Systems and combinations
Void leg in a system bet: odds of 1.00 and the new payout
A void selection (also called a void leg) is usually settled as a winner at odds of 1.00. In a system bet every combination that contains it is paid without it, and the combinations without it stay the same. The bet is not cancelled and not lost, but the payout drops because the void leg's odds no longer multiply the return.
Contents
Key terms
- Void selection
- A selection the bookmaker settles as neither a win nor a loss. It is also called a void leg or a cancelled selection, and it is usually settled at odds of 1.00.
- Postponed match
- A match that is not played at the scheduled time. If it is not played within the period set in the bookmaker's rules, the selection is void.
- Abandoned match
- A match that started but was not finished. Some bookmakers void the selection, others settle markets already decided before the abandonment.
- System bet
- A bet slip with N selections split into every combination of K selections (see How system bets work).
How is a void leg settled?
A void leg stays on the slip, but at odds of 1.00. Multiplying by 1.00 does not change a product, so every combination that contains it pays as if the leg were not there:
combination odds = product of the odds of the legs that are not void- A combination without the void leg stays the same.
- A combination with the void leg loses its odds, but not its stake.
- A combination in which every leg is void returns its stake.
- A losing leg still kills every combination it is in, void leg or not.
A 3/5 system with one void leg
Odds 1.80 / 2.00 / 1.70 / 2.20 / 1.90 and a stake of 100, so each of the 10 combinations gets 10. The 1.70 leg is void and counts as 1.00, and the other four legs win.
| Combination | Odds | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1.80 · 2.00 · 1.00 | 3.600 | 36.00 |
| 1.80 · 2.00 · 2.20 | 7.920 | 79.20 |
| 1.80 · 2.00 · 1.90 | 6.840 | 68.40 |
| 1.80 · 1.00 · 2.20 | 3.960 | 39.60 |
| 1.80 · 1.00 · 1.90 | 3.420 | 34.20 |
| 1.80 · 2.20 · 1.90 | 7.524 | 75.24 |
| 2.00 · 1.00 · 2.20 | 4.400 | 44.00 |
| 2.00 · 1.00 · 1.90 | 3.800 | 38.00 |
| 2.00 · 2.20 · 1.90 | 8.360 | 83.60 |
| 1.00 · 2.20 · 1.90 | 4.180 | 41.80 |
| Total | 540.04 |
Six combinations contain the void leg and are paid without it. Had the 1.70 leg won, the payout would have been 703.56. The void cost 163.52, but the bet is still in profit: net +440.04.
A void leg and a losing leg on the same slip
Same slip: the 1.70 leg is void and the 2.20 leg loses. Only the combinations without the 2.20 leg pay:
| Combination | Odds | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1.80 · 2.00 · 1.00 | 3.600 | 36.00 |
| 1.80 · 2.00 · 1.90 | 6.840 | 68.40 |
| 1.80 · 1.00 · 1.90 | 3.420 | 34.20 |
| 2.00 · 1.00 · 1.90 | 3.800 | 38.00 |
| Total | 176.60 |
Net +76.60. Had the 1.70 leg won instead of being void, the same four combinations would have paid 252.34.
With one void leg, the combinations that contain it become doubles of the remaining four legs. That is why two winners can already return something: if only 1.80 and 2.00 win next to the void 1.70, the combination 1.80 · 2.00 · 1.00 returns 36.00.
A 2/3 system with a void leg
Odds 1.80 / 2.10 / 1.60 and a stake of 60, 20 on each of the 3 combinations. The 2.10 leg is void.
| Result of the other two legs | Payout | Net |
|---|---|---|
| Both win | 125.60 | +65.60 |
| Only 1.80 wins | 36.00 | −24.00 |
| Only 1.60 wins | 32.00 | −28.00 |
| Neither wins | 0.00 | −60.00 |
Without the void, the same slip pays 200.40 with three winners. If two legs are void (2.10 and 1.60) and 1.80 wins, the payout is 92.00: two combinations pay 36.00 each, and the combination of the two void legs returns its 20.
The 2/3 system guide shows the same slip without a void.
A void leg in an accumulator
In an accumulator (a parlay) the void leg simply drops out of the odds product. Every other leg still has to win, there is just one leg fewer. If every leg is void, the stake is returned.
The five legs from the first example as an accumulator with a stake of 100: odds 1.80 × 2.00 × 1.70 × 2.20 × 1.90 = 25.582 and a payout of 2,558.16. If the 1.70 leg is void, the odds fall to 15.048 and the payout to 1,504.80.
When is a selection void?
- The match is postponed and not played within the period set in the bookmaker's rules.
- The match is abandoned and the market was not decided before it stopped.
- The match is moved to another venue, if the bookmaker's rules say so.
- In player markets, the player does not take part in the match.
The deadline for postponed matches and the rules for abandoned ones differ between bookmakers and are always in their general betting rules.
The system bet calculator with this example settles a void leg as odds of 1: enter 1 and mark the leg as won.
Limitations
- Odds of 1.00 are the most common rule, but not the only one. Some bookmakers settle markets already decided before an abandonment, and player markets have their own rules.
- Bookmakers may set a minimum stake per combination and a maximum payout per bet, so payouts are rounded by their rules.
- The examples ignore tax on winnings.