System betting allows you to bet on multiple events on 1 slip, but is a much safer solution than classic accumulator betting. If you want to reduce the risk of losing and at the same time have the chance to win more than when playing with singles, check out what system betting is and when it is worth choosing this way of betting.
System betting allows you to bet on multiple events on 1 slip, but is a much safer solution than classic accumulator betting. If you want to reduce the risk of losing and at the same time have the chance to win more than when playing with singles, check out what system betting is and when it is worth choosing this way of betting.
Bookmaker bets can be divided according to various criteria, but the most basic division relates to the way in which the coupon is structured. Thus, we have single bets, on which a bet on only 1 event is placed, and accumulative bets, on which the player bets on multiple events (at least 2) at one time. Accumulative bets are used to maximise the profit of the game, as the total betting odds are equal to the product of the odds on the individual events. However, for an accumulator bet to be won, all events without exception must be correctly predicted. The risk that an accumulator bet does not come in is therefore much higher than with a single bet.
However, there is a third way, which is a compromise between the safer and less profitable single bets and the riskier and more winnable accumulator bets. This solution is system bets.
What are system bets?
System bets are listed as the third type of bet, and on the e-coupon it is the third option to construct a coupon. In reality, however, they are accumulator bets with a specific structure – they are combinations of single and/or accumulator bets placed on 1 coupon. System bets are thus divided into several or even a dozen smaller bets, which are grouped into separate sections (they are broken down into blocks). This is why system bets are sometimes called block bets or spread bets, another common name is maxicombi bets.
The most important difference between a regular accumulator bet and a system bet is that the latter does not have to have hit types alone for the coupon to be a winner. What the minimum required number of hit blocks is depends on the type of bet. For example, in the 3/5 system, the player indicates 5 types (type A, B, C, D, E), which results in 10 blocks of triple bets (block ABC, ABD, ABE, ACD, ACE, ADE, BCD, BCE, BDE, CDE). For a bet to win, a minimum of 3 selections must be correct – e.g. if the selections are A, B, C, then only the ABC bet will be hit and the player will win from it. However, if you have 5 selections to bet on, you can also play the 4/5 system, which means you can place a bet where at least 4 of the 5 selected selections have to win. If the required condition is met, we will win a minimum of 4 bets in this system.
To understand how system bets work, let’s take a closer look at the simplest possibility, the 2/3 block system.
Block system 2/3
The 2/3 system bets require the player to get a minimum of 2 out of 3 bets correct – then the player will receive a win. If the player does not get it wrong once, he will receive the higher winnings, and if he makes 2 or 3 mistakes, the coupon will be settled as a loser.
Let us assume that a player is going to bet on 3 events, which we will label X, Y and Z. Their odds are respectively: X – 1.80, Y – 2.00 and Z – 2.50. Since the player wants to make a bigger profit than the one that 3 single coupons would give, but he fears that any of the events might not go through, he decides to play a 2/3 system bet. Thus, he places 3 blocks of bets on the coupon, viz: XY, XZ, YZ. The total stake he allocates to the game is EUR 30, i.e. EUR 10 for each block .
If only 1 type turns out to be wrong, the winnings will be paid out, but the amount will depend on which types were correct. 3 scenarios are possible:
- winning bet XY: 1.80 * 2.00 * 10 EUR = 36 EUR
- winning bet XZ: 1,80 * 2,50 * 10 EUR = 45 EUR
- winning bet YZ: 2,00 * 2,50 * 10 EUR = 50 EUR
On the other hand, if all types are hit, the player will receive a win equal to the sum of winnings from all 3 blocks, i.e. EUR 131.
System bets and the amount of winnings
Understandably, system bets result in a much smaller win when some of the types are incorrect than when all are hit. When constructing a coupon at a bookmaker, you should therefore be aware that it often displays only the maximum possible winnings. You should also be aware that if the permissible number of types is wrong, the bet may not only result in a low win, but in general may mean a loss (this depends on the odds of the hit events).
The odds of the individual types selected for system bets must therefore not be too low. If, for instance, the 2/3 system is used, the events that make sense to add to the coupon should have the odds of at least 1.74. If this condition is met, if only 2 types are picked, in the worst case the betting money will be returned, and if all 3 types are picked, the odds will be at least tripled. Of course, after taking into account the 12% turnover tax applicable in Poland, it turns out that the odds should be even higher – in the Polish reality for the 2/3 system they should be at least 1.85.
System bets built in a different way will have this minimum at a different level. However, the general rule of thumb when picking events is that, when it comes to system bets, the odds of individual events must be at least such that making the maximum number of errors allowed means winning at the minimum bet stake paid.
However, new players may be puzzled as to why system bets with only correct picks on them result in smaller winnings than accumulator bets of the same stake containing the same set of picks. The answer is very simple. System bets are always at least a few bets, so the stake is not placed on the whole bet, but is divided into smaller parts. In contrast, the stake of an accumulator bet is committed to the game as a whole, which translates into higher winnings.
System bets – advantages and disadvantages
Just like any type of betting, system betting also has its advantages and disadvantages, and whether it is worth using it depends on the particular situation and our priorities. Let’s start with the pros of this way of playing. First and foremost, system bets allow for mistakes – a player can make a mistake and still get a win. They are much safer bets than standard accumulator bets. The only exception to this rule can be the safe bet discussed above, although in many cases it is not possible to place it for selected types (mainly because we will not reach the required minimum total betting odds).
Another advantage is unfortunately no longer so clear-cut and concerns the amount of winnings. For on the one hand, system bets make it possible to obtain higher winnings than single bets, but as we already know, these winnings are lower than for regular accumulator bets. This brings us seamlessly to the disadvantages that system bets have. In addition to the lower winnings, it should also be mentioned here that in this way of playing, the bettor places a relatively large number of bets, while getting a high win is unlikely. Moreover, if a player adds a lot of types to a coupon, it is quite easy to make a mistake – even more so when it comes to shortened system bets.
