Dead Heat
Although the 'dead heat' rule is commonly used in horse racing and similar events, it is also utilized in a multitude of markets across different sports. Therefore, when we see a message in a market that states "the dead heat rule applies", we need to understand what the 'dead heat' rule is and what it entails.
What is a "Draw" (Dead Heat)?
The expression 'dead heat' is usually used when two options occur in the same event. The best example can be in a horses race, when two reach the finish line at the same time and, therefore, occupy the same position, it is considered a 'dead heat'.
Similarly, this can happen in other sports, such as golf, where several golfers can finish in the same position, or in many markets such as top scorer in football or leading scorer in basketball.
That is why it is important to know how some betting houses apply the 'dead heat' rule and what happens if our bet is affected by this rule.
How do houses apply the dead heat rule?
For example, if we bet $10 on a specific horse to win with odds of 10, in case it wins we would obtain $100 ($90 in profits + $10 initial bet), but if it ties with another horse due to the 'dead heat' rule, our initial bet would be reduced by half, meaning we would obtain $50 ($45 in profits + $5 initial bet).
If the tie is between more than 2 horses, the stake would be divided among the number of winning bets. Following the previous example, if three horses finish in the same position, our stake of 10$ would be reduced to 3.33$, so we would get 33.33$ (30$ of profit + 3.33$ stake).