What Is An If Bet – Explained

If bets are a type of bet that can be found at pretty much every sportsbook. Amongst regular gamblers, they are a pretty popular type of bet. However, if you are new to the world of gambling, then it would probably be understandable if you don't have a clue what they are.

Thankfully, you have us.

On this page, we are going answer the question ‘what is an if bet?'. Along the way, we will give you a bit of helpful advice on whether this is the right type of bet for you too. We have a lot to cover, so let's just jump right on in!

If Bet Meaning – What Is a If Bet?

We suppose that, in many ways, an ‘if bet' is very similar to a parlay bet. This is insofar as the fact that you will have multiple bets on a betting slip. You will only be able to win if each of those bets is a winner too.

With an ‘if bet', you will have a series of bets. The next part of the bet only triggers if the previous team is a winner. They are a bet that will often be used when you are sitting down for a day of sport. It means that you can bet on multiple events in a row, all tied neatly into the same bet.

The difference between an ‘if bet' and a parlay is the way in which the bets are placed, but we will discuss that in the next section.

Honestly, for most people, the differences between an if bet and a parlay are not going to be huge. As you will see a bit later on, in most cases, it may actually be worth placing a parlay as opposed to an if.

How Do If Bets Work?

As we said, ‘if bets' are a series of linked bets. For example, you may have a list of bets like this:

  1. Brighton to beat Crystal Palace
  2. Manchester United to beat Manchester City
  3. Dagenham ; Redbridge to beat Liverpool

These will all be added to your bet slip. in order for bet 2 to trigger, you need to win bet 1. If you want bet 3 to trigger, then you need to win bets 1 and 2. If you lose any one of these lines, then you end up with absolutely nothing.

As we said, this type of bet is going to be similar to a parlay in many ways, although there are a couple of key differences. Let's go through them.

Firstly, an if bet tends to be a systematic bet. You can't put bet 2 at the top of the list of the game in bet 1 is happening first. The results must be decided in the order that you have stipulated on the bet, but any online sportsbook will ensure that you can only do this, so don't worry about that part too much.

The most important difference between an if bet and a parlay, however, is the way in which the bets are placed. If you bet on a parlay bet, then all of the odds in your parlay are added together. You are then given the odds for the entire parlay bet coming through.

This isn't the case for an if bet. There are no combined odds. Perhaps the best way to think of an if bet is automatic betting. If the first bet wins, then your winnings from that bet are taken and placed automatically on the 2nd bet. If that bet wins, then those winnings are taken and placed on the 3rd bet. This can continue for as many bet lines you have on your if bet, or if you lose (which would nullify the entire bet).

Because of this, a lot of people tend to avoid them. After all, the process is exactly the same as if you were placing the bets individually. However, unlike placing the bets individually, you do not have the opportunity to cash out at any point. The odds are going to be a lot lower than if you decided to bet on a parlay too. Still, all sportsbooks offer if bets because, at the end of the day, they do still seem to have a place in the world of gambling.

Pros and Cons of If Bets

In this section, we want to take a deeper look at the pros and cons of an if bet. By now, you should already know the answer to ‘what is an if bet'? but you may not know whether this bet is the type of bet that you should be placing, or whether a parlay or individual bet may be more suited to you.

The Pros of If Bets

People go for if bets when they are planning on placing multiple bets anyway. The major advantage of if bets is that, assuming that you win, the winnings will keep rolling over. As long as you keep winning, this will give you ever-greater returns.

We find that a lot of the people that set up if bets for themselves do so because they just want to sit in front of the TV and watch a game. They don't feel like placing each individual bet. Perfect for those days when you have multiple events to watch!

While you can add pretty much any type of bet that you want into an if bet (you can even mix in a parlay with some sites), they tend to work best with moneylines. This makes if bets pretty relaxed in terms of risk.

The Cons of If Bets

Unfortunately, if bets are pretty old news. There are better ways to do your betting nowadays.

Parlay bets, for instance, will offer you far, far better odds than any if bet would. This applies even if you have the same betting lines in your parlay bet. So, always opt for a parlay. You tend to get far better returns.

Of course, you should only place an if bet if you prefer the automated approach to having your bets rollover. Remember, you are not able to cash out at any point with an if bet. This adds a degree of risk there. Most of the time, we suggest that you place your bets manually. At least you have a bit more control over your risk.

The odds of if bets never tend to be that great anyway. It will be exactly the same as the odds you would get if you placed the bets manually. If bets tend to be more beneficial in a physical sportsbook. They don't work so well in online betting where you are never more than a minute away from placing your bets.

Conclusion

If bets are a popular type of bet for those that want to link bets, but don't want to go down the route of a parlay. An if bet will rollover the winnings from a winning bet to the next betting line. Think of it as automated betting. Although, just like a parlay, if you lose any one of the betting lines, you receive absolutely nothing. There are probably more cons than pros to if bets if you are an online gambler.

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