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Once you have been visiting bookmakers’ websites for a while, you will have noticed other types of bets that do not fit the common 1×2 format you see regularly on your travels through the betting world. One of these will be draw no bet.
Draw no bet is one of the main attractions for savvy bettors. Here at Betting.net, we’ve put together this guidebook to explain what draw no bet is, where you are likely to find it, when it is used to increase the profits of savvy bettors and answer the question, what does draw no bet mean?
The first part of the answer to ‘what does draw no bet mean?’ is an easy one. Unlike many of the terms you will come across as you explore the world of online betting, draw no bet means exactly what it says. Instead of a usual 1×2 bet, where you can bet on the home team to win, the away team to win or the draw (if you’re still not sure check out what does 1×2 mean in betting for more information), bookmakers can offer a different type of bet.
When you make a draw no bet wager, if the match ends in draw, the bet is void and your stake is returned. This effectively turns any contest with three possible outcomes into one with only two. For example, Barcelona are playing Real Madrid in La Liga, and you place a draw no bet wager on Barcelona to win. If Barcelona win – you win, if Real Madrid win, you lose – but if the scores are level after 90 minutes, the bet is cancelled.
The next part of the answer to ‘what does draw no bet mean?’ is slightly more complex. Draw no bet is popular with more cautious bettors who want to cut down the chances of a losing bet. As a Betting Guide might tell you, the draw is usually not considered by many bettors, but as many as a quarter of football matches end in a draw. So, removing this option does reduce your chances of losing, but it does however come at a price.
As you would expect, bookmakers adjust the odds to reflect this lower risk, so while using draw no bet as a bettor reduces your chances of losing, it also reduces the profit made for a successful wager. So the question remains, other than attracting those that are more risk averse to placing a wager they might not have done, what does draw no bet mean for the bettor?
On your travels around the world of betting strategies, another term you may have come across is ‘Asian handicap’. With this type of bet, the chances of the favorite winning are weighted to a certain degree. So, in a match where Manchester City were playing Fulham (generally regarded as a far inferior team) an Asian Handicap bet might be Manchester City -2.
This effectively means, for the purpose of the bet, you deduct two goals from Manchester City’s score. So, if you placed the above bet of Manchester City -2 and the result was Manchester City 2, Fulham 1 – in the context of the bet Fulham would have won 1-0 and your bet will have lost
Also in this context, if the game ends in draw, your stake will be returned. So if you go to the Asian handicap market and select a handicap of zero, it is in effect the same as placing a draw no bet wager. The whole concept of Asian handicap betting is an interesting one, and the Betting.net resource Asian handicap betting explained will make an excellent addition to your betting knowledge.
With a viable alternative to draw no bet in the Asian handicap market, it does underline the question of what does draw no bet mean to the normal everyday bettor, looking to make an informed wager on a soccer match, NFL match or other sporting event?
This is possibly the most important part of the answer to the question ‘what does draw no bet mean?’ This is because of the alternatives available, it might be easy to think that draw no bet has no purpose for the bettor unless they are risk averse, when in reality the opposite may be true. Because of the number of alternatives, the chances of a variation creating the opportunity for a value bet will increase.
Putting Asian handicaps aside for one moment, and just looking at a straight comparison between a draw no bet wager and its 1X2 equivalent. When the bookmaker calculated the odds of the draw no bet, it would have been based on the 1X2 odds and what they worked out the chances of the draw happened to be.
If you have a different calculation regarding the likelihood of a draw to the bookmaker, then clearly the draw no bet could present value. This can also occur when one bookmaker will have different opinions to each other regarding the likelihood of the draw, and the odds of the same event will vary between bookmakers.
When any instance like this occurs, there is the opportunity to get a greater return on the outcome you were going to place a wager on anyway, just by selecting draw no bet instead of 1X2 option on their betting slip.
Now that most of the question ‘what does draw no bet mean?’ has been answered, the next logical question is, why is it not in a more prominent position on the bookmakers website – is it because only a few bookmakers offer it?
The answer is that while draw no bet is available at most, if not all bookmakers you are likely to encounter on your travels, not everyone is aware of the possibilities discussed in this guidebook. Then you must add that to the fact that savvy bettors are usually in the minority and most bettors concentrate on the 1X2 markets, over/under goals and even the number of red or yellow cards.
As a result, only a minority of bettors even know the market exists, let alone where to find it.
While you might now expect to find draw no bet at the majority of bookmakers, you might also be surprised to find it at betting exchanges. Betting exchanges are peer-to-peer betting platforms where the users themselves decide the odds (if you need more detail about betting exchanges, the Betting.net page how do betting exchanges work? provides an excellent overview of how they work).
As you might expect, the draw no bet markets at betting exchanges like Betfair look just like the 1X2 markets, except with the draw column in the middle removed. Because it is a betting exchange, you can also ‘lay’ a possible outcome as well as back it. (again, if you are unfamiliar with how this works, the How does a lay bet work page will tell you everything you need to know).
This has the possible advantage that the odds may again differ to any or all of the bookmakers and present a further opportunity to place a value bet, although as draw no bet is a more obscure market than 1X2, the liquidity may not be there for any sort of sizable bet. However, there may be small profits to be made in this area.
While using the draw no bet market at a place like Betfair has its advantages, there is a downside when it comes to using the cash out option, so beloved of sport traders everywhere. If you are using the draw no bet market, and you cash out for a profit when the score is 1-0, if the match ends 1-1 the bet is void and so is your profit.
One more thing to cover is what does draw no bet mean in the context of an accumulator (also known as a parlay bet). Once you’ve had draw no bet explained, you are likely to want to use it in an accumulator, because there is one fewer losing option.
If the draw no bet loses, then obviously the accumulator (barring any bookmakers special offers) is a loss also. But if the match in question is a draw, then the bet is void and excluded from the accumulator.
The opportunities offered by looking for value bets in the draw no bet markets can be profitable. However, they are far from the only strategies you can follow on your betting journey. There are other strategies that can be found on the online betting guide sections of the Betting.net website, which can be useful to novices and experienced bettors alike.
By now, the question of ‘what does draw no bet mean?’ should be comprehensively answered. We leave you with the three main takeaways from this guide that can help you effectively add draw no bet to your list of tips and techniques.
First on the list is that draw no bet works in a very similar way to the standard 1X2 bets you will be familiar with, except if the match ends in draw the bet is void and your stake is returned to you. As a result, the odds for the home win and away win in draw no bet markets are adjusted accordingly.
The next point of interest is that if you are a more cautious bettor, draw no bet offers you fewer losing options – albeit for a lower profit if successful. This option is also available on betting exchanges where laying provides another alternative.
The most significant part of the answer to the question ‘what does draw no bet mean?’ involves the adjustment in the odds due to the draw not being an option, presenting an opportunity for the savvy bettor. Bookmakers may calculate the likelihood of the draw differently to you, and the adjusted odds for draw no bet may offer a more profitable option for your preferred bet than the 1X2 alternative. You’re now ready to embark on your new adventure in betting fully packed with valuable tips!
Many bookmakers offer the option of draw no bet wagers as an alternative to the standard 1X2 bet format you are familiar with. To discover exactly how draw no bet works, including if it involves extra time, check out the comprehensive guide at Betting.net
Draw no bet wagers are not as popular as 1X2 bets at bookmakers and betting exchanges although they do have some advantages over those more common wagers for some bettors You can explore what those benefits are for you, as well as how you could have your stake returned by referring to the information at Betting.net
While a profit is never guaranteed, draw no bet can present opportunities for the savvy bettor. You can find out how draw no bet works, and if those opportunities are ones you could take advantage of by making Betting.net your destination
Draw no bet is available for many sports, provided they follow a particular format, for more details on what sports are likely to have the option for placing draw no bet wagers, check out the insightful guide over at Betting.net
Draw no bet wagers are often compared to Asian handicap bets because they can seem similar in certain circumstances. To find out more about both types of bet and which one might be the better option for you, check out the free information at Betting.net
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