Down the menu, "What is accumulator bet?" leads to one family of bets. Beyond the single win bet, a betting menu holds dozens of types, and each way is one of the oldest. It splits a stake into a win bet and a place bet on the same runner. What the rest of the menu offers is variety: props, specials, combinations and more, each with its own settling rules and its own margin, explained here with examples from racing and team games.
Each way bets are calculated with the place terms printed beside the race: a fraction such as one quarter or one fifth, and a number of places. How many places does an each way bet pay? It depends on the field. Small fields may pay two places or none, mid sized fields usually three, and large handicaps four or more. At a quarter of 10.00, the place odds become 3.25 in decimal terms, with the stake included.
The main types of bets in sports betting fall into a few families. Singles back one outcome. Combinations such as doubles, trebles and accumulators join several. Handicaps and spreads level uneven sides, totals ask about the combined score, and outrights ask who wins a whole competition. Types of bets on horse racing add win, place and each way, forecasts that name the first two in order, and tricasts that name the top three.
The terms printed beside a race give a fraction of the win odds, such as a quarter or a fifth, and the number of places that pay.
A single backs one outcome, while doubles, trebles and accumulators join several selections into one bet that needs every part to come in.
Two bets of equal stake on one selection, one to win and one to place, so a stake of ten each way costs twenty in total.
A handicap levels two uneven sides by crediting one of them with extra points or goals before the event begins.
The field decides: small fields may pay two places or none, mid sized fields usually three, and large handicaps four or more.
A proposition asks about an event inside a game rather than its result, such as corners, the first scorer or a deciding set; props split into player, team and game types.