It’s not always that a dead heat occurs in a sporting event, but that shouldn’t mean sports bettors should ignore the facts around it. It can happen at any time to any bet, so it’s best to have knowledge of it to prevent confusion in the future, especially when it happens to you. Nitrobetting helps explain what exactly is a dead heat how does it affect bets.

What Happens When Dead Heat Occurs?

What exactly is a dead heat?

In most races, more common in but not limited to horse racing, it’s possible that at least two competitors cross the finish line at the same time. That’s what is called dead heat. Although the technology in helping determine the winner has greatly improved through the years, there can still be instances where multiple horses finish so close to each other that it’s become next to impossible to distinguish who finishes first.

What happens to bets when a dead heat occurs?

When a dead heat happens, the payouts are calculated by simply dividing the risked amount by the number of selections involved in the tie.

2-way dead heat scenario

• A bettor placed a 0.001 BTC bet on a horse race and the betslip shows a payout of 0.0019 BTC.
• A dead heat occurs between two horses (both placed first).
• All bets involved in the two-way dead heat will have their stakes cut in half. That means the stake becomes 0.0005 BTC (1/2 of 0.001 BTC), and the payout is set at 0.000995 BTC with the same odds.

3-way dead heat scenario

• A bettor placed a 0.001 BTC bet on a Golden Boot (top scorer) prop for the World Cup and the betslip shows a payout of 0.0019 BTC.
• A dead heat occurs between three soccer players (all netted the same number of goals).
• All bets affected by the three-way dead heat will have their stakes get diminished by two-thirds. That means the stake becomes 0.000333 (2/3 of 0.001 BTC), and the payout is 0.00063 BTC.

It’s worth reiterating here that it’s your steak that changes in a dead heat situation and that betting line odds stay the same.

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more articles like this and game previews of the biggest sporting events. Don’t forget to check out the latest horse racing betting odds on the sportsbook.

READ MORE: Types of Horse Racing Bets