If you are new to betting, then this basic guide will help you understand what you can bet on in Big Brother and how.

Please note that gambling is a leisure activity which some people find enhances their viewing of sports/programs/events by adding to the existing excitement. It is not a way to make money and you should only gamble with money that you can afford to lose.

Understanding Odds

Odds reflect the probability of a particular outcome occurring and can be represented as fractions, decimals or percentages. You can convert between the three by using the following:

• Decimal odds = fractional odds + 1
• Percentage odds = 1 / decimal odds

The following are all the same: 3/1 (fractional), 4.0 (decimal) & 25%. You could alternatively say that the outcome has a 1 in 4 chance of occurring.

Other Betting Terminology

• Stake: the amount you bet and stand to lose
• Return/payout: the total amount you receive if your bet wins
• Profit = return - stakeÂ
• Each-way: this means you are placing two bets - one on your selection to win and one on your selection to place or finish within a set number of positions
• Place Terms: these are the terms of place part of your each-way bet and will usually be represented by a fraction and the number of places e.g. 1/4 1-2-3 means you get a quarter of the odds if your selection finishes in the first 3 positions.

Examples

If you place a £10 bet (this is called your stake) at odds of 3/1 that wins, then you will receive your stake back, plus 3 x your stake making a total return of £40. Your profit will be £30 (return - stake).

If you place a £5 each-way bet at odds of 4/1 with place terms of 1/4 1-2-3, your total stake will be £10. If your selection wins, your total return will be your win bet (£5 @ 4/1 = £25) plus your place bet (£5 @ Evens or 1/1 = £10). Your profit would be £25. However, if your selection comes 2nd or 3rd, then your win bet is a loser the return is just £10 from your place bet and your profit is zero.

Now we’ve covered the basics of odds and some of the surrounding terminology, we’re going to take you step-by-step though opening an account, to choosing, researching and placing a bet.

Step 1 - Open an Online AccountÂ

First things first, you will need an account with a betting website or two. It’s a god idea to have accounts with more than one website for the following reasons:

1. The odds vary. You may get better odds for what you want to bet on from one bookmaker compared to another.
2. The markets vary. Most websites will offer the main markets such as “overall winner” or next eviction, but more specialised or novelty bets will only be offered by a few bookmakers.

An account with betfair is essential for betting on Big Brother! If you only open one betting account, make sure it’s with betfair. There are several reasons for this:

1. The odds you get on betfair are usually much better than you get with traditional bookmakers.
2. It is an “exchange” type website which means you can bet in the normal way by “backing” a selection but you can also take on the role of a bookmaker and “lay” a selection. This means you have much more flexibility in placing your bets.
3. You can usually bet on markets right up until they close…for example, you could be betting right up until someone is evicted, live on eviction night, which adds to the fun!

You may also wish to get accounts with other traditional bookmakers such as William Hill, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes to name but a few.

Once you have opened your account, you’ll need to deposit some money to play with!

Step 2 - Understand The Markets

There are several standard markets for Big Brother that all bookmakers will offer:

1. Overall winner: here you are simply predicting which housemate will win Big Brother
2. Next eviction: you are predicting the next housemate to be evicted
3. To be nominated: you are predicting who will be nominated
4. Sex of winner: will the winner be male or female

Some bookmakers will also offer speciality or novelty markets. Examples of this include “a housemate to escape”, “a pair of identical twins to be contestants” and such like. Although many of these are fun bets, you can find find some good value. For example, it has been widely rumoured that a housemate will exchange with a foreign BB house and Paddy Power are offering 3/1 for this to happen.

Step 3 - Do Your Research

Before placing any bet, you should always do your research and avoid placing any bets purely on gut instinct or your own opinion. There are many ways to do this:

• Look at what has happened on past Big Brothers
• Read the newspapers
• Talk to your peers
• Read internet forums
• Last but not least, make sure you actually watch the show!

Once you have done this, you can use your research to form a judgement on how likely an event is to occur. For example, if you think the chance of a particular housemate winning is 1 in 5 or 20%, then you would expect the odds to be 4/1 (or 5.0 on betfair).

Step 4 - Place Your Bet!Â

Visit your bookmaker of choice and see what odds they are offering or use an odds comparison website such as Oddschecker to find the best possible odds on offer. Compare the odds on offer to the odds you worked out as a result of your research and make a decision on what you are going to bet on. Then go ahead an place your bet if you are happy. Remember, you don’t have to place a bet if you don’t think the odds on offer represent good enough value!

Conclusion

Betting on Big Brother can certainly add to your enjoyment of the show, particularly on the already exciting eviction nights. Remember to do your research properly before placing a bet and don’t gamble any money you can’t afford to lose.

Over the coming days and weeks, we’ll provide you with tips and advice for Big Brother betting as well as describing some more advanced betting techniques and strategies.