Pleaser bets are one of the many betting options that sports gamblers love. It is easy to mix up pleasers with teasers, because both involve moving the line once it’s set. One shifts the odds in the bettor’s favor while the other favors the sportsbook.
Of the two, pleasers have bigger payouts and are less common. In certain ways, pleaser bets are like parlay bets. In this guide to pleaser betting, we explore those differences, discuss when you should use pleasers, and give pleaser bet strategies for beginners.
What is a Pleaser Bet?
A pleaser bet lets the bettor move a point spread in the favor of the sportsbook but with a greater-than-normal payout. It is a similar concept to teaser bets, except teasers let you move the line in your favor (for lower payouts).
Most pleasers are for +6 points, though often sportsbooks allow bettors to give away more points for the sake of bigger odds. As a rule, pleaser bets involve two teams and six teams. Some sportsbooks allow for more teams in a pleaser, though this is inadvisable for players to try.
Keep reading to learn how pleaser bets work, along with a few examples to illustrate the concept.
How Pleaser Payouts Work
In the table below, we list the typical payouts for a six-point pleaser. Some sportsbooks might have different payouts, so check with your chosen bookmaker before making a pleaser bet. This is the standard you should compare online pleaser bets against since it’s an industry standard.
| Pleaser Bet | Pleaser Payout |
|---|---|
| Two teams | +600 |
| Three teams | +1700 |
| Four teams | +4500 |
| Five teams | +12000 |
| Six teams | +30000 |
How to Place a Pleaser Bet
Placing a pleaser bet is straightforward. Follow the steps below if this sounds like a good bet for you.
- Log In To Your Account: If you haven’t signed up, create an account. If you have, then log in and visit the sports betting page.
- Choose the Pleaser Bet: Next, choose pleaser as your betting option. Most sports bets allow bettors to pick from two to six teams, though some offer more.
- How Many Points?: Once you choose the number of teams, a dropdown box appears that asks how many points you want to “please”.
- Six-Point Pleasers: Some sportsbooks only allow you to please six points, so once you choose the pleaser bet, you might find the line posted with six points taken off.
- Six-Team Pleasers: Most sportsbooks have six-team pleasers. These have huge payouts but are not a good idea to play most often. The odds of winning six-team pleaser bets are small.
- Watch the Game: Once you have made the bet, watch the game to learn whether you won. This is the point of betting because having something on the line makes the game much more interesting.
- Receive Your Payout: If you won the bet, receive the payout. The potential jackpot could be huge for six team pleasers.
Example of 2-Team Pleaser Bet
If the picture isn’t clear yet, here are a few examples so you can make your own pleaser bets.
Let us say that the Eagles are -8 favorites and the Packers are -6 favorites. If you want to make a two-team, six-point pleasure then the bet would become Eagles -14 favorites and the Packers are -12 favorites. Or you could take the Eagles as a -2 favorite or the Packers in a Pick’em game.
In either case, if both bets win, you would collect on a +600 bet.
Example of 3-Team Pleaser Bet
Next, let’s take a look at a 3-team teaser. You like the Bills as a -7 favorite, the Ravens as a -4 favorite, and the Titans as a +2 underdog. Once you place a pleaser bet, the lines become Bills -13, Ravens -10, and Titans -4.
If all three bets hit, you win a +1700 bet.
Example of a Flawed Pleaser Bet
Bettors cannot make certain games into a pleaser bet. For instance, if the Chiefs and Raiders play, let us imagine the Chiefs as a -6 favorite and the Raiders as a +6 underdog. You cannot bet both teams in a pleaser, because both bets can’t win.
If you moved the line one way, it would be Chiefs -12 and Raiders Pick’em. If one bet wins, the other bet loses, so this is unallowable. In the other scenario, the Chiefs would be Pick’Em and the Raiders would be -6 favorites. Once again, if one bet wins, the other bet loses.
Thus, you cannot include both teams in a single contest in a pleaser bet.
Differences Between Teaser Bets and Pleaser Bets
That is one of the main differences between a teaser bet and a pleaser bet. In teasers, you can bet on both teams, which is called a “jake”.
Pleaser Bet Strategy Tips
Using pleasers is a different way to bet, so it is nice to have a few inside tips before trying this bet type. Here are a few tips and tricks to consider when betting the pleasers.
- One-Point Wins: One way to burn points in a pleaser bet is to use them to cross the -1, Pick’em, and +1 threshold. Few NFL games end with a 1-point win, so crossing this threshold doesn’t often have an impact on the game. This is a good strategy especially when the sportsbook offers smaller pleasers, such as a +/- 5.5 point shift.
- Pick Small Underdogs: Small underdogs (+3 or under) win often in the NFL. If you have a sense that the small underdogs are going to win, that’s a good place to use a pleaser bet. Have two small underdogs win to collect a +600 bet.
- Parlays or Pleasers?: Most of the time when you find small underdogs worth betting on, you would put them in a parlay bet. The payouts are comparable and the chances of losing are stacked as high against you. At the same time, some bettors like pleasers because they offer a bigger payout at the cost of higher variance.
- Bigger Bankrolls: Because of this higher variance, it’s better to have a bigger bankroll when making pleaser bets. If you don’t, then you can blow your bankroll without hitting the lucky streak you might expect.
Final Thoughts: Pleasers Are Fun
Even when you think oddsmakers have set several bets too high, it is not a good idea to make 4-team or 5-team pleaser bets. Usually, the oddsmakers know their stuff, so you will lose. At the same time, it is fun to swing for the proverbial fences, so make big pleaser bets for entertainment only.
Pleaser Bet FAQ
What is a pleaser parlay?
A pleaser bet is a pleaser parlay. Because it involves bets on multiple outcomes, any pleaser bet is also a parlay bet. The same goes for teaser bets on two or more games. The specials are in the broad category of exotic bets.
What is the difference between a pleaser and a teaser?
A pleaser shifts the odds in the sportsbook’s favor but gives the bettor a much larger payout. A teaser shifts the odds in the bettor’s favor but at the cost of a lower payout.
What is a 6-point pleaser?
It is the standard pleaser bet. As a rule, a pleaser bet shifts the line 6 points in the favor of the sportsbook. Many bookmakers allow pleaser bets that involve more than 6 points, though it’s not as common to see pleasers for less than 6 points.
Are pleasers better than parlays?
Pleasers are a type of parlay, but it shifts the line in the sportsbook’s favor. For that reason, the payout is larger than a standard parlay for the same number of games. At the same time, the chances of winning a pleaser are less than a parlay (which has low odds anyway).
In either case, it is not a great long-term sports betting strategy to tie a group of bets together. It is hard enough to win a single bet, much less a series of bets designed by experts. While pleasers and parlays are fun to bet, but it is not a good idea from a strategic point of view.