What is an IF BET Articles | Gambling

By: Richard Bleuze

What is the IF BET…

An "if"  bet is when you can add up to 8 teams in selection where the wagers are joined together on one betting ticket by an "if" clause.  In most sports books, an "if" bet can be placed between different leagues and sports. You can also request an "if" bet if 2 or more games are being played simultaneously. Placing an "if" bet is advantageous in that you only need to risk your original wager while taking action on up to 8 wagers.

This type of wager allows you to increase your betting power and limit your risk by placing several straight bets on one betting ticket where your bets will only have action 'if' your first bet in the sequence is successful.

An "if" bet is useful if you want to make more than one bet, but do not have adequate funds in your account to cover the all the bets unless the prior bet wins.

You are required to place a bet amount for each of your selections in the "if" bet.  Your bet amounts cannot exceed the previous bet total payout.  For example, if you wager $110 to win $100 on your first selection, then your next selection in the "if" bet cannot be for more than $110.

There are two types of action you can select when placing an "if" bet, "if" Win Only and Action.

If Win Only means the next part of the wager only has action if the first part of the wager is a win.

If the first leg is settled as a push, no action, or canceled the amount risked is returned to your account and your entire "if" bet ends.

If Win Example:
Team Result                Line Wagers           Payouts
Buffalo Bills                 WIN +7, .91 (-110)    110.00 
IF WIN - NY Giants     WIN +4, .91 (-110)    110.00 210.00
IF WIN - LA Lakers     Lose +5, .91 (-110)   110.00 210.00
IF WIN - LA Kings       No Action -5, 1.2 (+120) ________ ________
     
Total                                                                   330.00 420.00

In this example three of your events have Action. You win on Bills and Giants, but lose on the Lakers.  Because you lost your wager on the Lakers, your "if" Win on the LA Kings has No Action and you are paid out your remaining cumulative winnings.  Your net winnings on this ticket would be $90.

If Action wagers allow your "if" Wager to continue if one of your games ties or is cancelled for any reason.

An example of an "if" Action bet would be:
Team Result                     Line Wagers                               Payouts
Buffalo Bills                      WIN +7, .91 (-110)                      110.00 210.00
IF ACTION - NY Giants   Cancel (Refund) +4, .91 (-110)110.00 110.00
IF ACTION - LA Lakers   WIN +5, .91 (-110)                      110.00 210.00
IF ACTION - LA Kings     WIN -5, 1.2 (+120)                      110.00 220.00
     
Total                                                                                          440.00 750.00

In this example all of your events have action. You push on the NY Giants, but win on the other three.  Your net winnings are $320.  If these had been "if" Win bets, you would have only won on the Bills.  The push on the Giants would have stopped the action on the Lakers and Kings, so you would have only won $100 ($320 payouts less $220 in wagers).

"if" Betting Rules

·    An "If" bet must be placed prior to the start time of the earliest event on the ticket.
·    The first bet amount may not exceed the normal house limit.
·    The other individual bet amounts MUST EQUAL the amount of the first bet.
·    In an "if" Win sequence, the second bet will not have action unless the first bet is a win.
·    In an "if" Action sequence, the other bets will not have action unless the first bet is a win, push, no action, or canceled.
·    You cannot place an "if" bet on futures or props.

Now, that you see how the "if" bet works, it is important to understand that this type of bet can be used depending on your style.

Some sports bettors prefer to go with straight wagers, some others with a parlay and some with the "if" bet.

My suggestion would be to go with your best bet as a first bet and than the other ones right after.

Finally, you should only use the "if" bet if you think that the your first bet is a strong one and if you want to go with more than one game.

If not, it is better for you to go with only one straight wagers on your best bet.

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