What is an Each Way Bet? How Each Way Betting Works
An each way bet is two bets in one. Half of your overall stake goes on a win bet, and half of your overall stake goes on a place bet. This means your bet could still generate some returns even if your chosen selection does not win. This page will delve deeply into each way betting, giving examples of each way bets and how you can use each way betting to improve your betting returns.
How Does Each Way Betting Work?
As we said in our introduction, an each way bet is two bets in one – a win bet and a place bet. A win bet is a bet on a selection to win, and a place bet is a bet on a selection to place, that is to finish in the designed places, such as the first three, four, five … or even up to eight. This means that both parts of your each way bet do not have to win in order to generate some returns, although you will receive maximum returns if both sides of your each way bet do win.
Here is an example of an each way bet:
This an each way horse racing bet on the 12:15 at Greyville (Redditch). We are backing Fine Admiral each way at 11/4. Our unit price is set to £5 and as an each way bet is two bets in one our overall stake is £10.
The each way tick box determines this bet as an each way bet. The terms are displayed – one-fifth of the odds for a top-three finish. Note that these terms are decided by the UK’s horse racing board, and not by the betting sites themselves. They depend upon the type of race, and the number of runners.
There are three possible outcomes of our each way bet:
- Fine Admiral wins – both our win bet and place bet wins
- Fine Admiral finishes second or third – our win bet loses but our place bet wins
- Fine Admiral finishes fourth or lower down the field – both bets lose
Each Way Sports Betting
Each way betting may be offered in any sport which has outrights but is usually offered in sports which take the form of races. Here is a quick explanation of how each way betting works in some popular sports.
Each Way Betting in Horse Racing
Each way betting is most commonly used in horse racing betting. The terms of the place part of an each way bet are set as follows:
- 1 – 4 runners – each way betting not allowed
- 5 – 7 runners – one-quarter the odds, places are first and second
- 8+ runners – one-fifth the odds, places are first, second and third
- 12 – 15 runners (handicap) – one-quarter the odds, places are first, second and third
- 16 + runners (handicap) – one-quarter the odds, places are first, second, third and fourth
Each Way Betting in Football
Sites do not have to offer each way betting on football, but those that do may offer it with outrights. For example, you may be able to back Manchester City each way to win the EPL, meaning that if they finish in the top four the ‘place’ side of your each way bet will generate returns.
Some sites may offer each way on cup competitions too. The place part of your bet wins if your backed team reaches the semi-finals.
Each Way Betting in Greyhounds
Behind each way betting on horse racing, each way bets on greyhounds are the next most common. Here the terms are fixed for every greyhound race, as every race has a maximum six runners (eight in Australia). For a place finish (first or second) you receive one-quarter the odds. Each way bets are not offered on Australian races in the UK.
Each Way Betting in Golf
As golf competitions are tournaments, they qualify as outrights. Sites do not have to offer each way bets on golf, but some do with the terms decided by the sites themselves. Because golf tournaments have a lot of competitors and are hard to predict, the terms offered by sites are usually very generous, such as one-fifth the odds for a top-eight finish on the final leaderboard.
Each Way Betting in Cycling
All forms of racing qualify for each way betting including cycling, but again it’s up to the sites themselves to decide whether to offer each way betting on racing sports or not. The each way terms depends on the race itself. For cycling betting each way, the usual terms are one-quarter the odds for a podium (i.e. top three) finish, but again this may vary.
How to Calculate Each Way Bets
You don’t have to be a mathematical wizard to calculate potential each way winnings and returns, and we are going to show you how anyway, using both fractional and decimal odds.
We are going back to our Fine Admiral example above, a £5 each way bet at 11/4 or 3.75 decimal, total stake £10.
Fractional
- Win = 5 x 11/4 = £13.75 + £5 stake = £18.75
- Place = 5 x 11/4 = £13.75 / 5 (one-fifth the odds) = £2.75 + £5 stake = £7.75
- Total returns = £18.75 + £7.75 = £26.50
Decimal
Dividing decimal odds is not as simple as dividing fractional odds as decimal odds give returns, not winnings. You have to subtract one, perform the division, and then add one back on.
- Win = 5 x 3.75 = £18.75
- Place = 3.75 – 1 = 2.75 / 5 = 0.55 + 1 = 1.55 x 5 = £7.75
- Total returns = £18.75 + £7.75 = £26.50
Of course, you don’t really need to perform the calculations yourself, as you can use our each way bet calculator instead.
Why Make an Each Way Bet?
As you make more money successfully betting on wins as opposed to betting each way for the same stake, why bother betting each way anyhow? Well, our betting experts have dug out three good reasons why, and gracefully they have allowed us to share them with you.
You’ll back more ‘winners’
To put it simply, you will have more ‘winning’ bets if you bet each way as opposed to simply backing the winner each time. It’s much harder to pick winning win bets than winning place bets, meaning you’ll get more returns overall. The only downside is that each way odds are much tighter than win odds.You can back longer prices
Placing a win bet on a long-priced selection is usually a losing bet. Long-priced selections are longed-priced for a reason. However, backing a long-priced selection to place is much more feasible. For example, backing a golfer at 33/1 in a tournament with no clear favourite should generate odds around 6 to 7/1 for a finish in the first eight places.It can help you slide out of a losing streak
No matter what anyone tells you, betting is never a consistent stream of winning. Even the most successful gamblers experience losing streaks from time to time. If this happens to you, consider switching to each way betting instead. You may not win as much as you have in the past during winning streaks, but it may help you psychologically in that it’s more likely to put an end to your losing streak than continuing to try and pick winners and failing.
How to Make an Each Way Bet Online
Just in case you’ve never done it, here is a detailed guide on how to place an each way bet online.
1. Log onto your favourite site. If you don’t have one, then our list of the best and safest sports betting sites in the UK will help.
2. Look for the event you wish to place your each way bet upon. Here, we’re going to place an each way bet on a horse race.
3. Here is the racecard for the 1:30 pm race at Cheltenham on the Thursday of the 2024 festival. The each way terms are one-fifth the odds for a top-three finish. The horse we have decided to back each way is Zanahiyr, at 18/1. To make our bet, we click on the odds.
4. This will transfer the bet to our bet slip. We check the ‘each way’ checkbox to make sure our bet is placed each way and then set our stake to £5. As we are betting win and place, our total stake is £10 with potential winnings of £118. To place our bet, all we need to do is hit that ‘place bet’ button, and our wager is on!
Each Way in Multiple Bets
So far we have only shown you examples of each way bets in singles. You can of course bet each way in multiple bets too – again, these are two bets in one, a win multiple and a place multiple. We’re now going to go through a few examples of each way multiple bets.
Each Way Accumulator Bets
You can easily place an each way acca. This is a win acca and a place acca. For the win acca to win, all your selections must win. For the place acca, all your selections must win or place – you can’t mix and match. Calculating potential winnings from an each way acca can be tough, so we’ve provided an each way accumulator betting calculator for you.
Each Way Patent Bet
A patent bet is a very popular bet that is often placed each way. It’s a mini acca on three selections consisting of a treble bet, three doubles and three singles. If you place an each way patent bet, then only one of your selections has to place in order to generate a return, albeit a small one.
Lucky 15 Each Way Bet
A Lucky 15 bet is an example of what is known as a system bet. It’s a bet that takes a set number of selections and applies several multiples to them. In the case of a Lucky 15, it’s four selections, and the bets are four singles, six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold for a total of (obviously) 15 bets. By selecting each way when placing a Lucky 15, you are placing 30 bets – 15 win bets and 15 place bets. This means that as long as one of your selections at least places, you’ll get a return.
Again, calculating potential winnings from a Lucky 15 each way bet is very time-consuming, so you are free to use our Lucky 15 each way bet calculator instead.
Conclusion
Each way betting is a great way of returning a small profit or significantly cutting your losses time and time again. You might not always get the big wins associated with win-only betting, but you will not get so many losses and you are more likely to avoid losing streaks. Each way betting is something to consider no matter your attitude towards betting, and of course should always be done responsibly.
FAQs
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