Tiger Woods to place, his place odds are 6 to 1, and three players tie for fourth place: payout= 6 / 3 = 2; $10 x 2 = $20 total winnings).
Odds to Win Foursome – Wager on a player to place higher than the other players in the tournament. If there is a tie, the leader following the previous round is the winner. If two players tie every round, the player who was leading latest in the final round is the winner.
Daily Matchups: wager on one player to place higher than another, either for the tournament of the specified round. If there is a tie, the wager amount will be refunded.
If a tournament does not go the specified number of completed holes (usually 72), and the tournament is shortened by PGA officials, the leader at the end of number of holes determined by PGA officials shall be the winner.
Example:
If the tournament was scheduled for 72 holes, but only 54 holes can be played due to weather concerns, then the leader at the end of 54 holes would be declared the winner of the tournament. In the event that two (or more) players are tied for the lead at the end of regulation play, sudden death playoff occurs to determine the winner of the event. In some cases PGA officials may also have the individuals play a specified number of holes to determine the tournament winner.
In head to head matchups, both golfers must tee off in order to have action. The player with the most completed holes and the lowest score is the winner of the matchup.
In the event that one golfer or the other is disqualified or withdraws, the other player will be the winner of the matchup. In the event a tournament does not go the specified number of completed holes (usually 72), and the tournament is shortened by PGA officials, the leader at the end of number of holes determined to be official by PGA officials shall be the winner. Sports book betting rules state that if a wager is taken on a matchup for the overall tournament, both golfers MUST tee off for action. In the event that one player or the other is disqualified or withdraws, the other golfer will be the winner of the matchup. In the event a matchup is taken on a round by round basis (1st Round, 2nd Round, 3rd Round, etc) or (1st and 2nd rounds, or 3rd and 4th rounds), both golfers MUST tee off for action, and in the event that a wager is taken on the 1st and 2nd (or the 3rd and 4th rounds) for the same two players, and the player tees off in the 3rd round, and then withdraws, the player remaining would be the winner of that matchup in the 3rd round, and there would be NO action on the 4th round wager (since one of the two players withdrew).
Tennis
Types of wagers available for tennis: Odds to win tournament, odds to win daily matches, and propositions. UP
Boxing
Types of wagers available for boxing: Odds to win fight, draw, total rounds (over, under), and propositions.
When a draw is available to wager and the fight ends in a draw, the sportsbook pays only those who bet a draw. If a draw was not available at a sportsbook, then all wagers are refunded. Sportsbooks who did not carry a draw as an available betting proposition are obligated to refund all wagers. Sportsbooks which offered the draw, pay only on the draw and do not refund any wagers on either fighter. The only exception to this rule would be when a draw is listed as a seperate bet. The following is the correct sport book betting ruling in boxing involving a draw. When a draw is on the board as one of the options available to wager on and the fight ends in a draw, that sportsbook pays only those who bet a draw. However, if a draw was not available at a sportsbook, then all monies are refunded. Sportsbooks who did not carry a draw as an available betting proposition are obligated to refund all wagers. Sportsbooks which offered the draw, pay only on the draw and do not refund any wagers on either fighter. The exception to this sports book betting rule would be when a draw is listed as a SEPERATE wager. For example, a draw listed with other boxing betting propositions such as choosing what round a fighter will be KO’d in, or a fighter by decision or KO, etc.
Auto Racing
The Official NASCAR winner of the race shall be the winner of the race for sports book betting purposes.
Types of wagers available for auto racing: Odds to win race, odds to win matchups, propositions.
I n Head-to-Head or Three way matchups, all drivers must start the race in order to be considered “in action”. In addition, a driver is considered starting the race after having driven one lap.
In the race a starting driver who has completed at least one lap, but is replaced during the race with another driver for any reason, the starting driver will be awarded the finishing driver’s position at the end of the race.
If a starting driver has to be replaced with another driver after completing one lap, and the second driver ends in 10th place, then the starting driver will be awarded for 10th place.
Example:
Driver Scott starts the race, he completes 10 full laps, but leaves the race due to injury, and then driver Matt finishes the race and places 10th. In the race standings, driver Scott would be credited with 10th place. UP
Horse Racing
Types of wagers available for horse racing: Odds to win, place & show; exactas, quinellas, trifectas, and propositions.
Straight Wagers – Straight bets are very simple, select which horse will be on the first, second or third position. Win corresponds to First place, Place for Second place, and Show is Third Place. For example, if you wanted to bet $10 on horse number 3 to win first place, then you have to bet on “Win”. If you want to bet all three positions, then you must ask for “horse number 3 all across the board”.
Exotic Wagers – All exotic bets are just like placing a straight wager except now you will be selecting multiple horses. The following is a list of exotic wagers:
* Quinella choose horses to come in 1st and 2nd place.
* Exacta choose horses to come in 1st and 2nd place.
* Perfecta choose horses to come in 1st and 2nd place.
* Trifecta choose horses to come in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
* Superfecta choose horses to come in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place.
* Daily Double choose horses to come in 1st place for 2 races.
* Pick 3 choose horses to come in 1st place for 3 races.
Boxing – With most exotic wagers you may also box the horses. This means they can come in any order. ie If you bet a $2 Trifecta Box on horses 1-3-7, you win if any combination of 1-3-7 comes out. For example, if 7-3-1 comes out you win! By boxing a wager you are essentially buying a ticket for all the different combinations for the horses you selected. So in the above example the total wager cost would be $12, because there are 6 combinations possible.
Coupled pairs – Sometimes horses are coupled. That is there will be a 1 and a 1A. Most times one of the horses will be scatched, but if they both run, you get them both. So, if you select a horse that is part of a coupled pair (horses 1 and 1A) both horses would be considered as one selection.
Example:
If you played 1-3-7 as your trifecta and result was 1A-3-7 you win. Also if one horse gets scratched, you have the other horse regardless of who you selected. ie If you select 1A and 1A gets scratched – you still have the 1 horse.
Horse Payouts – Payouts will be made based on the actual track payout. Usually the Morning Line (ML) listed in any race is just informational and is not used to calculate the payouts. UP
Soccer
Types of wagers available for Soccer: Odds to win game (Single bets), half time (1st half and 2nd half), total (over and under), draw, and propositions.
Single Bets – This is the exact same thing as taking a money-line, all though goals scored in extra times don’t count for betting purposes. In some sportsbooks you will find an “outright winner”, these odds are for bettors that are predicting the game to go in extra-time, by penalties or by the golden goal. The winner for wagering purposes for both side & total is determined by the final score after 90 minutes and any over time. The penalty kick or shoot out round is not included.
Description of Types of Sport Bets
Straight bets – A straight bet or side bet is where you choose which team will win the game. It can be a money-line (-170, +150, etc), point spread (-4 1/2, +5, etc.) or a rul-line (-1 1/2+25). Usually there will be a 10% juice for booking, unless otherwise noted.
For baseball, you bet on which team will win the game outright, because baseball works with money lines, for the exception of run lines. Run lines are the same thing as a point spread.
For basketball or football there will generally be a point spread as part of the bet. If the number is positive (+) then you add the points to your team’s score. If the number is negative (-) then subtract those points from your teams score. The side with the higher score after the points are applied is the winner.
Totals – When wagering on totals you are betting on whether the total points scored in the game will be higher or lower than the posted total.
Parlays – A parlay is a group of straight bets or totals combined into one bet. For the parlay to win all of the individual parts of the parlay need to win for the parlay to be a winner. If you have a tie or a push, the parlay will revert to the lowest number.You can also mix different sports on the same parlay in almost all books.
Teasers – A teaser is a group of straight bets or totals combined into one bet. The difference between a parlay and a teaser is that with a teaser the line you bet against for each individual wager is moved to your favor by the number of points of the teaser. If the regular line is -10 and you have a 6 point teaser then your line would be -4.
As with a parlay, all of the individual parts need to win for the teaser to be a winner. In most sportsbooks you can tie and it will revert to the lowest number. Teasers are not available for baseball, due to the money line.
Pleasers – A pleaser is a group of side straight bets combined into one bet. The difference between a pleaser and a teaser is that with a pleaser the line you bet against for each individual bet is moved against your favor by 6 points. If the regular line is -10 and you play a pleaser then your line would be -16.
Example:
Odds:
San Francisco is (-3) over Oakland
Miami is (-8) over Dallas
A “Two Team Pleaser” on San Francisco and Miami would be:
San Francisco (-9)
Miami (-14)
10 Point Teaser – A 10 point teaser consists of picking 3 teams to win, there are no ties in this type of bet. In Football you will receive 10 points (5 pts. for half-time wagers), and in Basketball you will receive 7 points (3.5 pts. for half-time wagers).
*Normally all these type of exotic wagers are not taken on preseasons, all though you might want to talk with a sportsbook representative to find out if it’s available
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