Why we don't bet parlays or teasers

A parlay stacks the book's cut on top of itself. That is the whole problem.

How it works:

• A parlay ties two or more bets together. All must win.
• The payout looks big, but it is less than the true odds, and the gap grows with every leg.

Example only, legs priced at -110 that each truly win half the time:

• One bet: the book keeps about 4.5%.
• Two-leg parlay: pays about +264. A fair payout would be +300. The book keeps about 9%.
• Three-leg parlay: pays about +596. Fair would be +700. The book keeps about 13%.

Teasers let you move the number in your favor on several games in exchange for a worse payout. Most of the points you buy do not cross a number that matters, and you still need every leg.

Why we pass on both:

• More cut taken out of every bet.
• Bigger swings, which makes a small bankroll harder to protect.
• Harder to measure. We judge the process by closing line value on single bets.

Where it shows up in our plays: every play is one side or one total, in units.

What cuts against it: if every leg has a real edge, a parlay can still have one. Our rule is about cost, swings and keeping the record clean, not a claim that parlays can never win.

Education only, not a guarantee. 1-800-GAMBLER.