Where To Bet On First Player Booked?

Want to know where to bet on the first player booked? Then you’ve come to the right place.

This market can be quite a difficult one for bookmakers to gauge accurately and there are a lot of external factors, for example who the referee is of a match, that can influence the outcome. What does that mean? It means more potential opportunity for punters.

All the bookmakers listed below offer you the chance to bet on the first yellow card or booking in any football match. It’s not a widely available market so we’ve listed all the bookies who currently offer this bet type, they are ranked in order of best odds and bonuses available.

Bookmakers With First Yellow Card Betting

Given that this is a potentially volatile market, it is not surprising then that bookmakers have tended to not offer it. That’s a shame as it potentially offers some great value betting for punters and fortunately while many bookies don’t offer this type of bet, there are four above that do.

Now you know where to bet on the first player booked lets look in more detail at how the market works and how to pick your bets.

How First Player Booked Betting Works

This is a very simple market to explain; all you do is work your way through the list of players that may take part in the match (it is always best to pick someone who you know will start the game, or at the very least be a substitute). When you have found a player you think will be booked first, you simply place your bet on that player at the stated odds.

If the player you’ve backed is the first to see a yellow card then your bet is a winner. If your man isn’t booked first the bet loses.

Market Rules & FAQ

What if the first card in the match is a red not yellow?

A red card counts the same as a yellow in terms of a booking so your bet will pay out as a winner if your man see’s red not yellow and it’s the first booking in the game.

Be aware: if the market is specifically ‘First Yellow Card’ and not ‘First Player Booked’ then a red will not count.

What if two players are booked at the same time?

The general rule here is that if two players are shown a yellow card in the same incident it’s the player who the ref first shows the card to that the market payout out on.

What if the player you backed doesn’t start the game?

The majoirty of bookmakers will void all bets (meaning your stake is returned) if the man you back doesn’t start and a player is booked before he comes on the pitch. Should your selection come on as a sub before the first booking then the bet is active.

What if player is substituted before first booking?

If your selection starts the game but is taken off before the match finishes and no booking has been given then your bet is a loser.

Note: All of the above are bookmaker dependent so please check the terms and conditions of your specific bookie before you place your bet.

Strategy & Market Dynamics

This is a market where a little research about the players involved in the game and how each teams disciplinary record looks can help you formulate the bet more accurately. Some players, for example, are very rarely booked. Others are booked a lot more frequently (and these players will likely be the shorter priced favourites in the market).

To make your selection you need to look at different match ups on the pitch. Is there a rapid winger up against a right or left back who has a poor disciplinary record? Is it a local derby and are there players on the pitch who won’t be able to control themselves (Lee Cattermole springs to mind).

Don’t just look at who gets lots of yellow cards also look at who their match up against on the pitch and what kind of battle that is likely to be. Pace vs no pace is also a big tell tale sign here.

What Odds To Expect

There are a number of betting websites with first player booked markets but what kind of odds can you expect to get?

If you were to bet on an international fixture between Wales and England for example, you may find that the likes of welsh midfielder Joe Ledley, or England midfielder Jordan Henderson would be around the 8/1 favourites for first player booked, while the likes of Gareth Bale, Harry Kane or either goalkeeper in the team, would be longer odds selections.

The more tackles a player will make and their overall bookings record will determine their odds. The more tackles and worse the record the shorter the price will be (think central midfield). The less involved in the game (Goalkeeper) the longer the odds will be.

Of course, if a player isn’t shown a card during the game, then you will lose your bet, however you can often place a bet in this market on no cards being shown in the game (which is always a high priced selection).