What this guide covers
Table tennis is a niche on most sportsbooks, but a busy one. Short matches, constant schedules and fast live prices mean a lot of bets get placed on players most people have never heard of. This guide explains the markets and the scoring, and then talks plainly about the two things that make table tennis different: speed, and how little information you have. Table tennis isn't one of the sports Stake names on its sports home page, so check the sportsbook for current coverage.
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Markets
- Match winner.
- Set betting. Exact score in games.
- Point handicap.
Match winner is two-way, because there are no draws. Set betting asks for the exact score in games, such as 3 to 1 in a best-of-five. A point handicap gives one player a head start in total points across the match, the same idea as a game handicap in tennis. Totals on points in a game or a match may also be listed. See our over and under guide for how lines settle.
Scoring basics
Format basics
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Game | First to 11 points, win by two |
| Match | Usually best of five or best of seven games |
| Serve | Changes every two points |
A game, which some books call a set, is played to 11 points, and a player must lead by two. At 10 to 10, players alternate serves every point until someone leads by two. Most matches are best of five games, and big events often use best of seven. A full match can take under half an hour.
Why speed matters
Why speed matters
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Short matches | Many bets per hour |
| Constant schedule | No natural break |
Some table tennis leagues run near-constant schedules, with matches starting every few minutes through the day and night. Combine that with a match that's over in twenty minutes and live prices that move every point, and you have a product that never pauses. That's the main risk here, more than any rule. The usual natural stopping points, like halftime or the end of the evening's games, aren't there.
A few habits help. Decide in advance how many matches you'll bet on and how much in total. Use the deposit limit tool on Stake so the limit holds even when you're tempted to raise it. Lowering a limit takes effect at once. Raising or removing one takes 24 hours, which is the point.
Information and liquidity
Big events feature known players, rankings and form you can look up. The constant-schedule leagues are different. Players are often obscure, there's little public data, and the markets can be small. A small market has two consequences. Prices can jump on small amounts of money, and the margin is often larger than on a major sport. Put simply, you usually know less than the price does. We'd rather say that plainly than pretend a system can crack it.
Retirements and unfinished matches
A player can retire or a match can stop because of an injury or a technical problem. Whether bets stand or are voided depends on the market and how far the match got. Stake's sports rules decide. Read them once, because the volume of matches means these cases come up.
A worked example
Made-up match, best of five: Player A is 1.55, Player B is 2.35. A point handicap has B at plus 3.5 points. A wins 3 to 2, with game scores of 11 to 8, 9 to 11, 11 to 6, 10 to 12 and 11 to 9. A scored 52 points, B scored 46. The A match bet wins. B's plus 3.5 point handicap loses, because B lost the points count by six. The set betting result was 3 to 2 to A. All of that happened in about twenty-five minutes. Ask yourself how many matches you'd have bet on in the same hour.
Live table tennis
Nearly all table tennis betting happens in play. Prices update after every point, and markets suspend often. Bets may be held for a moment before they're accepted, and prices can change in that time. Our live betting guide explains how suspensions and bet delays work.
Related
See tennis and live betting. If betting feels compulsive, read responsible gambling. For another fast set-based sport, see volleyball.
Big events and everyday leagues
Not all table tennis is the same product. World championships, major tour events and the Olympics feature ranked players, real scouting information and plenty of coverage. Those are closer to betting on tennis: you can follow form and head-to-head records. The everyday leagues that fill the schedule are a different thing. Many players appear several times a day against the same small pool of opponents. If you choose to bet on table tennis at all, the big events are where your own knowledge has some chance of meaning something.
Keeping it in proportion
Treat every bet as money you can lose. If you notice you're betting on players you know nothing about, just because a match is starting, that's a good moment to stop. If you're chasing losses, close the sportsbook and read our responsible gambling page, which covers break-in-play and self-exclusion.
FAQ
Why are there so many table tennis matches?
Some leagues run near-constant schedules.
Are matches streamed?
Sometimes.
What if a player retires?
Check the rules.
Is table tennis betting a good way to make quick money?
No. The speed works against you, and the margin applies to every bet.