CLIENT GUIDE 03 · 7 min READ
How to Place a Play
Reading a play card, placing both sides, and what to do if the odds move.
Every play from Arbitra comes as a play card in your private Discord channel. Each card tells you exactly what to bet, where, at what odds, and for how much. Your job is to copy it precisely.
Anatomy of a play card
- Event
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs Edmonton Oilers · Sat 7:00 PM
- Sportsbook
- BetMGM
- Market
- Moneyline
- Pick
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Odds
- +330
- Minimum odds
- +310
- Stake
- $250 bonus bet
- Event
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs Edmonton Oilers · Sat 7:00 PM
- Sportsbook
- FanDuel
- Market
- Moneyline
- Pick
- Edmonton Oilers
- Odds
- -420
- Minimum odds
- -450
- Stake
- $666.35 cash
Every play has two (sometimes three) legs, one per sportsbook. Together they cover every possible outcome.
- Event: the exact game. Check the date and time, because teams play each other more than once.
- Market: the type of bet. Usually "Moneyline" (who wins), but sometimes a spread or total.
- Odds: the price we expect you to see.
- Minimum odds: the worst price that still works. If the app shows something worse, stop and message your manager.
- Stake: the exact amount, to the cent. For bonus bets, select the bonus in the bet slip instead of using cash.
Placing a play, step by step
- Open both apps first, Leg A and Leg B, and find the event in each.
- Check the odds on both legs against the card. Both must be at or better than the minimum.
- Place Leg A first (usually the bonus bet or the side with the longer odds, since those move fastest).
- Screenshot the confirmed slip.
- Immediately place Leg B with the exact stake from the card.
- Screenshot that slip too, and post both screenshots in your Discord channel.
Speed matters
Place the second leg within a minute or two of the first. Odds can move, and an unhedged leg is a real bet that can lose.
Reading odds (the 30-second version)
| You see | It means | A $100 stake returns |
|---|---|---|
| +330 | Underdog. Win $330 profit per $100 | $430 |
| +100 | Even money | $200 |
| -150 | Favourite. Bet $150 to profit $100 | $166.67 |
| -420 | Big favourite. Bet $420 to profit $100 | $123.81 |
"Better" odds means a bigger positive number (+340 beats +330) or a negative number closer to zero (-400 beats -420).
When something goes wrong
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Odds are worse than the minimum | Don't place either leg. Message your manager for an updated card. |
| Leg A placed, Leg B odds moved | Message your manager right away. They'll send a new hedge stake, usually within minutes. |
| Bet slip shows a lower max stake | Don't place it. Screenshot the limit message and send it. |
| Bonus bet isn't showing in the slip | Check the Promotions or Rewards tab. If it's still missing, ask your manager before placing anything. |
| You placed the wrong stake or the wrong team | Don't try to fix it yourself. Message your manager; there's almost always a recovery hedge. |
| The game is postponed or cancelled | Do nothing. Books usually void both legs and refund the stakes. Your manager will confirm. |
After the game
You don't need to watch. Once both legs settle, the winning leg pays out into that sportsbook account. Your manager logs the result in the tracker, and the money stays put until the next play, or until you decide to withdraw (see Guide 04).
Pro tip
Turn on notifications for your Discord channel. The best lines only last for minutes, and the faster you see the card, the better your price.