Sports betting has never been more popular in Nigeria than it is today. A major reason for this widespread popularity lies in the fact that there are tons of local and international sports online sports betting sites in the country, making accessibility a breeze for Nigerian punters. According to statistics, there are more than fifty online bookies available to Nigerians to wager on their favourite sports, a staggering figure to say the least. Another factor contributing immensely to the popularity of sports betting in the country is the availability of different innovative multiple betting options, such as accumulators and system betting.
Nearly every punter who engages in accumulator betting has a sob story about missing out on a big win because of one lost selection, as accumulators require that every selection in your bet wins. On the other hand, a system bet is a series of parlays within a parlay that offers punters the chance to win payouts even if one or more selections lose.
This guide to system betting will cover what this betting option is all about, why you should use it, its pros and cons, and other essential details that you need to know.
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What is System Betting?
To understand what a system bet is, you need first to understand that there are typically three ways to place bets on sports events: singles, parlays/accumulators, and system bets.
If you place bets on events as single bets, you will win payouts on the individual selection that wins. The outcome of one bet does not affect that of another, which means that if some of your bets are accurate and others are incorrect, you will win money on the correct ones.
On the other hand, a parlay/accumulator bet is a series of single bets combined to create one bet with much higher odds. Here, punters look forward to getting a higher payout for a little stake. However, the downside is that you need every one of your selections to pan out as predicted to win. If even one of the selections does not pan out, you lose the entire wager.
You get the best of both worlds with system bets. System betting, also known as perm betting or permutation betting, involves placing bets on a combination of selections. Instead of combining all multiple single selections into an accumulator, system bets allow punters to create combinations of straight bets, doubles, trebles, four-fold accumulators, and more inside a single bet slip. In doing this, punters can mitigate losses and risk while also standing a chance to earn decent profits.
The best perk about system betting is that not all the selections in your bet slip have to be successful to win. For example, winning only three selections in a 3/5 system bet will yield a payout. If four out of the five selections pan out, you get an even bigger win, and if all five selections win, you get a massive payday, depending on the odds of each event.
Why Should Punters Use System Betting?
One of the ways to get the best value while placing bets on sports events is to create combinations through accumulators. This offers punters a significantly greater odd value, bringing about bigger payouts.
However, the downside of accumulator bets is that if even one of the legs within the selections loses, the entire bet will lose. This makes accumulator bets very risky. The betting option that came up in the sports betting industry to make up for the incredibly high risk of accumulator bets is system bets.
System bets make up for the downsides of accumulator bets by offering different ways to win, even if one or more of your selections fails to pan out as predicted. This betting option is a lot safer than going all-in on an accumulator bet, as it leaves room for you to get a return which can bring about huge profits or minimise your losses in the long run.
Another upside to system bets is that it gives punters the confidence to go for high odds markets with low winning chances but large potential payouts. If such bets win, the returns will be massive, and the punter gets a big payday. On the other hand, if the events don’t pan out as expected, you can still win some amount if the other picks manage to win.
Maximise Your Advantages with System Bets
One of the best parts of system bets is that punters can combine multiple bets and go for higher rewards in a less risky environment. While this is already a major boon to all punters alike, there are still a few things that experienced punters do to maximise their advantage when placing system bets. Here are a few of them:
Research
Although system betting gives players a better winning chance than single wagers or accumulators, thorough research remains your best bet when looking to earn big on system bets. It is wise to check the trends, form, stats, and other essential details of competing teams and players before placing any bet. The more wins are in your selection, the more payout you will get from a system bet.
Avoid Exotic Bets
We know that system bets tempt punters to try out new and exciting bets, but this is not advisable if you are interested in winning payouts. Exoctic bets can be difficult to win, so you should try and avoid them in your system bets.
Take advantage of the Cash out Feature.
Many sportsbooks provide the early cash-out feature to punters. The feature can be helpful to you in system betting, especially when it looks like the bets are not going your way. This will let you get back some of your stakes.
System Betting Example
To help you understand how to place a system bet, let us look at a practical example. In this example, we will look at three single bet selections on three different boxing matches.
| Events | Picks | Odds |
| Canelo Alvarez vs Dmitry Bivol | Dmitry Bivol to win | 4.00 |
| Joshua Buatsi vs Craig Richards | Joshua Buatsi to win | 1.17 |
| Devin Haney vs George Kambosos Jr | George Kambosos Jr to win | 2.50 |
In the example above, there are three possible system bets that you can create, namely, a 2/3 system, a Trixie bet, and a Patent bet.
A 2/3 system bet consists of 3 bets created from 3 selections – three doubles. Here, you will be placing three stakes, and at least two of the selections must win for you to gain any winnings. The table below shows how a 2/3 system bet will work for a #100 per bet on our three selections.
| 2/3 System Bet Combos | Odds | Potential Winnings with a #1,00 stake |
| Dmitry Bivol and Joshua Buatsin | 4.68 | #468 |
| Dmitry Bivol and George Kambosos | 10 | #1,000 |
| Joshua Buatsi and George Kambosos | 2.925 | #292.5 |
| Totals | 17.605 | #1,760.50 |
A Trixie bet consists of 4 bets from 3 picks – three doubles (three 2-pick multis) and one accumulator (all three picks). Here, you will be placing four wagers, and at least two of the picks must be accurate to earn a win. The table below shows how a Trixie System will work on #100 per bet on our three selections.
| Trixie System Bet Combos | Odds | Potential Winnings (#100 per stake) |
| Dmitry Bivol and Joshua Buatsi | 4.68 | #468 |
| Dmitry Bivol and George Kambosos | 10 | #1,000 |
| Joshua Buatsi and George Kambosos | 2.925 | #292.5 |
| Dmitry Bivol, Joshua Buatsi, and George Kambosos | 11.7 | #1,170 |
| Totals | 2930.50 | #2,930.50 |
A Patent bet consists of 7 different bets from three selections – three single bets, three doubles (three 2-pick multi), and one accumulator (all three picks). Here, at least one of the three selections must win to get any winnings. The table below shows how a Patent system will work on #100 per bet on our three selections.
| Patent System Bet Combos | Odds | Potential Winnings (#100 per stake) |
| Dmitry Bivol to win | 4.00 | #400 |
| Joshua Buatsi to win | 1.17 | #117 |
| George Kambosos to win | 2.50 | #250 |
| Dmitry Bivol and Joshua Buatsi | 4.68 | #468 |
| Dmitry Bivol and George Kambosos | 10 | #1,000 |
| Joshua Buatsi and George Kambosos | 2.925 | #292.5 |
| Dmitry Bivol, Joshua Buatsi, and George Kambosos | 11.7 | #1,170 |
| Totals | #3,697.5 |
You should note that the manner of combination usually varies from one site to another. The exact winnings on any combination also depend on how many selections play out as expected.
Pros/Cons of System Betting
System betting has become a favourite amongst many experienced punters. It is a great way to get great payouts with less risk than accumulators. However, like every good thing, it also has a few disadvantages. Here are the pros and cons of system betting:
Pros
- You don’t need to win all your selections: Unlike accumulator bets where you need to win every prediction, you only need a few selections to win a system bet. For example, if you place a 2/4 system bet, you only need two of the four predictions to prove correct to get a return.
- Bigger winning potential: As a system bet combines many different combinations into one, the maximum winnings you can obtain from this kind of bet are massive, especially if all predictions prove true.
- Lesser risk than accumulator: As it does not require that all your selection wins, system bets are less risky than accumulator bets. The best part is that it offers just about the same excitement and payouts as accumulators.
Cons
- Higher stakes required: Unlike accumulator bets which require only a single stake to cover all the selections within the bet, you will need to provide stakes on each of the combinations you want in a system bet.
- Complex to use: As you might have already inferred, system betting can be a little complex. You will need basic mathematical knowledge to calculate and understand your potential profit and loss on any system bet you create. This can be overwhelming for some punters, especially newbies.
- The return may not cover the stake: System bets do not require every selection to win, so a winning system bet does not necessarily mean a profit. A return on your bet may not even cover the entire stake it took to place the bet.
Odds.
Needless to say, understanding how odds work is one of the essential keys required to be successful in sports betting. This is especially true for system bets, which involve combining different odds to determine how much you stand to win in any situation.
Odds are the likelihood of an outcome happening in a sports match, and it determines the potential winnings that punters stand to gain when they place bets on the outcome. The higher the odds of an event, the less likely it is that the event will happen. On the flip side, the more odds you find, the bigger the payday you stand to gain if the event pans out.
Since system bets involve creating different combinations of bets, you need to learn how to calculate the odds on the different combinations you are creating.
System Betting Offers and Promotions
You will agree that one of the biggest advantages of placing bets on sporting events online is the availability of bonuses and promotional offers. These offers give punters an added edge that can prove useful in grabbing more payouts when placing bets.
One obvious downside to systems betting is that you will not find any bonuses or offers tailored specifically towards it, unlike some other betting options. In fact, most betting sites don’t allow the use of free bet bonuses and offers on system betting.
However, there are a few things you can take advantage of. First, while it varies from one sportsbook to another, most online betting sites offer the early cash-out feature to their punters. This allows punters to cash out early on system bets anytime it looks like it wouldn’t make it. Interestingly, some bookmakers also allow their punters to take advantage of enhanced odds when placing system bets.
What are the Alternatives to System Bets?
One indisputable fact about system betting is that it can be difficult to understand or use effectively, especially for newbies. While this betting option is quite popular with many experienced punters, it is not looked upon favourably by others. If you fall in the latter category and don’t feel like systems betting is for you, there are a few other great alternatives that you can try out. Here are the alternative options that you can check out:
Single Bets.
Single bets are the most basic betting option at any sports betting site. It involves placing different bets on a single outcome of an event on your betting slip. If your prediction is correct, you win, and you lose if your prediction is wrong. That’s it. The outcome of one event does not affect that of others. However, the downside of this bet option is that the payouts that punters stand to gain from it are usually quite small, especially when compared to accumulators and system bets, as it involves betting on single outcomes.
Accumulator Bets.
Also known as Acca, an accumulator bet is a betting option that combines multiple selections into a single bet. It works by multiplying all the odds of the individual selections within it to give punters a significantly greater odd value. Thus, an Acca bet can bring about huge payouts. The downside of an accumulator bet is that all selections within the bet must win for you to get any winnings.
FAQ: System Betting
Placing a system bet is a lot simpler than most new punters imagine. You first need to find a suitable betting site for your betting activity while bearing in mind that not all bookmakers offer system betting to punters. Then, sign up with the site and deposit funds into your newly created account. After this, you can start adding bet selections to your betting slip. Once that is done, select the “System” option on the betting slip and decide the types of combinations you want active for your system bet (2/3 system, Trixie, Patent, etc., depending on your preference). You then assign stakes for each of the combinations you want.
It is, in fact, the opposite. You make a system bet by creating different combinations within a multi-bet.
Yes, this is often the case, but the availability of this feature often varies from one betting site to another. However, most top-tier bookies allow punters to cash out early on system bets.
Yes. Today’s most online sportsbooks are mobile-friendly, be it in the form of a mobile-optimised website, a downloadable native app, or both. This makes it possible for you to place system bets on your mobile device, anytime and anywhere, as long as you have a stable internet connection.
While system bets have a much higher winning chance than straight accumulator bets and even single bets, there is no 100% guarantee that you will always win. Furthermore, you should know that a return on system bets does not necessarily mean a profit, as the returns on these bets are usually quite small when only a few combinations pan out.
Responsible Gambling
You will agree that although there is room for applying skills and knowledge, sports betting is a game of luck at the core of it all. There is no way to guarantee a win, much less a stable and consistent win. Thus, it is important to practice responsible gambling when betting on any sports event. First, set a budget for your gambling activity, and don’t bet with any money you cannot afford to lose. Another tip is to avoid chasing losses, as this can lead to even more losses, ultimately leading to debt in many cases.
Fortunately, responsible gambling has become a mandatory culture in every online betting site worldwide, including Nigeria. Most online sportsbooks come with various resources and tools that can help punters keep their gambling activities under check. You can take a self-assessment test to see whether or not your gambling activity is starting to become more of a problem than a fun and exciting pastime. Also, it would be best if you also used the tools available at your preferred betting site to set some much-needed limits on how much money and time you get to spend betting.
You can take breaks from your gambling activities by entering a time-out or self-exclusion period if needed. Worst case scenario, you can opt for a permanent self-exclusion.
Recap of System Betting
System betting is a great way to win big without as much risk as accumulator bets. Nearly every punter has missed out on a big payout at one time or another because one bet selection went awry. System betting offers punters a way to win without winning every selection.
However, you should remember that while it is easier to win with system bets than straight accumulator bets, it usually requires higher stakes.
Now that you know how system betting works, don’t hesitate to try it out yourself. You can check out our recommended list to find some of the best betting sites for system betting in Nigeria. And once you start placing system bets, remember always to practise responsible gambling.
