What Are Low Holds, and When to Use Them
Low hold bets occur when different sportsbooks offer odds so closely aligned that the sportsbooks' margin or "hold" is very small, reducing the bettor’s expected losses significantly. This guide explains what low hold bets are, including when and how to best use the DarkHorse Odds Low Hold Bet Finder.
Key Takeaways
- Low hold bets minimize sportsbook margins, reducing bettor losses, potentially to zero.
- Use the Low Hold Bet Finder to efficiently churn playthrough requirements or attain VIP status.
- Avoid using with promotions: Bonus Bets, Site Credit, etc.
- Beware of the "Low Holds" Fallacy—lowest hold isn't always most profitable.
What is "Hold"?
Before we discuss low hold bets, we need to understand what hold is. A sportsbook's "hold" represents its built-in profit margin on betting markets. It’s the percentage the sportsbook expects to retain from bettors' wagers over the long run. The standard hold is ~4.5%. A higher hold indicates worse odds for bettors, while a lower hold means odds are more favorable and closer to the true probability of an event. Hold is also sometimes called juice, vig, margin, or overround.
Calculating Sportsbook Hold
The formula for calculating sportsbook hold is:
Using a standard spread of -110 on both sides, we can calculate the hold. -110, American Odds, is equal to 1.909 in Decimal Odds. In this example the hold is 4.76%.
What Are Low Hold Bets?
A low hold bet refers to a situation where the perceived hold is minimal — often close to 0%. This happens when odds across different sportsbooks are tightly aligned, allowing bettors to cover all possible outcomes with little or no expected loss. Bettors use low hold bets to meet bonus rollover requirements or to gain and maintain VIP status. More on that below.
Example
If FanDuel offers +100 on the Heat and DraftKings offers +100 on the Bulls, the hold is 0%. By betting appropriately on both sides, a bettor can guarantee zero loss.
- $100 bet on FanDuel on the home team at +100
- $100 bet on DraftKings on the away team at +100
- No matter which team wins, you win $100 on one sportsbook and lose $100 on the other
Low Holds vs. Arbitrage Bets
Arbitrage is when the hold percentage becomes negative. When this happens, you can guarantee a profit by betting on both sides. Learn more in our Arbitrage guide.
- Low Hold Bets: Aim to minimize losses, often used to meet wagering requirements at minimal loss.
- Arbitrage Bets: Guarantee a profit by placing bets on all outcomes where the odds differences ensure a positive return, regardless of the event's result.
How Do Low Hold Bets Occur?
Low hold opportunities arise due to variations in odds offered by different sportsbooks. Factors contributing to these discrepancies include:
- Market Movement: As betting activity influences odds, sportsbooks adjust their lines to balance action, leading to temporary misalignments between sportsbooks.
- Differing Opinions: Bookmakers may have varying assessments of an event's outcome probability, resulting in different odds.
- Injury News: If a key player becomes unavailable sportsbooks will adjust their odds to compensate. Some sportsbooks may be slower to react to news, creating low hold scenarios.
- Risk Management: A sportsbook may adjust odds based on the current handle or to balance exposure, such as reacting to sharp action or an uneven bet distribution, creating low hold opportunities. This will not happen uniformly across sportsbooks.
When to Use the Low Hold Bet Finder
The DarkHorse Odds Low Hold Bet Finder is designed for specific betting situations:
1. Churning Through Wagering Requirements
Many sportsbooks offer bonuses that require bettors to wager a certain amount before withdrawing funds. Low hold bets allow you to fulfill these requirements with minimal expected loss, effectively "churning" through the necessary handle.
2. Combining Banking Rewards with Low Holds
Low hold bets can become profitable when paired with cash back from banking rewards cards, such as the GBank Visa Signature® Card or EDGE Boost Debit Card. When the expected loss is near zero, cash back from your rewards card can turn the bet into a net gain. This extra margin adds up over time.
3. Achieving or Maintaining VIP Status
High-volume betting can unlock VIP perks at various sportsbooks, such as exclusive promotions, dedicated account managers, and tickets to games/events. By placing low hold bets, you can increase your betting volume at a minimal loss. When combined with banking rewards, that loss could turn into a profit. Becoming a Sportsbook VIP is one of the most profitable approaches to sports betting.
When Not to Use the Low Hold Bet Finder
When dealing with promotions like Site Credit, Qualifying Bets, Second Chance Bets, or Bonus Bets, focusing solely on low hold percentages can be misleading. These promotions often have specific parameters that, if not optimized correctly, can lead to reduced profitability. For instance, a bet with a slightly higher hold might convert a bonus bet into a higher cash value than a zero-hold bet. Learn more in our Low Holds Fallacy guide.
Rule of thumb: if you have a promotion convert it via Matched Betting, by using the respective DarkHorse Odds Bet Finder. If you are "churning" volume to complete a rollover requirement or working on VIP status, use the Low Holds Bet Finder.
Understanding the "Low Holds" Fallacy
The "Low Holds" Fallacy highlights the misconception that the lowest hold always equates to the best betting option. In reality, especially when promotions are involved, a slightly higher hold bet might offer a better return after accounting for the promotion's terms. It's essential to assess the overall value, not just the hold percentage, to maximize profitability.
Using The Low Holds Bet Finder
If you are new to using Bet Finders on DarkHorse Odds, start by reading our Tools & Features guides to learn how to use all the available features, such as filters and editing your Bet Slip.
Select the Low Holds Bet Finder:
In all of our guides, we filter to “Main Lines Only” as a way to avoid limits. Limits will significantly reduce your long-term earnings potential. Learn the best practices on preventing sportsbook limits in our Don't Get Limited guide. You can apply this by selecting Filters -> Main Lines Only. This is optional but highly recommended.
This sets Market Type to Money Line, Spread, and Total. It also sets Market Segment to Full Game+ and Full Game.
Select Your Low Hold
Enter your bet parameters. For the Low Holds Bet Finder, there are two possible parameters.
- The primary bet amount.
- If you want to target one sportsbook.
For Sportsbook Target, the default is Any Book. When Any Book is selected, the Low Holds Bet Finder results will show any combination of sportsbooks as the Primary Bet and Hedge Bet. This is best when you are looking to push volume on any sportsbook.
You can also set Sportsbook Target to Single Book, which allows you to set a Sportsbook as the Primary Bet in all Bet Finder results. If you are looking to increase handle on a specific sportsbook to achieve or maintain VIP status, then select Single Book.
After entering the bet amount and setting the Sportsbook Target as desired, the Lowest Holds are displayed.
Place Your Primary Bet and Hedge Bet
After selecting the bet you want from the table above, you are presented with the bet slip, which provides all the details needed to hedge, ensuring maximum profit. In this example, on any of Bally Bet/BetRivers/ParX, you would place a $1,000 Primary Bet on the Rockets money line at -165. Then place, a Hedge Bet on FanDuel of $613 on the Warriors money line at +162. The Rockets and the Warriors play each other; therefore, one of these two bets will win. Either way, you will lose ~$7.
You might wonder why you would ever want to guarantee a loss when betting.
- If you just deposited $1,000 on BetRivers using the GBank Visa Signature® Card or EDGE Boost card you can get up to $10 in rewards. $10 in credit card rewards minus $7 in sportsbook losses is a profit of $3.
- You want to achieve or need to maintain VIP status. Becoming a Sportsbook VIP is one of the most profitable strategies for matched betting.
Low Hold Conversion Explanation
Clicking the information icon on the bet slip above shows the outcome explanation. The outcome explanation is a plain English description explaining exactly how you lose ~$7 from your Low Hold Bet no matter the event's outcome.
