Best odds guaranteed (BOG) means that if you take a price on a horse and its starting price ends up bigger, you're paid at the starting price. If the SP is shorter, you keep the price you took. You can't do worse than the price you took.
How best odds guaranteed works
Say you back a horse at 5/1 in the morning. By the off it drifts to 8/1. Without BOG you're paid at 5/1. With BOG you're paid at 8/1. If it shortens to 4/1 instead, you still get your 5/1.
| Starting price | Without BOG | With BOG |
|---|---|---|
| 3/1 | £60.00 | £60.00 |
| 4/1 | £60.00 | £60.00 |
| 5/1 | £60.00 | £60.00 |
| 8/1 | £60.00 | £90.00 |
| 12/1 | £60.00 | £130.00 |
Best odds guaranteed and each way
BOG covers the place part too. If the SP is bigger, both the win and place parts are paid at the bigger price, so a drifting horse that only places still pays more.
Work out each way returns at either price.Each way calculator →Best odds guaranteed and Rule 4
If a horse is withdrawn, your early price gets a Rule 4 deduction but the starting price is formed after the withdrawal. BOG pays whichever comes out better.
Example: you take 6/1 for £10. A 3/1 shot is withdrawn, so 25p comes off. Your price after Rule 4 returns £55.00. The horse wins at an SP of 7/1, which returns £80.00. You get £80.00.
See the full Rule 4 deductions table.Rule 4 calculator →Terms that usually apply
- UK and Irish horse racing. Some bookmakers add greyhounds.
- Bets placed from a set time on race day, often the morning of the race.
- Not ante-post bets, Tote bets or bets at starting price.
- A maximum extra payout per day or per bet.
- It can be removed from individual accounts, often ones that win regularly.
Every bookmaker sets its own BOG terms. Check them before you bet, especially the start time and any cap.
Why it matters
Without BOG, taking an early price is a gamble on the market moving your way. With it, an early price can only help you. That's why regular racing punters rate it as one of the most valuable things a bookmaker offers.
If you track whether you beat the starting price, BOG makes the comparison one sided in your favour. Read more about that in our closing line value guide.
Questions people ask
What does BOG mean in betting?
Best odds guaranteed. If the starting price is bigger than the price you took, you're paid at the starting price.
Does best odds guaranteed apply to each way bets?
Usually, yes. Both the win and place parts are paid at the bigger price.
Does BOG apply to ante-post bets?
Usually not. Most bookmakers only apply it to bets placed on the day of the race.
Can a bookmaker take best odds guaranteed away?
Yes. Bookmakers can remove BOG from individual accounts, and it's one of the first things to go when an account is restricted.