Bet types: from singles to system bets
The same match can be bet on in very different ways, and the format you choose changes both the possible return and the chance of getting anything back at all. This guide explains the main bet types with simple numbers. The figures are examples without a currency — they work the same way whatever you bet in.
Single bets
A single is one selection, one stake, one result. If you stake 10 at odds of 2.20 and the selection wins, you get 22 back: 12 profit plus the stake. If it loses, you lose 10. Singles are the clearest way to bet because the risk of each decision is visible on its own, and they are the format most experienced bettors return to.
Accumulators
An accumulator (also called a parlay or multi) combines several selections into one bet and multiplies their odds. Three legs at 1.80, 2.00 and 1.60 give combined odds of 1.80 × 2.00 × 1.60 = 5.76, so a stake of 10 returns 57.60 if all three win. If any one of them loses, the whole bet loses. Each extra leg makes the payout grow and the chance of winning shrink — and because every price contains a margin, the margins compound too. Keep accumulators short if you use them at all.
System bets
A system bet splits your selections into several smaller combinations. A common example is three selections combined into three doubles (a "trixie" adds the treble as well). If one selection loses, the doubles that do not contain it can still pay. You pay for that cushion: a system bet is several bets at once, so the total stake is the unit stake multiplied by the number of combinations.
Handicap markets
A handicap gives one side a virtual head start or deficit before the event begins. If a strong team is priced at very short odds to win, a handicap of minus one goal means it must win by two or more for the bet to win. Asian handicaps use quarter and half lines that can split a stake between two outcomes and avoid a draw result altogether. Handicaps make one-sided matches more balanced, but they require you to read the line carefully.
Totals: over and under
A totals market ignores who wins and asks whether a statistic — goals, points, games or runs — ends above or below a line. A line of 2.5 goals means three or more goals for "over", two or fewer for "under". Totals depend on how both sides play, which makes them popular with bettors who follow a league closely.
How each sport shapes your choice of bet
In football, the three-way market includes the draw, and double chance covers two of the three outcomes in one selection at a lower price. In basketball, the point spread does the job of a handicap because draws are almost impossible. In tennis, set and game handicaps balance matches between players of different levels. In cricket, run totals for an innings or a match are among the most used markets. Whatever the sport, start with singles on the core markets, and combine selections only when you understand each leg on its own.
Choosing a format for your budget
Pick the bet type that matches how much risk you want in a single decision, not the one with the most eye-catching return. Keep stakes flat, record your bets, and look at results over months rather than days. If you find yourself building ever longer accumulators to win back losses, that is a warning sign — see our page on responsible gambling.
Questions about bet types
Why does an accumulator pay so much more than singles?
What is a void leg in an accumulator?
Which bet type should a beginner use?
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