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Emotional hedge

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An emotional hedge is a type of sports bet in which a fan of a certain team bets against the team they are emotionally attached to, so if their team loses, they will win money and feel less bad about it.[1] Some fans who do the bet see it as a win–win,[2] because in each scenario, they either make money (minimizing disappointment) or are pleased to see their team win.[3]

Reluctance

Despite the fact that the emotional hedge guarantees the bettor one positive outcome, it is rarely observed. Optimism bias, in which the probability of a positive outcome is overestimated by an emotionally-driven bettor, plays a part in many people's decision not to make the bet.[4] Many are also reluctant to make the bet because they feel that it is disloyal, that they are essentially betraying their favorite sports team.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Emotional Hedge Bet". First Off The Bench. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  2. ^ Millman, Chad (13 January 2010). "The power of the emotional hedge bet". ESPN. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  3. ^ Ayello, Jim (29 December 2020). "The emotional hedge bet: What it is and why Colts fans need to place it before Sunday". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Emotional Hedge". The Unchained Banker. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  5. ^ Morewedge, Carey K. (14 October 2016). "Why You Should Bet Against Your Candidate". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 March 2021.