Asian Handicap

[macademia]

I have been betting for about 5 years now but have only recently started doing AH. Can someone give me a detailed rundown of what it exactly means.

Thanks

Mac

[nogoodnik]

Click on the BETTING tab at the top of this page, click GUIDE click Asian Handicap.
Should explain things.

[macademia]

thanks nogoodnik

[krider2010]

It's an excellent guide, but also some bookies have decent explanations on their site which can help add to your knowledge.

Bet365 have a feature I think (can't check from here sorry) where if you view their Asian Handicap coupon and can then hover on each side and it explains what is going on too.

Any specific questions then also ask them here as there are a good few on the forum who can provide advice for specific issues. Always better to be sure and prevent the bookies winning money out of our mistakes

[Betfairalfie]

I never used them before but I might be taking a closer look. Betfair's 1% comission rate on these markets must be worth taking advantage of. Its a shame they don't re-open the AH markets during the half time break though

Who are the recognised OLBG experts on AHs?

Where can we see the odds from the Far East, as they seem to be the markets movers? The names "ibc, 2629, indo" have been mentioned elsewhere, URLs anyone?

Appreciate your help.

[krider2010]

Aye will correct me on this if I've got it wrong, but I believe Pointbet are recognised as knowing what is going on and having their odds set accordingly although they are also quite competitive.

From my limited knowledge I would suggest that the asian bookmakers are all very quick to follow major moves at their competitors so they don't get caught out by any asian (more so than western) high rollers.

Bet365 can be very good too as for many matches you can adjust the handicap in the betslip and get appropriately adjusted odds which is a feature I quite like.

[Betfairalfie]

[Dammo Qwirky]

http://www.online-betting-guide.co.uk/guides/asian-handicap-betting.php

theres the link for anyone who wants to read up on it.
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[Ipoh Shark]

I noticed that there are still many questions regarding AH. Aye’s excellent explanation in the betting guide would have covered most relevant points, but I think some practical examples are needed to give beginners a feel of how to bet on AH.

Here are some practical guides (which others might not agree with) on how to approach various AHs offered, based on my own experiences (means u won’t get it anywhere in this world except in this forum).

Straight forward AHs:
AH 0
This is effectively a Draw No Bet. For example, the away team is the stronger one but their advantage is somewhat neutralised by home ground advantage of the home team. The bookies think that most likely it’ll end in a draw (or else an AH of 0.25 will have been given by the stronger team).
Under normal circumstances, I will take the team which gives a higher return (slightly odds against team) on AH 0, why not, as the chances of it winning are still 50-50?

AH 1, AH 2, AH 3
The stronger team giving the AH is more likely to win this one. An AH of -1 is effectively asking punters to guess whether the stronger team will win by >1 goal.
Example, Porto AH -1 @ 1.875 v Rangers AH +1 @ 2.025.
i) If u think Porto will win by ONLY 1 goal, then AH should be abandoned and 1x2 of Porto @ 1.44 should be the logical choice, i.e. if the 1 goal Porto win comes in, ur stake will be returned if u were on AH but u would have won 1.44 (including stake) on Porto.
ii) If u think Porto will win by 2 or more goals, then AH -1 should be chosen, obviously. If the result is Porto win by 2 or more goals, the returns from AH is 1.875 which is better than the 1.44 on 1x2.
iii) If u think Rangers is capable of drawing the game, then u’ll need to decide on whether u need some “insurance” on your bet. Taking Rangers on AH +1 will give u a 1 goal start but u’ll need to take a lower return for the “insurance”, i.e. if Rangers lose by only 1 goal then u get ur stake returned. If Rangers draw, returns from AH is lower at 2.025 compared to 1x2 draw @ 3.75.
iv) If u’re confident of a Rangers win then 1x2 gives 8.50, which is much much more than the 2.025 from AH. The only downside is if it ends in a draw, u lose if u bet on 1x2 but will win 2.025 if u were on AH.
The above argument is also valid for AHs of 2, 3, 4, just add the additional goals and think along the same lines.

AH 0.5
Treat this AH as the bookie asking u whether the stronger team can actually win when the opposing team has an even chance of pulling off at least a draw.
Example, Fenerbahce v AC Milan AH -0.5 @ 1.85
Fenerbahce is rated as having an even chance of not losing this one by the bookies due to their strong home record. If u’re very confident Fenerbahce will win, then 1x2 Fenerbahce will give u a better return of 4.20 compared to 2.05 on AH, BUT u take the risk of losing ur bet if it ends in a draw (u’ll have won 2.05 on AH +0.5 regardless of a Fenerbahce win or draw).
When betting on this AH, it’s always advisable to check whether 1x2 will give u a better return. Example, AC Milan on 1x2 returns 1.90 which is better than the AH returns of 1.85 for the same bet. Take note this is not always the case; Schalke AH -0.5 @ 1.95 v PSV, but Schalke 1x2 is @ 1.90, so taking Schalke on AH returns better in this case. RM AH -0.5 @ 2.10 is also better than RM 1x2 @ 2.00.
_________________
EPL Big 4 AH record
AH of Europeans, click here

[Antony OLBG]

I find Pointbet and Pinnacle very competetive on AH odds. They seem to work on much lower margins pricing the two team up at 1.95 each say whereas Bet365 would price at 1.9 each

[Ipoh Shark]

Some trickier AHs:
AH 0.25 (also known as AH 0/0.5)
I find most ppl get misled by this kind of bet; when they’re on AH +0/0.5, they always tell me that it’s most probably a draw and that they’ll win half for the draw. This is effectively risking your whole stake for a potential half stake win (not value if u ask me).
Example, Rosenborg AH -0.25 @ 1.95 v Olympiakos AH +0.25 @ 1.95
If u think Rosenborg will win, decide whether u want to buy any “insurance” before choosing AH or 1x2 betting. The AH of -0.25 will give a return of 1.95 while 1x2 on Rosenborg will get u 2.20 (the difference of 0.25 can be seen as buying insurance just in case of a draw; u get back 0.5 on AH but 0 on 1x2). I call this the “risk half win full” bet, to me the 0.25 ball given is a “bait” for punters to get on the weaker team.
If u think Olympiakos will win, then AH +0.25 will win u 1.95, but if u’re very confident of a win then the 3.20 offered by the 1x2 is obviously the better choice. If u’re not very confident of an Olympiakos win, then the AH of +0.25 is the better choice as u still get to win half in case the match ends in a draw. As mentioned earlier, NEVER bet on AH +0.25 when u think it’s most likely a draw, i.e. risk full win half.
If u think it’s a very likely draw, then it’s time to abandon the AH and get on the 1x2.

Think along the same lines for AH 1/1.5, AH 2/2.5.
Anderlecht v Chelsea AH -1.25 @ 1.85
Chelsea must win this game (in case of another Betis upset win), and I believe they will, so that’s 1 goal in the bag. I’m effectively risking half only (i.e. if Chelsea cannot get a 2nd goal) for a full win.

AH 0.75 (aka AH 0.5/1)
If u’re thinking of getting on AH -0.75, my advice is treat this as an AH -1 bet. If u do not think the stronger team can win by >1 goal, then don’t go for AH -0.75.
Example, Liverpool AH -0.75 @ 1.975 v Real Betis AH +0.75 @ 1.925
If u think Liverpool will win by 2 goals or more, better to bet on AH as it returns 1.975 compared to 1.72 from 1x2.
If u think Liverpool will win by 1 goal, AH -0.75 returns (0.5x1.975)+0.5=1.49 which is lower than the 1.72 from 1x2, so better returns on 1x2.
If u think Betis will not lose by >1 goal, Betis on AH +0.75 is the choice as u risk half (if it ends with a 1 goal loss) to win full (if it ends in a draw).

Same logic applies for AH 1.5/2.
Inter v Artmedia AH 1.5/2
Only bet on Inter if u think they can win by a margin of 3 goals. Do the maths depending on your prediction of the outcome, then decide on what bet to go for.
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EPL Big 4 AH record
AH of Europeans, click here

[Ipoh Shark]

The Asian Handicap can also be a useful gauge for experienced footie punters.
1) Sometimes if u come across AH which does not seem logical, then it’s time to do some research so that u can have an educated guess on what the outcome of a match. A recent example, UEFA Cup elimination stages- 2nd leg
Rapid Bucharest v Feyenoord AH -0.25
1st leg score was tied at 1-1, Feyenoord must score to win this match and proceed. The AH of -0.25 was too low for a team which must win (at least 0.5 should be more reasonable if the bookies thought that Feyenoord would proceed). Result: Rapid won to go thru.

2) For those who are looking for strong cornerstones for their accumulators, a quick review of the AH offered will give u an idea of the likely outcome of some matches. For example, if Inter can give Artmedia a head start of 1.5/2 goals, an upset will be in the viens of Artmedia losing by 1 goal or drawing the match. An Artmedia win will be too far fetched according to the bookies. What are the chances of a team giving AH of 2 or more actually losing a match? It happens but very rarely, so ur 1x2 bet should be rock solid.

3) If u believe that the Asians are the market movers of football betting, then it’s a good idea of monitoring the odds movement of the AH if u’re really serious in your footie bets. Hours before a match, u’ll have an idea of which team more Asians are on the AH, there will be some lag time for 1x2 (as these are 2 separate and distinct bet markets) to catch up so some value can be found. Yes, almost all footie bets in this part of the world are quoted in AH.

Hope my effort helps some ppl out there.
_________________
EPL Big 4 AH record
AH of Europeans, click here