What is Ante Post Betting?

How Does Ante Post Betting Work?

Ante post betting is also known as futures betting and many bettors will place a bet on an event which can be months or even a year ahead using the current statistics. The earlier you place the bet, the better the odds may be and the potential for a big win. It was traditionally first used for horse racing translating to ‘before the post’ but can now be applied to a range of sports including greyhound racing, football and tennis.

The odds are more likely to be higher the further away the event is, as neither the bookmaker or bettor will know the current form of the team, player or horse. As the event gets closer, bookmakers tend to slash the odds, especially if they are at their peak form which makes it much more beneficial to place an ante post bet well in advance if it pays off.

This is a risky bet as there are lots of different factors to take into account. The bookmakers rely on these types of factors to affect the potential for a win. For example:

• Placing an ante post bet on Manchester City to win next year’s Premier League or the Champions League. This can be affected by injuries on key players, unexpected transfers and a period of bad form.
• Placing an ante post bet on Djokovic to win the US Open weeks in advance. This can also be affected by injury as he may have to pull out last minute or his form has dipped in matches prior to the tournament.
• Placing an ante post bet on a horse to win the next Grand National. The horse may not even be in the line up or it isn’t running as well as it had been.

The odds may be a lot higher, but you have to consider all of these factors. The difference with an ante post bet and a regular bet is that if something does happen such as a dip in form, the player doesn’t even start the competition or your horse doesn’t race, you will not be given your stake back and you will lose the bet whereas other regular bets will be voided and money returned.

 

Pros and Cons of Ante Post Betting

Pros	Cons
Higher odds means a bigger payout if you win	Lose your stake and bet if they don’t perform at all (horse doesn’t run or player out with injury)
More exciting than regular bets and will keep you invested in a sport over an extended period	Too many factors to consider that can affect the outcome of the bet
Better odds value (if the team or horse performs well prior to the tournament, the odds are reduced so it is better to place a bet in advance)	It is a long term bet which means you won’t see the potential rewards for months which may put bettors off if you want quick wins.

Top Tips to be Successful in Ante Post Betting

• Place a bet as late as possible – while the odds are always higher the earlier you place a bet, it is also beneficial to try and wait as long as you can to ensure the form of the horse or team you want to bet on is still at its peak. You don’t want to place a risky ante post bet on a horse that has dipped in form or a team to win a competition if they have key players out injured.
• Consider all the factors – when placing a bet so far in advance it is much riskier as there are many factors that can cause a problem. In horse racing, your chosen horse may not even run due to injury or it may have dipped in form and even the weather conditions may affect the outcome. If you chose a football team to win a league or tournament, this can also be affected by the current form and injuries. You must fully consider all possibilities.
• Check out promotions – as it is a much riskier bet, some bookmakers in Ireland will offer promotions that protect your bet and make you feel more comfortable when making it. These may include ‘non runner no bet’ which means you will receive your full stake back if your chosen one doesn’t end up running or ‘non runner free bet’ in which you will receive a free bet of the amount of your stake.
• Keep updated on the news – an ante post bet is a long term bet and you need to keep an eye out on the latest updates and news regarding your chosen horse or team to feel more confident on if they will be partaking in the upcoming event.

Betting Sites Ante Post Markets

For the majority of bookmakers and betting sites in Ireland, the ante post markets are highlighted in their own section of the specific sports page. For horse racing you can click ante post and take a look at all the odds for various races and events such as the Cheltenham Festival, the Grand National and Balmoral Handicap.

For football, the ante post bets are more commonly referred to as outright bets. There are a range of markets including the winner of various leagues and tournaments such as the Premier League and FA Cup as well as outright bets for Top Goal scorer, To Finish in Top 4 and Golden Glove.

Ante Post bets are perfect for bettors who like to make long term predictions on the outcome of various sporting events for potential big wins.