Points Betting Explained
When following tipsters, you will often see them stating that certain bets may be worth x points, but what does that mean? Well, you are in the right place, as we get into what point betting is.
Short Answer
You may have seen tipsters attach a value to their tips before, such as 10 points on X selection with X odds, but it may not be entirely obvious what this means. Essentially, it is a way for both tipsers and punters to promote responsible gambling. Instead of saying £100 on X selection with X odds, for example, the tipster lets you decide and also shows how much he/she believes in the tip.
The points, as such, simply refer to your budget for each month (if you have one): let's say your budget is £100 and you decide one point is worth £1. 10 points in that scenario would then be £10. This means that as opposed to before, whatever you stake will likely be more in line with your gambling habits (rather than the tipsters who tend to stake high amounts).
How Point Betting Works
Seeing points and sports attached is nothing new, however, seeing it concerning tipping is a slightly different ball game, and it can cause a little confusion. So, with some big occasions approaching, we wanted to provide a guide on how points betting works, whether you are following a tipster or even just your own bets.
Punters will regularly stake money on the here and now, which is not a bad thing at all, however, others may prefer to have a 'pot', so to speak, and from that, you can then put certain stakes on different things.
So, you may give yourself £20 for a day of betting, and in this pot, you may then have 10 'points' so to speak. However, you need to decide on your pot amount, and how much a point equates to in this system. You may have £100, and that could equate to 100 points so your 'point value' is £1, there are no limits in that regard.
Now onto the actual points themselves. Tipsters will often attach a point value to their selection, to allow you to allocate your own spending on that, rather than saying, £300 on a 6/4 chance for example, as this may promote problematic habits.
Instead, it allows punters to stay in control of their staking, whilst also offering a set price, so to speak, on a selection. So, if someone is confident in a selection, they may say three points on a 6/4 shout, which could equal £300 or it could equal 30p, again, this is where you must decide your own staking allocation.
With this, the more chance a tipster feels a selection has, the more points they will normally allocate to that bet. Three points is normally the maximum that you will see a tipster putting on a tip, and the lowest amount is normally 0.5.
Finally, it is worth adding that just because a tipster tips something at three points, it does not mean it is a banker. As with all gambling, the risk is still there, and you should never be more inclined to back a bet simply because someone has given a higher point allocation to one bet.
More so, consider the method as a way to be slightly more in control of your staking.
Tipsters will also rarely put forward the best bookie to go with your bets, so consider browsing the best horse racing betting sites to find the best possible value with your points, especially as big festivals like Cheltenham and the Grand National approach.
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Steven is an experienced iGaming content writer who has been working in the industry since 2018. He is passionate about sports betting and enjoys writing about all aspects of the industry, including bookmaker reviews, betting tips and strategies, and news and analysis.