What is accumulator betting and why losses are common
Accumulator betting, also commonly known as a multi bet or parlay in Kenya, is a combination of one or more selections in various matches into one bet. The main attraction of this format is its possibility to gain enormous profits on a rather modest investment since the probability of any particular choice is multiplied.
As an illustration of this, assuming you choose four teams to win at odds of two point zero each, then you would be earning sixteen times your initial capital. The large reward however is at the cost of a large increase in risk. The basic explanation as to why accumulator betting incurs so much loss is the necessity to have all the legs of the bet come to pass. Although you are right on nine out of ten games, one late goal or a red card in the last game will cause all the bet to be settled as a loss.
This all or nothing character results in a high mathematical variance that give a lot of advantage to the bookmaker. A lot of punters also succumb to the psychological trap of life transforming payouts that make them include excessively many selections on their slips. The possibility of a failure is multiplied exponentially by each additional match that is added to an accumulator. Moreover the compounding margin/juice the betting site receives with each leg you add.
Best strategies to reduce losses in accumulator betting
Select between three and five matches in your slip. Although it is tempting to construct a twenty match slip to a huge jackpot the truth remains that shorter accumulators give a far more acceptable ratio of risk/reward. You are greatly reducing the probability of one of your random events spoiling your whole bet by making fewer high confidence picks.
Use the draw no bet or double chance markets. These markets are less likely to pay off individually but offer a safety net that can sustain your accumulator in case a team does not win. As an example a double chance selection would enable you to win that leg either by a win or a draw, which is much more safe in comparison to a simple win bet.
You also need to find betting sites in Kenya which provide accumulator insurance or money back specials. These offers have the tendency to give back your stake in the form of a free bet in case any of the legs in your multi bet is lost giving you a much needed cushion in case of misfortune. Also having knowledge of the leagues and teams that you are so familiar with will never result in a poorer outcome than having to risk the unknown when betting on a match. In following a particular niche it is easier to know when the odds presented by the bookmaker is not fairly accurate about what is really happening on the field or in the motivation of the respective teams.
How to choose matches for a safer accumulator
The top level teams in most of the leagues hardly lose within their stadiums and make them a sure fit in a multi bet. But you must not fall into the snare of choosing favorites simply because they have poor chances. The last team news should always be inspected in case of injury or suspension of key players because the loss of a star striker or a starting goalkeeper and an otherwise sure bet can turn into a high risk gamble. It is also prudent not to play matches where neither of the teams has much at stake.
Games that come towards the end of the season when a team is already well in the mid table and has nothing to play for usually have unpredictable outcomes as the players might not have the required intensity. Instead just watch games that are competitive in nature like a title race or fight against relegation. The other trick of safer matches is to diversify your markets.
You need not keep to match winners in each leg. It is sometimes easier to predict a result when markets that include a goal such as over one point five total goals, or both teams to score are included rather than the particular winner particularly in a league where there are high scoring games. Selections that have a statistically high likelihood of landing irrespective of the ultimate outcome of the match can be determined by examining historic data on head to head selections and current scoring patterns.
Bankroll management tips for accumulator betting
The biggest rule is not to bet over a small percentage of the entire betting money on one multi bet. Since accumulators are a high risk bet, most professional punters advise between one to two percent of your overall bankroll to the accumulator. This will make sure that one loss or even a series of losses will not bankrupt you and you will not be able to bet again. You can also use the strategy of dividing your bankroll into various levels depending on the riskiness of your bets.
You could then set aside more of your money to the safe three team accumulators and only a very small part to the sheer recreation. You must not be tempted to pursue losses by augmenting your bets following a losing hiccup either. Accumulator betting entails patience and the knowledge that wins will not be as frequent as with single bets.
Common mistakes to avoid in accumulator betting
Most punters feel that they should add few teams with odds of one point one or one point two to increase their total payoff but this usually works against them. There is no sure victory in football and the slightest margin of profit seldom justifies the danger of an upset. The other common mistake is to have early kickoffs in the same slip with late games.
When your first choice loses at noon, your whole bet is killed before the remainder of the matches even start. To avert this some of the more seasoned punters will put in multiple smaller accumulators spaced out over the day or even cash out to secure gains in case the first few legs are a success. Another wrong that many individuals commit is basing their choices on their feelings.
Wagering that your favorite team will win every week no matter how they are playing or how strong the opponent is, is a quick way to lose money. You should not be biased and should make decisions based on facts and reason and not on the allegiance. The last thing that is missed is the comparison of odds between various Kenyan betting sites.
FAQs
How can i minimize accumulator betting losses?
The number of selections in your slip should be limited to between three and five legs in order to minimize losses. Increasing the number of games to multiply the payout is exponential, but the risk of a single incident spoiling the entire bet is also increased exponentially. Other useful strategies are to play on safer markets such as the double chance or not drawing bet that give leeway in case a draw occurs. Also seek out betting sites in Kenya that have accumulator insurance which will refund your stake in case of just one leg of your multi bet going down.
How do you recommend accumulator bets?
The most useful approach is to concentrate on the value and rational coherence instead of pursuing the probability. Only research on leagues and teams you are familiar with to be sure that your research is based on real form and injury news. A winning strategy will usually involve an amalgamation of various types of market like a good favorite to win with an over one point five goals bet in a second match. This diversification dispels your risk among various statistical outcomes. Lastly, make sure to have a steadfast staking plan in which you never bet more than a small portion of your bankroll on each accumulator so as to survive natural losing streaks.
Do accumulator bets pay off?
Compared to single bets, the accumulator bets are not usually profitable in the long term since the bookmakers margin is added to each leg on the slip. The probability of all the outcomes happening at the same time is mathematically less than the sum of the odds, and usually makes it a high variance bet. Nevertheless they may be lucrative to serious punters who do not utilize them frequently to enhance the worth of high confidence bets. To the majority of players they are more of a high reward entertainment with low stakes as opposed to a main source of stable income.
Also see our Sports betting academy
I’m Kanyi Muturi and am from Tabuga, a small village in Nakuru. I have been following all sports since I was a kid and have been interested in the gambling side of sports since I was in high school. It took me a little while to get a grasp on all of the different gambling terminology and understand how confusing and complicated it can all seem when you first start.
Are you a professional gambler?
I am a successful gambler. But make no mistake about it: I’m a long-time recreational sports bettor. I’m not a professional gambler. I’m not claiming to be a professional gambler. I’ve never, to my recollection, even been acquainted with a professional gambler. And far be it from me to make the preposterous claim that following my advice will turn you into a professional gambler. It ain’t about that. Not here it ain’t. I just want to teach you a new form of recreation, a fun new pastime in what can sometimes be an unfun life.
