Bet types explained
Most betting comes down to a handful of structures. The difference between them is not complexity for its own sake — it is the trade-off between how much has to go right and how much you get paid.
The core structures
- Single — one selection. It wins or it does not. The lowest-variance bet available.
- Multiple (accumulator) — several selections on one slip, all of which must win. Odds multiply, and so does the chance of losing.
- Each-way — two bets in one: the selection to win, and to place. Used mainly in golf and racing.
- Handicap — one side is given a head start or deficit, which makes a lopsided contest tradeable.
- Over/under — a line on a total, rather than on who wins.
- System bets — combinations that still pay if some legs miss, at the cost of a larger total stake.
The honest maths on multis
A four-leg multi at even money on each leg pays 16 times the stake. It also requires four independent things to go right, and the operator margin compounds across every leg. Multis are the most popular bet type and the one where the house edge is largest.
A boost on a multi does not change this. It improves the price on a bet that still needs every leg to land.
Before you bet
Odds move with team news, form and where the money goes, so check the live market before you stake. 18+ only.