One of the benefits of online sports betting is that you can choose between a wide range of bet types. These wagers can be placed as a single selection or combined into a multiple bet with other choices for larger payouts. A famous example of these numerous combination wagers is the flag bet.
A flag bet is a multi-bet combination wager comprising 23 individual bets on 4 selections. It is a variation of the famous Yankee bet but with added up-and-down stakes. Its 23 stakes include 6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 four-fold accumulator, and 6 up-and-down pairs. To understand what a flag bet entails, let’s examine the basics of its 4 components.
Up-and-down bets are a bit more complicated than all 3 other selections in a flag bet. It involves wagering on 2 choices from different events. However, the second selection depends on the first winning; hence it is also called the conditional bet. For example, say both selections are A and B; an up-and-down bet begins with placing wagers on A. If this bet wins, you’ll keep the return and wager your original stake on selection B. It is the first part of an up-and-down bet.
The second part works in reverse. You place another original stake on selection B, and if it wins, you keep your returns and wager the original stake on selection A again. If all your selections win, an up-and-down bet yields a return double the amount you’ll get if you place 2 double bets separately.
Let’s examine a real example further to understand the concept of a sports betting flag. Say, you place a flag bet of $1 on 4 different football events in the Premier League, and your selections are as follows:
Remember that your total stake for this $1 flag bet is $23 for all combined 23 wagers. Therefore, if all your selections win, you’ll get a payout of $152.83, including your stake. This is a substantial return compared to wagering the same stake on just one multiple bet or four singles. This example also applies to flag bet in horse racing and other sports.
However, calculating the payouts for flag bets is complicated as it involves odds across multiple bets and how many of your selections win or lose. Therefore, we recommend using a flag betting calculator to simplify things.
Having understood the concept of flag betting, you may wonder how to place the wager type at a bookmaker. First, determine the 4 selections you want to bet flag on and calculate the potential winnings using a flag betting calculator. However, flag betting is more complex than other combination bets. You may not easily find it in an online bookmaker’s “multiples” option.
You should contact your online bookmaker to see if they can help you place this combination wager. It is often best to turn to popular bookmakers, including:
Calculating odds and payouts in sports betting flags is complicated and can take ages or overwork your brain if you attempt to do it independently. It is a nearly impossible feat for an amateur bettor. So instead, we recommend using a flag betting calculator to do the math and determine your potential winnings.
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to use a flag betting calculator:
Flag betting is available for almost every competitive sport. It means you can bet flag on any sport you feel provides an opportunity to land a handsome return, as long as you can make 4 distinct selections from events. However, it is noteworthy that most flag bettors love to bet on flag football and horse racing. In football, for instance, you can make four selections across different matches to build a flag bet. Similarly, you can select four horses for a horse racing flag bet to win other races.
Like any other type of betting, you must be familiar with the sport you’re betting on to increase your chances of winning. For example, let’s say you’re building flag football bets; a vast knowledge of the sport and its players will help you make more informed decisions, allowing you to win more selections and make tidy profits.
Like any betting market, sports betting flag have both advantages and disadvantages, which are highlighted below:
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Besides flag bets, several other combination bets include Yankee, Goliath, Trixie, Super Yankee, Heinz bets, etc. However, while this makes it look similar to flag bets in the eye of an amateur bettor, there are notable differences.
For instance, while a Yankee bet is similar to a flag wager, consisting of 6 doubles, four trebles, and one four-fold accumulator, a Yankee bet has an added six pairs of up-and-down stakes, making its total wagers 23 instead of 11. Also, instead of the 4 selections and 23 total bets featured in flag bets, a goliath bet consists of 8 sections and a massive total of 247 wagers.
A Super Yankee includes 5 selections and 26 bets: 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 fourfold accumulators, and one five fold accumulator. Also, a Heinz bet includes 6 different selections and 57 bets: 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 fourfold accumulators, six five-fold accumulators, and one sixfold accumulator. All these differ from flag bets, consisting of 4 selections and 23 total wagers.
Some specialized flag bets differ from the traditional ones discussed in this article. These include Super Flag, Heinz Flag, Super Heinz Flag, and Goliath Flag. The super flag bet comprises 5 selections and 46 stakes, including ten doubles, ten trebles, five 4-folds, one 5-fold, and ten up-and-down pairs.
A Super Heinz Flag bet consists of 6 selections and 87 total wagers, including 21 doubles, 35 trebles, thirty-five 4-folds, twenty-one 5-folds, seven 6-folds, one 7-fold, and 21 up-and-down pairs. Also, a Goliath Flag bet consists of 8 selections and 303 total bets, including eight doubles, 56 trebles, 70 four-folds, 56 five-folds, 28 six-folds, eight seven-folds, one eight-fold, and 28 up-and-down pairs.
Flag betting can be worthwhile for those looking to increase their potential returns from a small stake. However, it is essential to approach it cautiously and only wager what you can afford to lose. It is also crucial to research and carefully consider your selections and the types of wagers you include in your flag bet.
Whether flag betting is worth it depends on your betting strategy, risk tolerance, and goals. While some bettors may find flag betting to be a valuable tool in their betting arsenal, others may prefer more straightforward bet types with lower levels of risk. Whatever your approach, always remember to bet responsibly and to only gamble with money you can afford to lose to achieve betting success.
