Accumulator bets offer the potential for significant payouts. However, a single incorrect selection in your accumulator can result in losing your entire stake. You can mitigate this risk by applying the banker bet strategy.
Our guide explains Banker bets, helping you become a more informed bettor.
Besides offering detailed guides on betting strategies, EaglePredict also provides sure odds on soccer for your daily banker bets. Check out our betting tips page to learn more.
To fully appreciate banker bets, you must understand how accumulators work. So, what are accumulator bets?
An accumulator or parlay bet is a single bet with more than one selection. Accumulators provide large winning potential since you combine several selections on one bet slip. However, if one of the selections loses, the whole accumulator fails.
There are different types of accumulator bets based on the number of different teams on your bet slip. There are:
- Double accumulators featuring two selections
- Treble accumulators featuring three selections
- Four-fold consisting of four selections
- Five-fold featuring five selections
Please note that you can pick up to 20 selections for your parley bets.
Bettors who want to make accumulator bets choose multiple events within one sport. They can select the outright winner or other specific outcomes. Each selection is an individual bet within the accumulator.
To get the potential payout, you multiply the odds of each selection. The potential payout is much higher than a single bet for parley bets, and so is the risk. The big appeal of accumulators is the chance to win significant money with a relatively small stake.
However, the risk is also high because if even one of your selections loses, the entire accumulator loses. Hence, the need for a banker bet.
What is a Banker Bet?
Banker Bet is like an insurance policy for your accumulator bet. You pick one selection (the “banker”) that's very likely to win. Picking one sure selection gives you a chance to still win money even if you lose on other selections in your accumulator.
The banker bet is the safest pick in your parlay, so you must ensure you select an outcome with a very high probability of happening.
You typically place a banker bet with three or more selections in a single bet slip. Out of those selections, you choose one that is likely to win; this is your banker. If your banker and all other selections win, your entire bet wins.
When this occurs, you get a payout based on the combined odds.
However, if it loses, the accumulator will collapse. Given its importance, choose a bet with the best chance of winning as your banker.
How Banker Bets Work
Let us analyze three upcoming English Premier League Fixtures based on how you feel about their outcomes:
- Match A: Chelsea Vs Burnley
– You are very confident that Chelsea will come out victorious.
- Match B: Manchester City Vs Arsenal
– You are split on the outcome and would rather bet on both teams to score.
- Match C: Liverpool vs Brighton
– You are confident that Liverpool will win.
So, how do you proceed?
Since you are much more confident in the winner of Match A than in any other, you can designate Match A as your banker bet. If all match outcomes win, you get a high payout. However, if other selections fail but your banker bet wins, you can cash out some of your wins.
If the banker bet fails and other selections win, you will lose the bet.
Example of a Banker Bet
With that basic understanding of how banker bet works, let us consider an example of this betting strategy. Let's assume you have a four-game parlay bet:
- Man United to beat Brentford @ 2.20
- Nottingham Forest to beat Crystal Palace @ 2.20
- Manchester City vs Arsenal (Draw) @ 3.60
- Tottenham vs Luton (Both teams to score) @ 1.57
First, you must select a banker bet. Based on their current form and performances, let's pick (A) Man United to beat Brentford @ 2.20. The following bet combinations are then formed:
| No of Bets | No of Winners Required | Bet Combinations | |
| 1 Banker + 1/3 | 3 | Banker + 1 other |
A + B A + C A + D |
| 1 Banker + 2/3 | 3 | Banker + 2 others |
A + B + C A + B + D A + C + D |
| 1 Banker + 3/3 | 1 | Banker + 3 others | A + B + C + D |
The next step is to select your bet based on these combinations. You can select all combinations if you have the funds for it. However, consider each betting option carefully to determine which is best for you.
Also, evaluate the cumulative stake involved. If you intend to place a $5 wager on each bet, the total investment for options 1 and 2 would amount to $15 each (3 bets x $5 per bet).
Calculating Banker Bets Payouts
Banker bets are a good way to avoid losing it all. Yet you still need one more bet to win in addition to your banker bet to turn a profit. Based on the previous information, these are the potential profits for those betting combinations.
| Total Stake | Bet Combinations | |
| 1 Banker + 1/3 | $15 ($5 per bet) |
A + B A + C A + D |
| 1 Banker + 2/3 | $15 ($5 per bet) |
A + B + C A + B + D A + C + D |
| 1 Banker + 3/3 | $5 | A + B + C + D |
Based on these combinations, the formula for calculating payouts will be (Banker bet odds x Single bet odds) x stake per bet.
When applied to 1 Banker + 1/3 combination the payout will be:
- A + B: (2.20 x 2.20) x $5 = $24.20
- A + C: (2.20 x 3.60) x $5 = $39.60
- A + D: (2.20 x 1.57) x $5 = $17.30
When applied to 1 Banker + 2/3 combination the payout will be:
- A + B + C: (2.20 x 2.20 x3.60) x $5 = $87.12
- A + B + D: (2.20 x 2.20 x 1.57) x $5 = $ 37.99
- A + C + D: (2.20 x 3.60 x 1.57) x $5 = $62.17
When applied to 1 Banker + 3/3 combination the payout will be:
- A + B + C + D: (2.20 x 2.20 x 3.60 x 1.57) x $5 = $136.78
Sportsbooks and Banker Bets
If you do not explicitly mark a selection as a Banker Bet, the sportsbook will treat it as a regular parlay bet. Also, you can only designate a Banker Bet while selecting your picks.
After choosing your Banker Bet, you can review your potential winnings before placing the accumulator wager.
Not all bookmakers offer the Banker Bet option. Therefore, it's crucial to read the terms and conditions of your chosen sports betting site to determine if they provide this betting feature.
Checking your sportsbook's rules will help you understand any existing limitations or requirements.
Conclusion
Banker Bet potentially increases your winning amount while acting as insurance in an accumulator bet. If the banker bet fails and other selections win, you will lose the bet.
You can improve your chances of winning by using our EaglePredict tips to get the best odds of Banker Bets. Register on EaglePredict for direct access to daily football sure odds.
