One thing which attracts many people to matched betting is the ability to lock in a profit from betting offers regardless of whether your bets win or lose. There are many of these offers available on a daily basis and can result in great profits over time.
As matched bettors become more experienced, some choose to try additional startegies which may not guarantee a profit every time but have a positive expected value. This means that they will return a profit in the long-run.
These types of offers are known as advantage play where you, the bettor, have the advantage over the bookie.
One of the most popular advantage play betting offers of the past couple of years is a offer which was originally started by Bet365 but also later run by Paddy Power and other bookmakers such as the ones found at easyodds.com. At Paddy Power, this offer is named ‘2 UP’ which is what is it commonly referred to as now by matched bettors regardless of the bookie which is offering it.
How 2 UP Works
The rules and terms of 2UP vary slightly depending on the bookie but generally, the offer works like this.
You place a bet on either team to win in an eligible football match and if the team which you backed goes two goals ahead at any point in the game, your bet is settled as a winner.
The attraction to this offer for a regular punter is that should their team go two goals ahead, their bet has won and even if the other team comes back to draw or win the match, their bet is settled as a winner. This means that bets can be won within a few minutes of the match starting and also that when a team goals two goals ahead, there is no anxious end to the game hoping that your bet will come in as it will already have been settled.
How To Profit From 2 UP
Now that we know how 2UP works, let’s see how it’s possible to lock in a profit using matched betting methods.
The strategy for 2Up is simple. You simply need to place a bet on a team to win with the bookmaker and lay your bet on a betting exchange as you would with any qualifying bet.
If the team which you back doesn’t go two goals ahead in the game, you will not make a profit and will incur the standard qualifying loss which shouldn’t be of a large amount providing that the back and lay odds for your bet are relatively close.
However, the opportunity to lock in a profit comes when your team does go two goals ahead.
At this point, the bookmaker will have settled your back bet as a winner but you will still have your lay bet running and it is from this bet that we can lock in a profit.
When your team has gone two goals up and your bet with the bookmaker has been settled, you have a few different options.
1. Trade Out Your Lay Bet
If you decide to trade out your lay bet, you shoud be able to lock in a profit. The amount of profit you can lock in will depend on the back odds of your team at the point of trading out and your original stake.
2. Trade Out If The Other Team Comes Back
If the other team gets a goal back to shorten the team to one goal, the back odds of your team will increase meaning that when you trade out your lay bet, it will be for a greater amount and you will make more profit.
3. Let Your Lay Bet Run
This is the riskier option but one which can result in the greatest profit.
If your team goes two goals ahead but the match finishes in a draw or a win for the other team, you will win both your back bet with the bookmaker and your lay bet with the betting exchange.
Conclusion
2 UP is a very popular offer as it’s possible to see large returns for relatively little risk. The risk is simply the qualifying loss which you will incur should your team not go two goals ahead or if they do and win without your trading out.
Whether you trade out your bet or when you trade out is up to you and will depend on how much risk you want to take.
As the only risk is the qualifying loss, they key to profiting from 2UP in the long-term is to keep these qualifying losses to a minimum by backing teams where the back odds with the bookmaker are very close to the lay odds at the betting exchange.
