Every sabong fight settles one of three ways: Meron wins, Wala wins, or the fight is called a draw. What most guides skip is that the odds come from the money on each side, not from a bookmaker’s opinion. This Slotvip guide to sabong betting terms covers Meron, Wala, Draw and plasada, plus where Philippine law stands on online betting.
Sabong Betting Terms at a Glance: Meron, Wala, Draw and Odds
The vocabulary below comes from the cockpit tradition, and online guides mostly carry it over unchanged. The table gives the short meaning of each term and what it changes about a payout. Published guides do not always agree with each other, so where they differ the wording below says so.
| Term | Usual meaning | Why it matters for the payout |
|---|---|---|
| Meron | One of the two sides, usually shown in red and often described as the favorite | Pays less per peso when most of the money sits on this side |
| Wala | The other side, usually shown in blue and often described as the underdog | Pays more per peso when less money sits on this side |
| Draw (Tabla, BDD, FTD) | A fight with no winner; the names and settlement differ by platform | Meron and Wala bets may be refunded or lost, depending on the draw type |
| Llamado | The traditional word for the favored fowl | Its backers accept shorter odds |
| Dehado | The underdog, defined in dictionaries as the side with the fewest bettors | Pays more when it wins |
| Plasada | The arena fee or commission, often cited at around 10% | Comes off the pool before winners are paid |
| Parimutuel odds | Odds set by the money pooled on each side | The number moves until betting closes |
| Sentensyador | The referee, whose ruling is final | Decides the result that bets settle on |
Meron vs Wala: Labels, Not Predictions
Many guides say Meron is the favorite and Wala is the underdog, and in plenty of fights the betting does look like that. The labels themselves, though, carry no odds. In a pooled market the price follows the money. The Tagalog word dehado makes the same point: dictionaries define it as the side with the fewest bettors, so “underdog” describes where the crowd has put its stake, not which bird is stronger.
Take a fight with ₱80,000 on Meron and ₱20,000 on Wala. Meron is the favorite for that fight and pays less per peso. If the pools were reversed, Wala would hold that role and the names would not change. Sources also disagree on what Meron means in the first place: some describe the red side, some the home or registered side, and some the more experienced fowl. Read the label on a panel as the name of a side, not as advice.
A bigger pool means a smaller payout per peso if that side wins. It does not mean the side wins more often. The crowd can be wrong, and a pool says nothing about how one particular fight will end, so the lower payout is a price, not a safety margin.
Llamado, Dehado and the Language of the Pit
At a traditional cockpit the vocabulary is spoken and signaled rather than displayed on a screen. A few terms are worth knowing because online panels use them without explaining them.
- Llamado (also written liyamado): the favored fowl. Backers take shorter odds, and one pit observer describes the edge given to the llamado as a percentage that starts at 10% and climbs in steps, in some fights up to 100%.
- Dehado: the underdog, from the Spanish word for “left behind”.
- Plasada: the arena fee, cited at about 10% in older articles and in some online guides, with no single standard rate.
- Sentensyador: the referee, whose verdict is final and cannot be appealed.
- Hand signals: in the pit, a finger pointed up means tens and a horizontal finger means hundreds, so the bet is read from the hand rather than a screen.
The practical difference is that pit odds are negotiated by voice and by hand, while online guides describe pooled odds that adjust on their own. A number on a screen is therefore a snapshot of the pool at that second, not a fixed price.
How Parimutuel Sabong Odds Work, Step by Step
The Slotvip sabong category names DS88 and CFA88 as providers, and neither one’s commission or settlement terms are covered here, so every figure below is an assumption made for illustration. The method itself is the one published guides describe for pooled sabong odds.
- Betting opens, and each stake goes into the pool for the side it was placed on.
- Betting closes when the fight starts, so the two pools stop changing.
- The operator deducts its commission (plasada) from the total. The example assumes 10%.
- Winners share what remains in proportion to their stakes, and the stake is included in the amount returned.
| Meron pool | Wala pool | |
|---|---|---|
| Money in the pool | ₱80,000 | ₱20,000 |
| Total pool ₱100,000, after 10% commission | ₱90,000 left to pay winners | |
| Return on a ₱100 stake if this side wins | ₱112.50 (profit ₱12.50) | ₱450 (profit ₱350) |
The same commission leaves a thin return on the Meron side and a large one on the Wala side, which is why one fight can look steady from one side and rich from the other without either being a better bet. Even pools show the commission most clearly: with ₱50,000 on each side, ₱100 on the winner returns ₱180, not ₱200. Late money also moves the price, so the figure you see before the fight starts may not be the figure that settles.
Draw, Tabla, BDD and FTD: When Neither Side Wins
A draw is the rarest result and the one with the least agreement between sources. Guides use several names, and the settlement depends on the platform’s own rules, which is why the table below describes what is reported rather than what is guaranteed.
| Name | Usual meaning | Settlement reported in published guides |
|---|---|---|
| Tabla or Draw | A fight with no winner | Depends on the platform’s rules |
| BDD | Both fowl unable to continue at the same time | Meron and Wala bets refunded; a separate Draw bet pays at long odds, with 8:1 given as one example |
| FTD (full-time draw) | The time limit passes with at least one fowl still standing and no winner; one guide gives the limit as ten minutes | Meron and Wala bets lost; only bets placed on the FTD outcome win |
Not every panel offers a Draw bet, and a second guide says all bets are simply refunded when a fight is declared a draw. The long odds on a Draw bet reflect how seldom it happens, so it is a poor fit for anyone who wants results that repeat. The only dependable source for a draw rule is the rules panel of the operator you are using.
What to Check on a Sabong Betting Panel Before a Fight Starts
Because the words differ from one operator to the next, a short check before staking saves the most confusion. This list is generic, since there is no first-party panel data in this guide for any specific provider.
- Closing time: guides say betting closes when the fight starts and late bets are not accepted.
- Odds type: find out whether the figure shown is a live pool number or a fixed one.
- Commission: find out where the plasada is deducted and at what rate.
- Draw rule: confirm which draw types exist and whether Meron and Wala bets are refunded or lost.
- Limits: each platform sets its own minimum and maximum stake.
- Result: the sentensyador’s ruling is final, so a result cannot be reopened afterward.
If a rule is not visible on screen, ask the operator’s support before staking, not after the fight.
Is Online Sabong Betting Legal in the Philippines?
Traditional sabong in licensed cockpits falls under Presidential Decree No. 449, the Cockfighting Law of 1974. Online sabong is treated differently. President Marcos signed Executive Order No. 9 on December 28, 2022, continuing a nationwide suspension of e-sabong that began in May 2022. The order suspends live-streaming of cockfights from outside cockpits and any online, remote or off-cockpit betting on live cockfights, regardless of where the betting platform is located. Cockfights in licensed cockpits are not covered.
PAGCOR chairman Alejandro Tengco said in September 2024 that the government had no plan to revive e-sabong. A 2026 legal commentary adds that no new licence for online or remote sabong betting exists, and that bills to prohibit it permanently passed the House in 2025 but have not become law. Research published in August 2025 also found e-sabong still available on unregulated platforms, with scams, heavy losses and underage play among the risks it listed.
This guide explains vocabulary. It does not say that any online sabong betting is permitted in the Philippines, and it does not tell you to place a bet. To check whether an operator is legitimate, use PAGCOR’s official verification list (PAGCOR Guarantee), and treat any site offering live cockfight betting with extra caution while the suspension stands.
Tips for Staying in Control Around Sabong Bets
Fights are quick and the pool keeps moving, so a few habits matter more here than in slower games. These tips follow from how the odds work, not from any way to predict a result.
- Learn llamado, dehado and plasada before reading a panel, because panels use them without explanation.
- Treat the odds on screen as a snapshot, since the pools change until betting closes.
- Do not read a smaller payout as a safer bet: pool size shows where the crowd put its money, not how the fight will end.
- Check the draw rule before staking, because refund and loss outcomes both appear in published guides.
- Do not raise your stake to win back a loss. Each fight is separate, and one result says nothing about the next.
- Set a budget and a stopping point first, because short fights add up faster than they feel.
Sabong Betting Terms: FAQ
Readers tend to get stuck on the same few words, so these answers start with the terms and end with the law.
What Do Meron and Wala Mean in Sabong Betting?
Meron and Wala are the two sides of a sabong fight, usually shown in red and blue. Guides often call Meron the favorite and Wala the underdog, but in pool betting the favorite is simply the side with more money on it. Check the panel to see which side is which.
Is Meron Always the Favorite in Sabong?
Meron is not always the favorite, because it is a label for one side and the payout depends on the pool. With ₱80,000 on Meron and ₱20,000 on Wala, Meron is the favorite; reverse those pools and Wala holds that role. Sources also differ on whether Meron means the red side, the home side or the more experienced fowl.
What Happens If a Sabong Fight Ends in a Draw?
A draw is settled by the platform’s own rules. One published guide says a both-down (BDD) draw refunds Meron and Wala bets and pays Draw bets, while a full-time draw (FTD) after ten minutes loses Meron and Wala bets. Another says all bets are refunded, so read the draw rule before staking.
How Are Sabong Odds Calculated?
Sabong odds are described as parimutuel: the operator pools the stakes, deducts a commission (plasada, often cited near 10%), and shares the rest among winners in proportion to their stakes. With even ₱50,000 pools and a 10% commission, a ₱100 winning stake returns ₱180.
Is Online Sabong Betting Legal in the Philippines?
Online and off-cockpit betting on live cockfights is suspended nationwide under Executive Order No. 9, signed on December 28, 2022, and PAGCOR has said it has no plan to revive e-sabong. Licensed in-person cockpits are not covered by the order. Use PAGCOR Guarantee to check any operator.
Reading Sabong Terms Responsibly: Key Takeaways
Meron and Wala name the two sides, and a favorite is only the side with more money on it. Pooled odds move until betting closes, the commission is taken before winners are paid, and draw rules differ enough that the rules panel always decides. Online sabong betting itself remains suspended in the Philippines under Executive Order No. 9, so the vocabulary here is background knowledge, not an invitation to wager.