What is backing and laying?
01 Getting started 
/ Betfair Education / 22 January 2008 / 2 Comments
On Betfair you can back and lay. To 'back' a selection means you think it will happen, like you'd do at a traditional bookie. Or you can take the opposing viewpoint and 'lay' if you think your selection will not happen.
Every fixed-odds bet, whether it's with your local High St bookie, a betting exchange or even two mates in a pub, requires a backer and a layer, you've probably just never thought of it that way.
Imagine two guys betting a pint on the Merseyside derby - one cheering Everton, one cheering Liverpool. The Everton supporter is automatically opposing, or laying, Liverpool if he decides to go with his heart. Likewise the Liverpool fan backs his team for a pint, but is laying Everton in the same process.
Lay betting is the other half of the deal from a back bet. Both are bets but opposing views. For more information on lay betting click here.
stefan | 24 September 2008
if i Lay a bet for example
team X VS team Y
I want to make a bet for a draw
back = 2,18 and lay = 1000
I put 5 euro om a lay bet .
My question : what can i win and what can i lose?
Betfair Education | 24 September 2008
Hi Stefan,
Keep reading, it's all spelt out in further articles, particularly the laying article linked above. You can also try out the demo site www.playbetfair.com.
But never, ever take the lay price shown when there is a significant price gap as per your example. The best part about Betfair is choice - choose the price you want to take, whether to back or lay, how much to risk etc.