Double bets

Both of your selections need to win in order for a double to pay out. A single losing selection will cause you to for

Although it is popular in both horse racing and football, double betting can be used on any sport and even two different sports.

Note that the bets placed in a double bet must always be placed on separate events.

For example you cannot use this bet type on two horses in one race. In a horse racing market this will become a forecast bet.

How does a double bet work?

The simplest way to conceptualize how a double works is to picture it happening in two stages using two single bets.

in the first stage the stake for the double is bet on the first selection in the double. If that selection wins its event, the return from that bet (stake + profit) is placed on the second selection.

For a more mathematical approach you can formulate the double bet as the following calculation:

Double odds = (Selection 1 odds x Selection 2 odds) + (Selection 1 odds + Selection 2 odds)

Double bet example

A punter decides to bet a double on the Premier League.

For the first bet he backs Manchester City to beat Fulham at odds of 2/1. In another he bets on a draw between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at odds of 3/1. He places a £1 stake on each bet.

Using the first method of calculating a double, we can see that if Arsenal beats Chelsea the total return of £3 will be bet on the West Ham vs Tottenham draw at 3/1.

If these teams draw, the total payout will be £12, for a profit of £11 and the £1 stake returned, equivalent to overall odds of 11/1.

Throw the same odds into our doubles formula and you get:

• Double bet odds = (2/1 x 3/1) + (2/1 + 3/1)
• Double bet odds = (6/1) + (5/1) = 11/1

How to place a double bet

Placing a double is straightforward.

Simply go to an online bookmaker, make two separate selections in two separate events and the option to place a double bet will appear on the betting slip.

Enter your stake for the double bet, confirm your bet and you are done.

It is also possible to manually place a double bet by placing the winning return on one bet on a second bet. However, this does not allow you to place doubles on events occurring at the same time.

How does an each way double work?

An each way double effectively doubles your total stake and splits your double bet into two separate double bets. It is commonly used by punters on horse racing and greyhound racing

The first bet used in an each way double is a standard win double where you back two selections to win their respective events.

The second is a double where you back your two selections with an each way bet in their respective events, i.e. you back them to place in their events.

The permutations for an each way double bet are slightly more complex than for a standard double bet:

• if one selection loses and also fails to place, both bets lose
• if both selections place, but only one selection wins, the each way part of the double will pay out and the stake on the win part of the bet will be lost
• if both selections win, both the win double and each way double will pay out.

Note that standard each way terms will apply to each way doubles.

Double bet calculator

Don’t feel like doing the math on multiple bets yourself? Use our double bet calculator to calculate double bet returns and how much you could win from your double bet.

Select ‘Double’ under ‘Bet Type’ in the calculator

Doubles betting system

The strategy for betting on doubles is straightforward.

If you have two selections you are confident can win their respective events, whether in a tennis tournament or a horse race, and you want to get the best possible odds of they both win, a double is the way to go.

The amount of money won on a successful double will always eclipse the winnings you’d get placing two winning single bets on the same number of selections.

For selections to place double bets on we also offer daily horse racing double betting tips for your convenience.

Double bet FAQ