What Is a Bet Builder & How Do They Work?
If you are unfamiliar with bet builders, then you have come to the right place. In this guide, we will explain how bet builders work, what the pros and cons are and what you should take into consideration when using one.
Bet Builders Explained
A bet builder allows punters to combine several markets from one game to create one bet. For example, in a Premier League game between Arsenal and Liverpool, you could decide to place a bet builder bet with the following selections: Arsenal to win, a certain player to score, a certain Liverpool player to be booked and over 7.5 corners.
By combining these selections into one bet, thus maximising odds, punters increase their chances of scoring big even with a relatively small stake. The concept is similar to an acca bet, in other words, just a lot more advanced given that punters can build a bet for just one game instead of several ones. There are also more markets available for the bet builder, as opposed to the standard ones that tend to dominate acca bets.
Pros and Cons of Bet Builder Bets
The idea of a bet builder sounds great at face value, and don't get us wrong, we absolutely love this feature. However, there are some things that punters should take into consideration before using one. Therefore, we have listed our three pros and cons for bet builder bets below:
You Get to Choose: It can be very frustrating sometimes to see your bookie not offering the bets you had in mind. The ability to create one yourself is thus perfect, and these days you no longer have to tweet the bookie to get the odds. You can simply do it directly in the match centre.
Maximise Odds: This is probably the main reason why punters have gravitated towards bet builders in the last few years. We are all used to placing acca bets to maximise the odds, but the ability to do it for the same game (and with more advanced markets) is really something.
Low Stakes: Similarly to acca bets, punters can stake rather low sums of money and still be within a shot of a big win. This is the beauty of a bet builder as while the difficulty goes up, there doesn't have to be a lot of money involved to make it worthwhile.
Can be Difficult: As with any bet that relies on multiple selections coming through, it can be very difficult to get a bet builder right. This means that even if the stakes are usually low, the losses can be racked up over time for punters.
Unrealistic Selections: Part of what makes the bet builders so good, maximising the odds, is also one of its main disadvantages. Seeing the odds increase with every selection can sometimes make punters 'chase the odds', creating unrealistic bets simply to increase the potential profit. This is never a good strategy, as research should be the backbone of your betting.
Cash-Out Ineligibility: Although the best betting sites offer cash-out for bet builders bets, this is not the case on every betting site. Cash out has become a very popular feature among UK punters and not being able to use it is certainly a disadvantage.
How to Use a Bet Builder
Naturally, this will vary slightly from site to site but the process of placing a bet builder bet is very simple. In the photo below, we have used bet365 as an example given that it is one of the best bookies around. Simply head over to the game you would like to bet on, switch to the bet builder tap and start picking your markets. Once done, add these to your bet slip and place the bet, that's it!
It should be noted that not all bookmakers offer comprehensive bet builder tools, which is especially common among new betting sites in the UK. We would thus recommend checking out our top 10 list for bet builders, where you can find all the information you need to pick the bookie and bet builder that is perfect for your needs.
More About Bet Builders
Bet Builders FAQ
Is a bet builder worth it?
Is a bet builder the same as an acca?
Is a bet builder a single bet?
Isak is an experienced content writer with a background in sports journalism. Having focused mainly on football in the past, he certainly knows a thing or two about the betting industry. At BettingLounge, Isak makes sure that all of the content is up to date, specialising in reviews of UK betting sites.