Module I: Basics
6. Market types II, Asian handicap
Whole, half and quarter lines
The Asian handicap (AH) is the handicap idea kneaded into a two-outcome shape: it removes the draw as an outcome, either with a stake return or with half-goal lines. Two sides remain, so it is simpler to price, and it is no accident that it is the favourite of the sharp markets (chapter 15).
There are three kinds of line. The whole line (0, -1, -2) can give a stake back: if the result modified by the handicap is a draw, there is a push. The half line (-0.5, -1.5) always decides, a push does not exist. And the quarter line (-0.25, -0.75) splits the stake in two: half goes to the neighbouring whole line, half to the neighbouring half line. Hence the concept of half win and half loss, which we work through right away.
| Line | Full win | Stake back (push) | Half win / half loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 (= DNB) | Win | Draw | None |
| -0.5 | Any win | None | None |
| -1 | Win by 2+ goals | Win by exactly 1 goal | None |
| -0.25 | Any win | None | Half loss on a draw |
| -0.75 | Win by 2+ goals | None | Half win on a 1-goal win |
Always break down the quarter line in your head: -0.75 means half your stake goes to -0.5 and half to -1. If you read it this way, you will never be surprised by the settlement.
Half win / half loss, worked through
Take €100 on AH -0.75 at odds of 1.95. Half the stake (€50) goes on the -0.5 line, half on the -1. If the team wins by two or more goals, both halves win: the payout is €100 × 1.95 = €195. If it wins by exactly one goal, the -0.5 half wins (€50 × 1.95 = €97.50) and the -1 half is a push (€50 back): a total of €147.50, a profit of €47.50. This is the half win. On a draw or loss the entire stake is lost.
The half loss is the mirror image: at AH -0.25 half your stake goes on the 0 line (push on a draw), half on the -0.5 (loses on a draw). So on a draw half the stake is returned and the other half is lost: from an €80 stake you get €40 back. On a win both halves win, on a loss both halves lose.
The mechanics seem complicated at first, but with the split rule every case can be calculated: divide the stake into two halves, settle the two neighbouring lines separately, add them up.
The AH settlement table is not to be memorised but derived: a quarter line = two neighbouring lines with the stake half-and-half. That is the whole thing.
Crossover: AH ↔ 1X2 and DNB
Some of the Asian lines correspond to the markets you have learned so far: AH 0 is exactly DNB, AH -0.5 is exactly a plain win (1X2 home), and AH +0.5 is double chance 1X. The same risk, under a different name and often at a slightly different price: you can compare them and buy the better one.
This crossover is also the gateway to more serious analysis: sharp bookmakers give their most accurate prices on the Asian markets, from which fair 1X2 probabilities can be computed back. When the platform’s Pro odds page talks about sharp reference prices (chapter 42), it works from exactly such prices.
If a market has several names, it has several prices too: the AH 0 / DNB / double-chance kinship is an ideal terrain for seeking the better price (chapter 13). The outcome is the same, the cost is not.