What is Hat Trick? Hat Trick Explained in 2 minutes
Jesse M. Cox Last Verified
19/04/2026
What is a Hat Trick?
A hat trick is a term most commonly associated with the sports of football and cricket.
In football, a hat trick is achieved when one player scores three goals in a game whereas in cricket the same logic may be applied, but a bowler needs to take three wickets in a row in order for it to be classed as a hat trick.
A hat trick in cricket is much harder to achieve than in football but both offer strong betting markets with long odds due to the unlikelihood of either occurring.
The term hat trick does appear in most other sports, including baseball and darts, but it is football and cricket where you will find the betting markets.
How is Hat Trick used in Sports Betting?
Betting on a hat trick is a popular market, especially in football and is as simple as backing Harry Kane to score three goals in a Premier League game against, for example, Arsenal.
The same can be done in cricket where you may back a bowler such as James Anderson to take three wickets in a row against Australia. In these instances, it is always wise to check the opponent and the pitch as this widely effects the possibility of a hat trick.
It is important to note that the best chance of a hat trick in cricket occurs in the shortest format of the game, twenty over cricket, as the need to score runs ensures the batsman takes the most risk.
Did you know…
The term hat trick was first coined during a cricket match in 1858 when English batsman H.H Stephenson took three wickets from three balls and to mark the feat, fans held a collection and bought Stephenson a hat as a reward, hence the term hat trick.
