Asian Handicaps (also abbreviated as AH or AHC) are a popular way to bet on the outcome of a (football) match. At first sight, it may intimidate many - especially new - bettors, since it consists of quarter, half or sometimes multiple handicap variants compared to the more traditional (european) handicap style. But once you understood the benefits and mechanics behind them, you're going to wonder how you ever could bet without them.

This calculator can help you understand how they work or simply show you the expected return of your bet.

Generally, a "handicap" (or "spread" in american sports) is a virtual lead for one of the teams from the very beginning of the match. The bettor then has to decide, if the favorite can beat this handicap or if the underdog is able to hold (or extend) the given lead.

With asian handicaps there are essentially three different kinds.

They are actually the same as a classic two-way bet (or Draw No-bet). If you bet on Bayern Munich -1, you win if Bayern wins by more than one goal (2:0, 3:1, 3:0 and so on). Should they only manage to win by a single goal (1:0, 3:2, ...), your stake is refunded (also known as a 'push'). If the match ends in a draw or a loss for Bayern, you lost your bet.

Half handicaps basically work in the same way, but with a major difference in how draws are handled. In case of a draw, profit and loss depend on the line you bet on. If you bet on Bayern Munich -0.5, you would lose in case of a draw. If you bet on them with a line of +0.5, you would win. So with half handicaps, there is no push. Your bet either wins or loses.

This third type - which might spark the most confusion as it is also displayed in different ways - is actually a mixture of the two previous types. Here, the stake of your bet is split in half and is evenly placed on two single bets (but you only ever see a single bet, this happens 'behind the scenes' if you want).

If you bet on Bayern -0.25 with €10 you actually have two bets, each with a stake of €5 where one bet is "Bayern 0" and the other is "Bayern -0.5".

So if they win, both bets win. If they draw, one bet is a 'push' (the 'Bayern 0'-bet) and one is lost, which means that you get the half of your total stake back. If they lose, both bets are lost.