In this article:
Bar meaning
Bar in horse racing
Example of bar
Bar meaning
Bar refers to the odds beyond which runners or competitors are not quoted.
60-1 bar means those with odds of 60/1 or bigger are not shown in the forecast.
It’s common that bookmakers don’t show all competitors or odds for an event, especially when there are a lot of them. There’s typically little to no interest in complete outsiders meaning it’s more efficient if the bookies don’t quote individual prices for them.
Typically these competitors have such an outside chance of winning that no one bets on them.
In these situations, the bookmakers use a term called bar to refer to competitors that do not have prices. It also shows the price this occurs.
In basic terms, we’re talking about the rest of the field that is unlikely to win in comparison to the favourites.
Bar in horse race betting
Bar is common in horse racing, however, there are other sports where you may come across it. It’s commonly used in horse racing as there are often a larger number of competitors and sometimes complete outsiders.
However, you may come across it when betting on outright markets like the winner of the Australian Open tennis or the winner of the Premier League for example.
Example of bar
As with most things, this concept is much easier to explain with an example.
Let’s say that you’re betting on a horse race at Cheltenham. In this scenario, you’re looking to place a bet on an outsider at long odds.
When you’re scanning the odds, you see 50-1 bar written at the bottom. This shows that the remaining horses do not have individual prices quoted.
In this example, the cutoff is 50-1 meaning any horses with odds of 50-1 or bigger are not quoted in the forecast. The bookies group them to save time.
If you fancy one of these outsiders, you can get in touch with the bookmaker and ask them to give you a price. In the modern world of online gambling, you’ll be able to find at least one bookie who will give you a price.