An in-play bet is a bet placed while the event is underway.

The most common in-play bets that we come across as matched bettors are in football matches. This means for a bet to be placed in-play we need to wait until that match has kicked off. 

The odds can move quite rapidly when an event is in-play, so when placing in-play bets we recommend waiting until there is a break. In a football match, we would wait until halftime as the odds are much more stable and it allows us to get our bets placed much easier. 

Here are our top tips for in-play betting:

• Wait until there is a break in the event, this may be half-time, in between quarters or at the end of sets, depending on which sport you're betting on.
• Be prepared. Have the OddsMonkey Calculator ready, with it set to the correct mode and the stake entered, this means you only need to enter your back and lay odds when you're ready to bet.
  Make sure you have enough money in the bookie and exchange to place your bets and then in separate tabs have the bookie and exchange open, get yourself on the correct event too if the bet is event specific. 
• Don't panic - if the lay odds change when you've placed your back bet, don't worry. Just update the lay odds in the calculator and you'll get a new lay stake to use. 
• Keep trying. In-play bets can seem daunting at first, but the more you practice the easier it becomes.