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How to Bet on Bookings – Cash in on Poor Player Behavior

The total number of bookings is a betting market where you predict how many yellow or red cards the players get during the match’s regular time. It is a volatile market that requires research, patience, and solid bankroll management. Therefore, this betting guide explains betting on cards in football so you can understand the markets and wagering opportunities. You will learn how to bet on the team’s bookings and how to choose the players who are more likely to get booked.

Cards betting is available for all major football leagues, pregame and live. This market is suitable for straight and parlay betting, offers competitive odds, and is easy to master. Volatility is high, and there’s a certain degree of unpredictability, but potential payouts are great with the right sports betting strategies.

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What does betting on booking mean?

yellow and red booking

Placing a bet on booking means wagering on whether a player will get a yellow or red card during a game, a common practice in football. Also, the word “booking” comes from the referee’s act of writing down the player’s name in a notebook after showing a yellow or red card.

The concept of placing a wager on yellow and red cards is not exactly new, and it does not apply in most sports, however it remains one of the fringe markets in football betting. In most cases, this is a standard total booking points bet, in which we try to predict whether more or fewer cards are shown.

Alternatively, you can diversify your betting options and wager on the first and second yellow card, or the cards awarded by the referee to individual players. Many regular and crypto betting sites have several betting options for this type of wagering, so developing a functional bet-on-bookings strategy pays off.

What can influence betting on football bookings?

Understanding what betting on bookings means is a relatively easy task, as it mirrors many popular markets. The total bookings bet meaning is the easiest to grasp, the same goes for the first card, most cards, or total cards are shown. Having said this, many factors can influence the number of red and yellow cards, and you need to understand the impact they have to make an educated decision:

  • Local derbies are pretty intense: Teams that harbor a rivalry are likelier to have their football players booked with yellow and red cards. This applies both to major competitions, such as La Liga, and lower leagues, so you can incorporate these into your football strategies and systems.
  • Pushy and aggressive players: Athletes should be professional, but some players behave poorly on the pitch and get booked. If you bet on teams with recalcitrant players, the odds of two yellows, a high number of bookings per match, and halftime are likely to happen.
  • Lopsided matches: Weaker teams tend to defend for 90 minutes against superior opponents, and their backline is under a lot of pressure. When there is an apparent mismatch, red and yellow cards are more likely to be shown due to a higher number of tackles.

Types of football card betting markets

Once you learn how to bet on bookings, it is time to check out the available market at bookmakers. Don’t expect to find too many options for minor football competitions, as the most diversified betting options are available in top divisions, such as the Premier League, La Liga, or Bundesliga. These are the most critical seven bookings markets you will find at leading international betting sites:

Yellow cards shown: This is the first thing to wager on after learning what is the total number of bookings. You can bet on more or fewer to be shown, with the line ranging from as little as 2.5 yellow cards to as many as 7.5, depending on the game’s intensity.

Red cards shown: You can bet on how many cards of different colors are shown and whether players will be eliminated. The odds on red cards shown are the highest, but the variance is also higher in this case. This is an excellent market to use when you have welcome bonuses and free bets.

The number of cards: This market refers to the total bookings over or the total bookies under a specific value. Some online betting sites assign different points to yellow and red cards. Booking points betting means you wager on the combined total rather than color.

Team to receive the first card: Unlike the booking points football market, which takes longer to settle, this offers immediate gratification. You can make money betting on football by indicating which team will be booked first in a football match.

Player to receive a yellow card: A better-paying market is suitable for punters seeking higher odds. You can use it to wager on aggressive defenders and players who simulate faults to maximize profits. These are also great qualifying bets for clearing bonuses.

Team with most bookings: Underdog wagering can be more profitable if punters choose bookmakers with card betting. You can bet on the team to see more yellow or red cards in this standard type of over-under betting.

Asian handicaps on card: Handicaps allow you to boost the odds and enjoy profitable football betting by taking more chances. The Asian handicap will enable you to create your own rules and predict the difference in the number of cards shown throughout the match.

Meaning of total bookings: Over/Under

The easiest way to bet on booking points is the over/under market. In this case, you are paid based on how many booking points are collected at the end of the game. Alternatively, you can bet on yellow and red cards in particular for a more straightforward football gambling cards betting approach.

The beauty of this market is that first and second-half betting systems work just as well. For this type of football betting you don’t have to wait until the end of the match to see if you have won or not. Most cards are shown in the final 45 minutes, so second-half booking betting usually offers lower odds. You can even bet on whether the first card is shown before or after the 30th minute or another milestone in the game.

At most bookmakers, that also have in-play betting, you can bet on the individual performance of home and away teams in terms of yellow and red cards. Betting on cards in the first half is also possible on either team, and you can also wager on the most bookings after the game has started. The allure of these high-paying markets is powerful with low deposit betting, so it’s essential to bet responsibly.

What are booking points?

Booking points in football work based on the disciplinary actions taken during the match. Bookmakers might have different ways of calculating the points assigned for cards of different colors. If you are wondering how do booking points work, we give you below the most common system:

  • Yellow card – Each yellow card is worth 10 points.
  • Red card – It is worth 25 points.
  • 2 yellow cards leading to a red card – 35 points (if the player receives two yellow cards then only the first yellow card and the red one are counted)

If you want to win big on football bets it’s essential to go beyond what are booking points and understand these differences, so you are not surprised by the final total at the end of the football match.

Also, if you have just learned what are booking points in football it is better to know other rules that will make your bet a winning one:

  • Cards given after the 90 minutes of play do not count towards the total – this includes cards given during injury time or penalty shootouts.
  • Only cards that are shown to players that are on the pitch count.
  • Cards shown to people on the bench (managers, coaches, substituted players, or substitutes that have not been used yet) do not count towards the total.

Effective tips for cards betting

How to bet on bookings is not that difficult to learn, but mastering this art is an entirely different thing. There are many aspects to take into consideration, but we firmly believe these are the most effective tips for betting on bookings. Use them for individual selections or when you try to figure out how to win football accumulators that also include these markets.

  • Focus on lesser-known rivalries: Bookmakers will adjust the odds on betting on bookings greatly for derbies and known rivalries. To maximize the odds of winning and the betting odds, try to find games between local rivals and teams that have grudges.
  • Lower leagues pay better: If you have learned how to bet on football you shouldn’t focus exclusively on the Premier League for this type of wagering. Players from lower divisions are likelier to commit violent tackles because they lack sophistication.
  • Bet on cards to clear bonuses: The combination of high payouts and numerous options makes betting on bookings a good choice for clearing bonuses. If the market is eligible at your bookmaker, you can win more with football multiples bonus bets on yellow and red cards.

Top leagues, referees and players to bet on bookings

Betting on bookings looks arbitrary and intimidating for beginners. Even though the betting odds are tempting, booking predictions seem difficult for casual bettors. To be successful in this quest, you should get familiar with the card stats for top football leagues and referees. This information regarding bookings in football can help you reduce the house edge and increase your winning percentage.

Top football leagues by bookings

  1. Spanish La LigaThis flagship European competition has led football card betting in 2023 with 1430 bookings. This results from strong rivalries between evenly matched teams and the intensity of the games. If you place a bet online on booking points alone, consider this league.
  2. Italian Serie A – With nearly 1400 cards in 2023, this league played booking bets well at mobile bookmakers. Local teams play physical football and don’t hesitate to tackle their opponents. Italian referees are quick to punish, which makes many booking predictions right.
  3. English Premier League – This top division is the strongest in Europe, with extensive coverage and the best sports betting exchanges. The Premier League record of 2023, 1370 yellow cards, could have been higher if not for the permissive referees.

Top referees by bookings

  1. Andrea Colombo – the Italian referee, dealt with many aggressive players in 2023-24 and punished 93. He did that in 16 games for an average of 5.81 cards per match and will officiate again this season.
  2. Maria Sanchez Martinez – the Spanish referee, gave 114 bookings in 2023-24. They were shown in 20 matches, so with an average of 5.7 cards per game, he is a good choice when you bet on bookings.
  3. Anthony Taylor – the English referee, officiated 27 games in 2023-24 and showed 132 bookings. An average of 4.88 per game is high for a referee from this country, which makes him a good choice for card bets.

Top 10 players with most yellow cards

Player

Yellow cards

Sergio Ramos
Yellow cards
259
Gerardo Torrado
Yellow cards
228
Dani Alves
Yellow cards
210
Xabi Alonso
Yellow cards
197
Daniele Conti
Yellow cards
190
Gabriel Fernández Arenas
Yellow cards
189
Raúl García
Yellow cards
185
David Albelda
Yellow cards
183
Giampiero Pinzi
Yellow cards
182
Emre Belözoğlu
Yellow cards
181

Pros and Cons of betting on cards

PROS

  • Exciting betting market with high odds
  • Available for pregame and live betting
  • Perfect for clearing daily betting bonuses
  • Offered by leading online bookmakers

CONS

  • Higher degree of uncertainty, therefore greater volatility

How to bet on bookings like a pro

Learning how to bet on cards is valuable if you want to diversify your sports betting portfolio. You can focus on the leagues with the most awarded cards and the referees with the highest percentages. Bet pregame or use live betting strategy to maximize the return on investment.

Watch the games as they unfold through live stream and research the market thoroughly. Wait for the second half to bet on bookings and focus on games with highly motivated teams. Cash in on great rivalries and poor player behavior and win big without having to predict match winners.

Frequently asked questions about how to bet on cards

Betting on bookings refers to wagering on the occurrence of yellow and red cards during a football match. This form of betting allows punters to focus on disciplinary actions rather than just the final outcome of the game.

Booking points in football refer to points assigned for yellow and red cards received by players during a match.

A yellow card is usually worth 10 points at most bookmakers.

A red card is usually worth 25 points at most bookmakers.

Betting over 2.5 cards means that you wager on at least three cards to be shown in a game, on both teams or individual squads.

Most bookmakers don’t consider the yellow and red cards shown to coaches and players on the bench.

If you bet on bookings and the match is stopped or canceled the outcome of your bet will depend on the rules of the betting site you have used.

Yes, you can place multiple booking bets on one ticket at various online bookmakers.