One of the important aspects prospective punters check when looking at a bookmaker’s review is which type of multiple bets they offer. While doubles, trebles and patents are very common, the biggest and potentially most lucrative multiple of them all is the Goliath bet!
In this post, we will examine everything you need to know about a Goliath bet, what bets it is composed of, how much it will cost as well as giving clear examples from two popular sports for a bet of this type on each.
But first, let’s begin with answering the most obvious question!
What is a Goliath Bet?
A Goliath bet is a full cover multiple selection bet that comprises eight different selections.
As is the case with other multiple selection bets, a Goliath bet sees the customer cover all the possible winning combinations of the bet (except for singles) with their unit stake. These numerous combinations are often called ‘lines’.
What makes a Goliath bet so special, and gives it the famous biblical-themed name, is that there are a large number of lines to cover with this eight-selection bet.
In fact, to cover all the options on a Goliath bet, you need to cover 247 different combinations.
Which brings us neatly onto the next part of our explanation.
What Bet Combinations Comprise a Goliath Bet?
We already know that to cover every possible combination on a Goliath Bet requires 247 lines to be covered. So how do those 247 lines break down?
Well with eight selections to cover, this means you have to cover the following:
- 28 Doubles
- 56 Trebles
- 70 Four-folds
- 56 Five-folds
- 28 Six-folds
- 8 Seven-folds
- 1 Eight-fold accumulator
Add all those betting lines together, and you have 247 lines in total. All of which must be covered by your unit stake.
How Does a Goliath Bet Work and How Do I Place a Goliath Bet?
There are three steps you need to consider when placing a Goliath Bet to understand how it works and it just so happens that they give you a clear indication of how to place the bet. They are:
- Making your selections.
This is the fun part of the bet. Make your selections from your chosen sport for your Goliath bet. You’ll need to add eight eligible selections to your bet slip and then when finished, select the option for Multiple Bets and select the Goliath option.
- Choosing your unit stake and combinations to back.
Now is the time to choose your unit stake. If you intend to place the Goliath bet, then your total cost of bet will be your unit stake x 247. So if you wanted to place a £1 Goliath bet, that would cost £247. A £0.10 Goliath Bet would cost £24.70 and even a 1p Goliath Bet would cost £2.47.
Some bookmakers may allow you to cover just one or more of the different bet combinations for the Goliath Bet.
For example, you may wish to cover just the Doubles, Trebles and Fourfold options. You can do this at a reduced initial cost (to cover the Doubles, Trebles and Fourfolds would be 144 lines), but it means you won’t generate any return from fivefold, sixfold, sevenfold or the eightfold accumulator bets.
- Your returns and profit/loss.
This is the most complicated part of a Goliath Bet, but fortunately, your bookmaker will do all the hard work for you when it comes to calculating any winnings you land from a Goliath bet.
The key things you need to note about your returns and any profit or loss from a Goliath Bet are as follows:
- At least two of your selections must win to generate any return.
- You will likely need considerably more than two selections to win to generate a profit, given the high total cost of placing the bet.
- The lower the odds of your eight selections, especially those that win, then the more winners you’ll need to generate a profit.
- The higher the odds of your eight selections, especially those that win, the fewer winners you’ll need to generate a profit.
- However, the more of your eight selections win, the more likely it is you will land an increasingly valuable profit.
- And if seven or all eight selections win, that profit can be extensive.
Benefits and Drawbacks of the Goliath Bet
Outlined below are some of the pros and cons of the Goliath Bet.
Pros
- Most bookmakers allow you to cover all, or selected combos with a Goliath Bet.
- The potential maximum return for a Goliath Bet can be huge.
- Wide selection of markets can be used for a Goliath bet across a range of sports.
- You don’t need all your selections to win to generate a return.
Cons
- It can be an expensive bet to place if you cover all options.
- If you don’t cover all options, you risk losing out if the combinations you back are either the low-paying options, or your selections don’t generate enough winners to pay out the higher value options you backed.
- With longer odds Goliath bets, you could fall foul of bookmakers maximum payout rules depending on your stake size and the odds for the bet.
Two Examples of a Goliath Bet
Outlined below are two simple examples of potential Goliath Bets for Football and Horse Racing.
Football Goliath Bet
- Leicester v Chelsea – Chelsea to win – 1.50
- Arsenal v Nottingham Forest – Arsenal to win – 1.36
- Aston Villa v Crystal Palace – Aston Villa to win – 1.60
- Bournemouth v Brighton – Draw – 3.40
- Everton v Brentford – Everton to win 2.40
- Man City v Tottenham – Draw – 4.50
- Ipswich v Man Utd – Draw – 4.00
- Southampton v Liverpool – Liverpool to win – 1.28
For a £0.10 unit stake (Total bet of £24.70), this bet could win you £1,990.09 in total returns (£1,965.39 profit) if every selection wins.
However, if just the two shortest priced selections win, and the others lose, then you would generate just a £0.17 return for a loss of £24.53.
Horse Racing Goliath Bet
In this Goliath Bet all the following selections are backed to win their respective race.
- Horse A – 5.50
- Horse B – 5.00
- Horse C – 1.30
- Horse D – 17.00
- Horse E – 2.00
- Horse F – 6.50
- Horse G – 4.00
- Horse H – 8.00
For a £1 unit stake (Total bet of £247) this much longer odds bet could win you just over £1,634,732 as a total return if all eight selections win.
But, if just the two lower priced selections, Horse C and E were to win, then the bet would return just £2.60 and mean a loss of £244.40.
Tips and Strategies for Goliath Betting
The following tips and strategies are a good idea when Goliath betting with a bookmaker.
- Use a combination of lower odds selections and higher odds selections on your coupon to try and boost returns.
- Always set a unit stake you can easily afford.
- If you cannot afford to cover all the Goliath bet options, cover those that you can and feel will offer you the best chance of profit for that bet.
- Always research each selection on a Goliath bet carefully.
- Don’t expect to make a profit frequently – Goliath bets are notoriously difficult to win regularly!
Hopefully you will now be confident of making a Goliath Bet with your chosen bookmaker!
