Sports Betting Strategy: Ante-Post Betting

Gambling.com Editor

January 28th, 2016

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When visiting the top online bookmakers, you're likely to come across the term 'ante-post' betting. While this might sound like confusing jargon, the reality is actually quite simple. Read on for a quick guide to ante post betting, and how it differs from normal and live/in-play betting.

Ante-Post Betting Explained

An ante-post bet can be described as "a long-term wager on the outcome of a season or special event that will take place in the future", and is also sometimes referred to as 'futures' betting.

For example, ante-post betting allows you to speculate on the winner of the next English Premier League the day after the current season ends. Similarly, if you wanted to bet on the Cheltenham Festival using ante-post betting, you could do it before the overnight declarations (when the opening competitors and odds are set). Essentially, ante-post betting allows you to take a fixed odds price on a team or individual well in advance of the event they will compete in.

The Benefits of Ante-Post Betting

While ante-post betting isn't without its risks (such as loss of stake due to an individual not competing), it also has a number of benefits:

Better Odds

One of the main reasons that ante-post betting is so popular among sports punters is that it offers the chance to take better odds. Once the declarations have been made and the market is set, the odds will often change based on the popularity of a particular team or individual.

For example, if you thought that Arsenal would be a threat before the start of the season, you could place an ante-post bet on them at 10/1. If you'd have waited until Arsenal won a few games, you'd see the price drop because people will have spotted their potential and placed a bet on them. This activity would drive down the odds and, therefore, your potential returns.

Better Money Management

Another benefit of ante-post betting is that it allows you to plan out your bets ahead of time. You might, in the heat of the moment, speculate on more outcomes than you intended, and spend more than you can afford. Ante-post betting eliminates this possibility by offering a more measured way to place your bets.

Better Rules

Although ante-post punters don't get their stake back if their pick is a non-runner, they aren't subject to Rule 4. This rule stipulates that punters will be subject to a deduction from their bet in the event of a non-runner being announced, and is intended to make the odds more reasonable – particularly in the event that the non-runner was the favourite.

So, if you were betting on a horse race after the declarations had been made (i.e. not an ante-post bet), you would get your stake back if your horse became a non-runner. However, if an opposing horse is withdrawn, then the bookmaker will adjust the price of your bet (using a standard table) to reflect the more favourable conditions. For example, if a 2/1 favourite pulls out of the race and your horse goes on to win at a price of 9/1, the bookmaker would be entitled to deduct 5% of your winnings, because the 9/1 price would have been too high given the removal of the 2/1 favourite.

Evaluating Ante-Post Betting

Once you've grasped the potential benefits and drawbacks of ante-post betting, the final thing to consider is the actual process of placing a bet. Instead of jumping into the first market you find, always make sure you consider the following:

How long is your investment?

If you're betting on an outcome that won't be decided for eight months, you're likely to need a higher return than a game that will be played tonight. In a nutshell: the longer the timeframe, the greater your returns should ideally be.

Where is the best deal?

Different online sportsbooks are going to have different ante-post odds, because the risk to operators isn't as great as it is in the daily betting markets. This means you can often shop around for the best deals.

Visit Paddy Power Sports today for some of the best ante-post markets in the business.