A Deep Dive Into the Most Popular Types of Bets

There are a number of ways to build a bet that extend beyond simply backing a single outcome, but everything starts with knowing what types of bets are out there and how they work. 

Some prioritise safety whereas others have more to do with maximising payouts, and being aware of the nuances of each means you can better understand potential returns, control risk and strategise on what choices best fit your approach. 

Here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular bet types out there and how each one works. 

Note: the odds we refer to in this article are for purely illustrative purposes. 

Singles 

The most straightforward of the lot, a single bet is one bet on the outcome of a certain event. For a football match, that might be a team to win, a player to score or the total number of goals to exceed 1.5. 

So, a successful single bet – with a £10 stake – on Nottingham Forest to beat Everton at odds of 5/2 would yield £35 (£25 profit and the original £10 stake paid back). 

If Everton were to win or if the teams drew, you’d lose your £10. 

Because of their simplicity, single bets are appealing to all sorts of players, whether they’re just dipping their toes into betting or have less of an appetite for risk. Experienced bettors may also utilise single bets when it comes to sports they’re less familiar with. 

The odds attached to these markets are often the simplest to follow, too, as there is only one event to account for. Multiple bets like doubles and accas, which we’ll get to shortly, combine the odds of each event that gets added to them.  

For more information on how odds work, check out our Understanding Sports Betting Odds article.

So, when might you place a single bet? They’re solid options for events you feel pretty confident about, and if you’re watching a match as it takes place, they can provide an opportunity to capitalise on developments you feel may be significant, like a red card in football. 

Doubles 

A combination of two selections rolled into one bet, where both must happen for you to win. If you do, it’s possible to receive a more profitable payout than if you’d placed two individual single bets. That’s because, with a double bet, the odds for each event are multiplied together along with your stake. 

In keeping with the football example from before, you could tack the Sunderland and Manchester City fixture onto your single Everton and Nottingham Forest bet to make it a double. 

If you took Manchester City and Nottingham Forest to win at odds of 13/4 (combined) for this double, a successful £10 wager would net you £42.70. Those same bets as successful singles – at 11/50 and 5/2 respectively – would net you £23.60 (assuming you placed a £5 stake on each event).  

Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily have to make two selections from the same sport. The Sunderland and Manchester City match might instead be a tennis game or a UFC fight. 

So, why might you decide not to place a double bet? It depends on how comfortable you are taking risks. The outcome of the bet hinges on both selections coming good, and it can be frustrating if one selection wins while the other one doesn’t.  

As with singles, a double bet is useful if you’re confident about two selections and are happy to accept the risk of this type of bet for the enhanced returns they can offer if successful. They’re also an entry point into other, more complex multiple bet types. 

Trebles 

You guessed it: with a treble bet you need to make three selections. Again, all your selections must win for the bet to land and for you to receive a payout. 

Let’s add the Leeds United and Liverpool fixture to the mix, so now you’ve got: 

• Everton vs. Nottingham Forest 
• Manchester City vs. Sunderland 
• Leeds United vs. Liverpool 

Like we said before, there’s no requirement to stick to the same sport. That Leeds and Liverpool fixture could just as easily be tennis or cricket. 

You could take the odds from before – add Liverpool to win at 8/11, meaning the combined odds would be 6/1 - and with a winning £10 bet receive £74.30 (more than the £21.51 you’d get if you placed three singles).  

The appeal of multiple bets should be pretty clear by now, but again, all it takes for a treble to fall is one incorrect selection. That’s right: all three go down the drain if one does, which is especially discouraging if the other two end up winners. 

Although trebles can offer higher returns than doubles, the addition of a third option increases the risk considerably. For that reason alone, you should only consider a treble bet if you’re comfortable with the risk that comes with them. 

Accumulators (accas) 

Strictly speaking, doubles and trebles can be included here, since they’re multiple bets as well. But when discussing accas, people typically mean multiple bets that comprise at least four selections. Equally, an acca with four selections can be referred to as a ‘fourfold bet’.  

It’s the same story as before, combine four or more selections into a bet and have them all land for it to win. For a comprehensive look at what the odds might look like here, take a look at our What’s an Acca Bet? article.  

Acca bets tend to be a popular choice for weekend football. With so many fixtures being played, it’s straightforward enough to pick five, six or seven teams to win for the chance to land hundreds of pounds on a £10 bet.  

And while they can be exciting, a lot of variables must align in order for them to work out, which is why they’re more about occasional fun than they are long-term profit. 

Each-way betting 

We’ll take a breather from football for now and instead focus on a popular bet most commonly found in horse racing. 

An each-way bet is two bets wrapped up in one: a win bet, which is a bet on your horse winning the race, and a place bet, which is a bet on your horse finishing in the top three or four. 

With it being two bets in one, an each-way bet doubles your stake. At Bally Bet, if you choose a win bet, you’ll find a checkbox where you can select the each-way option if you fancy it. Doing so automatically updates your stake and potential returns. 

So, if you took a horse to win at 8/11 and put £10 on it, a successful win bet would land you £17.30. Including the each-way option at 1/5 would increase the stake to £20 but potentially pay out £28.80. Here, if your horse didn’t win but placed, you’d still get £11.45 back. 

Since it’s two bets, your stake is doubled, but you get a bit of a safety net: you can still receive a payout if your horse doesn’t win but manages to place. If your horse does win, both bets will pay out.  

Each-way bets are handy in other sports where outsiders have a decent shot at placing, like golf, so they could be the way to go if you’re fairly confident about a horse or golfer not necessarily winning but finishing in the top few positions.  

System bets  

Take three single bets, three double bets and one treble. Congratulations, you’ve just created a patent bet.  

A patent bet is just one example of a system bet, which is itself a combination of certain selections that still has the chance to return a profit. System bets are more of a strategy that certain bettors use, rather than an actual option – like a double bet – on offer. 

As we’ve explained, the two outcomes in a double bet both need to happen for the bet to land. If a double bet in a patent system doesn’t land, however, that’s the only bet you lose out on. The others remain unaffected, so there’s still an opportunity to win.  

Here are a few more examples of popular system bets: 

Trixie bet: four bets of three selections, made up of three doubles and one treble.  

Yankee bet: 11 bets of three selections, made up of six doubles, four trebles and one four-fold (acca). 

Depending on how many selections are involved, system bets can become quite complex, and they’ll also raise the stake considerably, given that they feature so many selections. Keep that front and centre when deciding how to play.  

Which bet type should you pick? 

The answer lies in what you’re hoping to achieve, how confident you are and what your appetite for risk is.  

If you prefer to minimise risk (although there’s always some involved), a single or double bet could be an option. If you’d like to back an underdog with a safety net, an each-way bet might suit you.  

There’s a place for each type of bet. The key is finding the structure that best suits your approach and understanding what each one needs to succeed.  

Bet types determine how your selections are combined, how your stake is distributed and what the payout you receive if you win could be. Understand the differences between singles, multiples and each-ways for control over risk and reward.  

Singles offer safety, and multiples can offer enhanced returns. No one bet type is inherently better than the other, they simply serve different purposes. 

Know what it is you’re building before you place your bet, and understand what needs to happen for it to win and what happens if it doesn’t.  

Found a term you’re not quite sure of in this article? Head to our Sports Betting Terms Explained article to be enlightened. 

Want more content like this? We've got plenty - sports and casino included - over on the Bally Bet Sports & Casino blog. 

 All offers mentioned correct at the time of writing but may be subject to change.