Push In Betting
What is a push in betting and how does it affect your strategy?
Read on to find out what a push in betting is and whether you should avoid this type of bet in the future.
This is a push in football betting. If you have made a parlay bet, then you will find that the accumulated bets decrease by one. In other words, this “tied” bet disappears from the card and the parley bet payout is judged by the other bets in the parlay. The same would be true in any form of accumulator betting. Oct 11, 2014 Pushes are the most common in sports that use the point spread like basketball and football. However, a push can also happen when betting on certain run lines in baseball or spreads in soccer. Lawmakers propose three bills in push to legalize sports betting in Missouri (Miranda O'Bryan) By Joey Schneider. 20, 2020 at 2:03 PM CST JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.
What is a push in betting?
A push may be a new concept to some of you reading this article so we’ll start right from the beginning. Here’s a simple definition:
A push refers to a bet which ends up being a tie between the punter and the bookmaker.
When betting on certain sports or markets, your bets can end up without a clear winner. That is, neither you nor the bookmaker actually wins the bet.
These scenarios are quite rare but they can happen so it’s best to know what they are and how you can avoid them.
In a push scenario, most bookmakers return your stake much like a void bet. They cancel your bet. This can be incredibly annoying and sometimes feel as bad as losing a bet even though you haven’t lost any money.
So how does this scenario actually happen?
What causes a push in betting?
A push in betting is caused when a match or event finishes on the listed points spread. What do I mean by that?
In plain English, it means the event ends up without a winner. Here’s an example to help explain:
Let’s say that you want to place a spread bet on the number of points Man City will score across the next Premier League season.
For those of you that are unsure, spread betting is when you wager how far you think an outcome will go over or under a certain spread. Your winnings or losses vary depending on how far the actual outcome moves.
The bookmakers allow you to bet whether you think the actual number of points will be over or under a certain figure.
What's A Push In Betting
In this scenario, let’s say that you think Man City will score at least 80 points during the course of the season. Therefore you place a £10 spread bet on Man City to score over 80 points.
How much you win depends on how many goals more than the spread Man City score.
So if Man City score 82 points then you win the bet. Your winnings would be as follows:
Your £10 stake multiplied by 2 (number of points above the spread) = £20
However, what happens if Man City go on to score exactly 80 points, who wins the bet? The bookmaker or you? No one does, it becomes a tie and a ‘no bet’ scenario.
Pushes are more common if you bet on American football or Basketball and they’re quite rare in UK betting markets as the bookies don’t allow for such scenarios. They use half points to ensure there’s always a winner, as we’ll see below.
Do all bookies refund your stake?
Push In Betting Terms
It’s fair to say, most bookmakers will refund your stake in a ‘no bet’ situation meaning you end up where you started. The bookie cancels your bet.
Push In Football Betting
However, there are some bookies that may take a cut otherwise known as a vig to effectively take the bet in the first place. This is quite rare in the modern world of online gambling but it’s just something to bear in mind.
You’ll be able to find more information within the terms and conditions on each bookmakers’ website. I recommend you check this thoroughly before placing any bets that you think may end up in a push situation.
Can you avoid push bets?
You may wonder why there are half points when it comes to betting on certain markets. Well, the reason is that this avoids a push scenario happening.
Push Betting Definition
You predict whether the number of yellow cards in a game will be over or under 3.5 for example. There is no way this betting market can end up being a draw, either the bookmaker or the punter wins.
You’re unlikely to come across too many scenarios where your bets turn into pushes but at least you know what they are and what to do if your bet is cancelled.
Have you ever been caught out in a push bet? Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.