Asian Handicap – Explanation and Examples

Asian handicap is a term that refers to sports betting and its very popular form. The Asian handicap got its specific name from the geographical origin of the game – you guessed it, Asia, more precisely, its origin is in Indonesia. The Asian handicap became extremely popular around the world at the beginning of the 21st century and very quickly became part of the standard offer of most of the world’s bookmakers. The basic principle of the Asian handicap is that the teams are handicapped in relation to the current form (strength). As a rule, the stronger team (favorite) is always handicapped with a negative Asian handicap (-), while the weaker team in a duel is handicapped with a positive Asian handicap (+).

The Asian handicap has primarily become widespread when betting on football (soccer) matches. In that case, the value of the handicap is expressed in goal difference. In the case of football matches, the stronger team (favorite) is always handicapped with a negative value (-), and the weaker team is given an advantage in a certain number of goals.

Today, the Asian handicap as a way of sports betting has become extremely popular and has rolled out to other sports. So today, in the offer of leading European and world bookies, you can play the Asian handicap on tennis, basketball, American football, and the like.

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What’s the Essence of the Asian Handicap?

The term Asian handicap often seems confusing and vague to many. Rules, limitations, and +/- signs seem confusing. However, the game itself is very simple when you understand the basic rules. The rules are universal and apply to all sports where the Asian handicap is present. Here we will try to clarify the Asian handicap in a very simple way. Several facts are important:

• There are only two possible outcomes – the victory of the favorite (stronger team) or the victory of the weaker team. There is no draw.
• The value of the Asian handicap – i.e. the limit of the Asian handicap is the value in goals (in football), points (basketball), etc. prescribed by the bookmaker for a particular match.
• The stronger team (favorite) is ALWAYS handicapped negatively (-) with a certain value of Asian handicap. The weaker team is ALWAYS handicapped positively (+).

In short, these are the only 3 facts you need to understand the Asian handicap. Following the above rules, you can very easily figure out the outcomes for all Asian handicap values yourself.

The Advantage of the Asian Handicap

The most important fact and the biggest advantage of the Asian handicap is that it reduces the number of possible outcomes in one match. Thus, unlike traditional betting, when you always have three possible outcomes (1, X, 2) with the Asian handicap you have only two possible outcomes: 1 and 2. So there is no draw.

It is this fact that the mathematical probability of predicting has increased from 33.3% (in traditional betting) to 50% is what made the Asian handicap popular!

Division and Types of Asian Handicap

The division of the Asian handicap was made exclusively according to the handicap limit set. For example, if we are talking about the Asian handicap when betting on football, it is possible that there are Asian handicap limits of 0 goals, 0.25 goals, 0.5 goals, 0.75 goals, 1 goal, 1.25 goals, 1.5 goals, 1.75 goals, 2 goals…
All or some of the offered limits, as we have already mentioned, are set by the bookmaker according to certain odds. For each of the offered limits, you can always bet on the favorite or the weaker team, according to the offered odds.

Asian Handicap 0 – Draw No Bet

An Asian handicap with a limit of 0 is also known in some bookmakers as the Draw No Bet game. As the name suggests, if the match you bet on ended in a draw, the stake is refunded. In case of the team you bet on wins – the bet is winning. If the team you bet on loses – the bet is losing.

Asian Handicap With Integer Values >1

An Asian handicap with a limit of 1 is the most common. It is also known only as a handicap. With this value of the Asian handicap, in the case of betting on football, the favorite is handicapped with a -1 goal. This practically means that if you bet on the favorite to win with an Asian handicap of -1, it is necessary for the favorite to win with at least 2 or more goals difference in order for the bet to win. In case the favorite wins with 1 goal difference, there is a draw, or an outsider wins – the bet is losing.

Sometimes there is an Asian handicap on offer with values of -2, -3, -4, and higher. Higher values are often seen in the offer in the match between clear favorites and extremely weak teams where the bookmaker predicts a convincing victory of the favorites. The rules for Asian handicap with integer values greater than 1 are analogous to the above rules for Asian handicap 1, only the limit is higher. For example, in the case of AH -2, it is necessary for the favorite to win by 3 or more goals difference in order for the bet to win. In case of a victory with 2 or 1 goal difference, as well as a draw or an outsider’s victory – the bet is losing.

Asian Handicap 0.5

An Asian handicap with a limit of 0.5 in betting on a football match gives the weaker team a ‘half goal’ advantage (+0.5), or in other words, it handicaps the favorite in the match for a ‘half goal’ (-0.5). This means that if you bet on the favorite, every win with 1 or more goals is a win. A losing bet carries a draw, as does any outsider win.

The rules for the limit of 0.5 are applied analogously to the Asian handicap of 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and higher. For example, with a value of 1.5, the weaker team is given a 1.5-goal advantage (+1.5), or in other words, the favorite is handicapped by 1.5 goals (-1.5). In this case, if you bet on the favorite, every win with 2 or more goals brings a winning. The losing bet is in the case of a victory with only 1 goal difference, a draw, or any victory of an outsider.

Asian Handicap 0.25

This type of Asian handicap with a quarter of a goal (0.25) is a bit more complex than the previous two examples of handicap with a full and a half goal. An Asian handicap with a quarter of a goal, depending on the bookmaker, can be seen as marked in one of the following ways: (0, 0.5), (1/4), or most often (0.25).

The specificity of the Asian handicap 0.25 is that when betting on this handicap, the payment is divided into two parts. This limit of AH is in nature between AH 0 and AH 0.5 which has already been described above. This practically means that your payment on AH 0.25 will be divided equally into 2 parts: half of the deposit on AH 0, and half on AH 0.5. The split of the 0.25 limit is treated as two individual bets (on AH 0 and AH 0.5) with half of the total bet.

Due to this complexity around the distribution of bet roles with an Asian handicap limit of 0.25, 4 outcomes are possible:

• Full winnings (winnings on both halves of the split stake if the individual conditions for AH 0.5 and AH 0 are met).
• Partial winnings (winnings on one half of the stakes and return on the other half of the stakes).
• Half loss (return on one half of the stakes and loss of the other half of the stakes).
• Total loss (loss on both halves of the split stake when no single condition for AH 0.5 and AH 0 is met).

Although somewhat more complex, the Asian handicap with a limit of 0.25 is very appreciative of betting. In cases when, in your estimation, AH 0 is small and AH 0.5 is risky – in between is AH 0.25, which covers half of the stakes in both of them. Its advantage is reflected in the fact that it allows you greater security of stakes, the possibility of returning half of the total stake, even in case of failure!

The application of the quarter Asian handicap is possible in the forms 1.25, 2.25, and larger. Stake-sharing rules apply analogously to larger boundaries. In the example of AH 1.25: half of the stakes go to AH 1 and the other half to AH 1.5. Code 2.25: half of the stakes go to AH 2 and the other half to AH 2.5, and so on.

Asian Handicap 0.75

An Asian handicap with a limit of 0.75 is marked, depending on the bookmaker, as AH 0.75 (0.5, 1), or 3/4. As is the case with the AH 0.25 described above, a bet on an Asian handicap with a limit of 0.75 consists practically of two bets. Here, half of the stake is divided into AH 0.5 and AH 1, which are described above. With a bet on AH 0.75, you place practically half of the stakes on AH 0.5 and the other half on AH 1.

As with AH 0.25, these half stakes are treated as two individual bets, so again 4 outcomes are possible:

• Full winnings (winnings on both halves of the split stake if the individual conditions for AH 1 and AH 0.5 are met).
• Partial winnings (winnings on one half of stakes and return on the other half of stakes).
• Half loss (return on one half of the stakes and loss of the other half of the stakes).
• Total loss (loss on both halves of the split stake when no single condition is met for AH 1 and AH 0.5).

In cases when, in your estimation, AH 0.5 is small and AH 1 is too risky – in between is AH 0.75, which covers half of the stakes of both of them.

The use of AH 0.75 is possible in forms 1.75, 2.75, and larger. Stake-sharing rules apply analogously to larger boundaries. For example AH 1.75: half of the stakes go to AH 1.5 and the other half to AH 2. With 2.75: half of the stakes go to AH 2.5 and the other half to AH 3, and so on.