What is Ante Post Betting?

What is Ante Post Betting?

Ante Post bets are bets which are placed in advance of the betting markets opening on an event. They most commonly relate to horse racing and greyhound markets but can also be placed on other sports.

Ante Post bets are those offered on horse racing prior to the final declaration stage which is usually 10am the day before the race.

Some choose to place Ante Post bets for various reasons with the main one being that they think the Ante Post odds are greater than the odds on offer once the betting market opens. However, there some some things to take into consideration before placing Ante Post bets which we'll take a look at in this article.


Pros of Ante Post Bets

Better Odds - Ante Post odds are generally higher than the odds on the same selection once the betting market has opened. This is because you are taking a greater risk due to a number of factors including whether or not your selection will even feature in the event. However, if you are confident that your horse will feature in the race and be fit, you could be getting odds much higher than others. Similarly, in other sports such as football, if you've heard that a different player in a top team will be the penalty taker in the new season, you may be getting value on them to be the top scorer compared to when the new season starts and the bookies and public see who is taking the penalties.

Getting better odds obviously returns more profit if your bet wins. However, if the odds for your bet shorten once the market opens, you have the option of laying your bet to lock in a profit. To ensure you make a profit, the lay odds for your bet must be less than the back odds you took. You must also factor in betting exchange commission when calculating the ideal lay stake. You can use a free matched betting calculator to do all of these calculations for you.


cons OF ANTE POST BETS

No Refunds on Non-Runners - Many bookmakers will refund stakes on horses which don't end up running in the races they were scheduled to. These are often referred to as 'Non-Runner, No Bet'. However, this doesn't apply to Ante Post bets. If you back a horse far in advance and it gets injury or the trainers decide to to enter the horse into the race, your bet will be declared a loser and you will lose your stake.

Funds are tied up - As you are placing bets on events taking place further in advance than normal, your funds are tied up in those bets for longer until they settle. This may only be an issue if the event isn't taking place for weeks or months ahead but still, they are funds which you won't have access to for an extended period.


Football ANTE POST BETS & other sports

As mentioned earlier, Ante Post bets are most popularly used for horse racing. However, they can also apply to other sports such as football or tennis. For example, a football team to win the league, get promoted or relegated in the coming season is a popular Ante Post bet, as is Top Scorer betting before the season has begun. Ante Post bets can be applied to any sport.


conclusion

We've determined what Ante Post bets are and have discussed the main benefits and negatives of them. The main advantage are the better odds you generally get with Ante Post bets. However, these better odds come with more risk and uncertainty. If you genuinely believe that you are getting value from an Ante Post bet then it may be worth considering. However, if you''re just attracted to the high odds and have not thoroughly researched the market then it is advised that you stick to the standard markets or use low stakes for less risk.