What Does “5 | Exact Bookings” Mean?

“5 | Exact Bookings” means you are betting that the total number of booking points in a match will be exactly 5 — not 4, not 6, not 7… exactly 5.

How Booking Points Work

Bookmakers usually use the following points system:

Most bookies count a maximum of 35 points for a single player (10 + 25).

How Many Cards Make EXACTLY 5 Booking Points?

Here is the key part:

You CANNOT get exactly 5 booking points

Because:

• Yellow = 10
• Red = 25
• 2nd Yellow = 25

There is NO card that equals 5 points, and no combination of 10s and 25s equals 5.

So what does “Exact 5 bookings” really mean?

It actually means exactly 5 CARDS, not 5 booking points.

This is how most bookmakers display it in the “Exact Cards / Exact Bookings” market:

• 0 cards
• 1 card
• 2 cards
• 3 cards
• 4 cards
• 5 cards
• 6 cards
• 7+ cards

So:

“Exact 5 Bookings” = Total cards in the match must be exactly 5

(yellow + red cards combined)

Bookmakers use the word bookings to mean cards.

Club Example: Manchester United vs Chelsea

Imagine a Premier League match:

Example Match: Man United vs Chelsea

Suppose:

• Man United receive 3 yellow cards
• Chelsea receive 2 yellow cards
• No red cards

Total cards = 5

If you placed “Exact 5 bookings”, your bet wins.

When Does the Bet Lose?

Scenario 1 — Only 4 cards

• Man United: 2 yellow
• Chelsea: 2 yellow
  Total = 4 cards
  Bet loses

Scenario 2 — 6 cards

• Man United: 4 yellow
• Chelsea: 2 yellow
  Total = 6 cards
  Bet loses

Scenario 3 — 3 yellows + 1 straight red

Cards: 4 total
Bet loses

Scenario 4 — 4 yellows + 1 second yellow/red

Cards: 6 total (yellow + yellow + yellow + yellow + yellow + red)
Bet loses

You must have EXACTLY 5 cards.

Detailed Scenarios That Produce EXACTLY 5 Cards

As long as the count of cards = 5, the bet wins.

When Is Betting Exact 5 Bookings a Good Idea?

Best in:

• Rivalry games (e.g., Man United vs Liverpool)
• Physical teams
• Derbies
• Referees with high card average
• Tense matches with top-4 or relegation pressure

Poor choice in:

• Friendly matches
• Games with weak referees
• Teams with low aggression profiles

Club Breakdown Example (Using Atlético Madrid)

Atlético Madrid are known for:

• physical defensive style
• aggressive midfielders
• tactical fouling
• emotional reactions in tight matches

Typical match card range for Atlético:

• 3–7 cards total

So Exact 5 Bookings becomes realistic when:

• They play away
• They face a strong possession team (e.g., Barcelona, Real Madrid)
• The referee averages 4+ cards per game

Example:

Atlético Madrid vs Real Betis

• Atlético: 3 yellow
• Betis: 2 yellow

Total: 5 cards
Exact 5 Bookings wins

Betting Tips for “Exact 5 Bookings”

1. Check referee stats

If a referee averages 4–6 cards per match, 5 bookings becomes realistic.

2. Look for balanced fixtures

Avoid one-sided matches; go for:

• mid-table clashes
• rivalry matches
• teams with similar aggressiveness levels

3. Avoid red-card-heavy referees

Referees who give many reds may push totals above 5.

4. Check team discipline stats

Ideal teams are those who typically produce:
2–3 cards per team per match

5. Use in-play betting

If the first half ends with:

• 2–3 cards
• the match is tense
• fouls are increasing

Then “Exact 5 Bookings” becomes a strong in-play option.

Summary

“Exact 5 Bookings” in football betting means predicting that the match will finish with exactly 5 total cards.
These cards can be yellow or red. You win only if the final count equals exactly 5.

This market is popular in aggressive fixtures, derbies, and matches with card-heavy referees. Using stats from physical teams like Atlético Madrid or Chelsea helps improve accuracy.