Considered exotic or off-the-beaten-track by some bettors, the parley offers you a chance to go big and bring your knowledge of the game to the forefront.
One friend described the parlay bet in one word: more. It is just more. It gives the bettor a chance to push the envelope; to swing a little harder. Just what is this intoxicating bet?
A parlay is simply a bet that is placed on the outcome of two or more sports events, in this case, NFL games. Say, the Ravens are playing the Texans and the Packers are going up against the Patriots. As bettor, you choose the Ravens and the Patriots. If you are correct, you’ve won your parlay bet. At its basic level, this is how a parlay bet goes down.
Though of course it gets much bigger and rowdier than the basic two-game scenario. Bookmakers usually offer up to 12 teams in a parlay bet. Obviously, the odds go up as the number of teams goes up. A two team parlay bet may be offered at odds of 13/5, while an 11 team parlay might sit at 1.100/1.
Know that some parlay bets – progressive bets – do not require that you get everything right. You just have to get most of your picks right; some parlay cards allow you to be wrong three times. Hey, that is exactly how many strikes you get in baseball. You may just get a hit.
For the gambler who knows his stuff, and wants to put his knowledge to an extended test, the parlay is an unquestionable draw. The lure of being able to win big is part of what has made the parlay a popular choice. The process of watching your intuition and knowledge being tested over a series of games, not just one, is, well, a whole lot of fun.
The fact that you are less likely to select the winner of several games than you are to guess the winner of one, means that you get paid much more when you do. This is the backbone of the parlay bet; the part that draws bettors in; if you know your stuff and are lucky, you’ll see a worthy payday.