Parlay bets psychology

Parlay betting is easily the most recognizable type of wager for punters around the world. We all know the essence of it. You win more money compared to placing single bets at the expense of increasing your risk. What few bettors realise though, is that you have to be extremely patient and possess a large disposable bankroll, especially if you run into a long streak of losing bets.

Most of us pick acca bets at the prospect of making a quick profit. We all make extravagant plans on how we will spend our accumulator winnings, some times even mere seconds after having placed our bet. Have you ever wondered why every online bookmaker makes sure to showcase our potential profits and offer increased winnings with each match we add? It’s a simple trick that tries to entice us into increasing the size of our parlay. Unfortunately, it has time and again proven to be successful at our expense.

Similarly to placing single bets, you need to be patient and disciplined to develop a winning parlay betting strategy

Realise you'll lose most of your bets

First of all you have to accept the above fact. When you systematically bet on parlays, you have to develop a defence mechanism that helps you cope with losing. It requires true grit, especially on those late Sunday accas, when you lose your parlay due to a last minute goal. Every parlay bettor will tell you a story of that would-have-made-a-fortune accumulator, that came crashing down at the last moment. Such a blow will not only test your faith on your betting skills, but might also kill your bankroll if you happen to lose your discipline.

In any case, you have to be decisive and persist on your tactics. If you decide to bet on parlays, the worst mistake you can make is to switch your betting style after the first lost acca. What you should remember is that you can earn a nice profit after a few won bets, some of which might come consecutively. That’s why you must always set your sights in the long run.

Let’s assume that you plan on building three parlays a week for 40 weeks this season. If the average parlay odds stand at 10.00, you need to win 13 of your total 120 parlays to earn a marginal profit. That’s a winning percentage of 10,8% in the entire season. Of course, winning such a number of parlays is far from easy, but it’s feasible provided that you remain disciplined and make calculated choices.

Keep calm and check the odds

The single best tactic when it comes to acca betting is to carefully calculate the average odds. If you follow this rule, you simply have to note how many parlays you need to win to at least protect your bankroll. This is very important when it comes to keeping your composure, especially on losing nights. This in turn leads to a logical conclusion: Try and built similar total odds parlays.

The reason why we're so preoccupied with psychology is that whether you agree or not, parlay betting requires that you keep a calm, winning mentality. The most common mistakes you may run into following a bad run include: hurried choices, risky bets & increasing your stake in order to chase losses. This is why patience pays off. If you realize that you only need to win once every six or ten bets, you can overcome the feeling of a lost bet much quicker and focus on your next acca.

Types of parlay bets

There are two main types of acca bets: straight and multiple ones.

Straight parlays

This is the simplest combination bet, but also the riskiest one. All the matches included on your parlay must be confirmed for you to win. Your can make quite a lot of money if you win a straight parlay, especially if you include some high odds matches. Nevertheless, the risk is always high and losing such a bet is the most usual outcome. It’s not easy to win a fourfold or fivefold straight parlay, even if your back favorites on theoretically safe choices.

The wisest strategy when picking straight parlays is to minimize the number of matches on your betslip. Instead of building a sixfold or sevenfold, you should split them into two or three straight parlays, for example two doubles and a treble, where you should also allocate your stake accordingly. Of course you can always stick to placing a sevenfold bet with a smaller amount, but you have to view this as a "fun bet" and not expect to earn a long term profit.

In addition, when you bet on straight parlays, picking low odds has proven to be non profitable. Five 1.50 odds choices amount for only 7.59 total odds. Your theoretical chances of winning stand at 0.4% which possibility-wise are far lower than your projected winnings. In terms of value for money, this is not a good deal.

Multiple parlays

There are several types of multiple parlays & system bets, but one common rule: You claim some money even if one or more of your choices lets you down. This seems fair, as it’s hard to find three or four winning games on a single night. The only drawback is that the profit you claim is lower compared to a straight parlay, as your stake is split by the number of bets. When you place a Yankee bet you are wagering on 11 possible combinations (6 doubles, 4 triples & 1 quadruple). So, if your Yankee bet is worth €55, this means that each combination is multiplied with €5 and not your entire stake.

Best bookies to place your parlay bets