Parlay Pushes and Voids Explained
One leg pushed. Another voided. What happens to your parlay now?
Parlays offer big returns, but they come with a simple rule — all legs must win. But what if one of your selections gets voided due to a cancelled game or results in a push? Here's exactly what happens to your bet.
What Happens When a Leg Pushes or Gets Voided in a Parlay?
Parlays are all about stacking multiple bets into one ticket for a bigger payout. But what happens when one of those bets doesn't win or lose? What if it pushes or gets voided? Understanding how sportsbooks handle these situations is essential to avoiding confusion and making the most of your betting strategy.
This guide breaks down what happens when a leg in your parlay is graded as a push or void, how payouts are adjusted, and what you should watch out for with different sportsbooks.
What is a Push or Void in Betting?
A push occurs when a bet lands exactly on the number set by the sportsbook, making it neither a win nor a loss. For example:
- You bet on a team -3 and they win by exactly 3
- You take the Over 45 points, and the game ends with 45 total points
In both cases, the sportsbook returns your stake for that bet.
A void bet is similar, but usually occurs when an event doesn't happen or is canceled. Examples:
- A tennis match is rained out before completion
- A player bet is voided because the athlete didn’t play
Whether it's a push or void, the result is the same: the stake is refunded.
What Happens to a Parlay When One Leg Pushes?
If you have a multi-leg parlay and one leg pushes, most sportsbooks remove that leg from the equation and recalculate the odds.
Example: You bet a 3-leg parlay:
- Leg 1: Win at 1.91
- Leg 2: Win at 1.91
- Leg 3: Push at 1.91
Because Leg 3 is a push, your parlay is treated as a 2-leg bet. Your final payout is recalculated using only the two winning legs.
So instead of a 3-leg payout, you now get paid as if you only had a 2-leg parlay. The third leg essentially disappears from the bet.
Important: The entire parlay is not voided unless all legs are graded as pushes/voids. One push doesn't kill the bet. It just reduces it.
What Happens When Multiple Legs Are Voided?
If more than one leg in a parlay is voided, the bet continues with the remaining legs. The more legs that are voided, the smaller your parlay becomes.
For example:
- You bet a 5-leg parlay
- Two legs are voided due to rain delays
- Three legs win
Your parlay becomes a 3-leg winner. Your payout is adjusted accordingly.
If all legs are voided? Then the bet is canceled entirely and your entire stake is refunded.
Are There Exceptions? Yes.
Not all sportsbooks handle pushes in the same way.
- Some treat a push as a loss (rare, but it exists)
- Some recalculate the payout automatically
- Others might refund the entire parlay (especially with 2-leg parlays where one pushes)
Always check the sportsbook's parlay rules before betting. This info is typically found in the site's terms or help section.
How It Affects Payouts
Payouts are based on the remaining legs.
If your original 4-leg parlay had potential 10x returns, but one leg gets voided, you might only get 6x instead. The difference can be noticeable, but the key thing to remember is that you still win if the other legs hit.
Void or pushed legs just lower your multiplier.
What About Same Game Parlays?
Same Game Parlays (SGPs) often have stricter rules.
- If a player prop is voided because the player didn’t start, the entire parlay might be canceled
- Some books still recalculate, but others treat any void as a deal-breaker
Because SGPs rely on tight correlation between legs, one voided leg can throw off the entire structure.
Read the rules carefully if you're building SGPs, especially with player props.
Tips to Manage Pushes and Voids
- Check the rules of each sportsbook
- Avoid legs with higher push potential (e.g., point spreads with whole numbers)
- Watch for weather or injuries that may void player bets
- Use calculators to estimate payouts after pushes
Final Thoughts
A pushed or voided leg in a parlay doesn't spell disaster. Most of the time, it simply reduces your bet to the remaining legs. But it can affect your payout, so knowing how your book handles these scenarios is crucial.
Check the rules, plan ahead, and keep building smart parlays. And if you ever need help, our Parlay Calculator on Punttools.co.uk will instantly adjust your stake and odds when legs are voided or pushed.
That's smart betting made simple.