Bet types: singles, accumulators, systems and handicaps

The same prediction can be placed in several different ways, and the bet type changes both the potential return and the risk. This guide works through the most common types with simple examples. All amounts are illustrations, and the bet types an operator offers, along with its settlement rules, are listed on its own site.

Single

A single is one bet on one outcome. It is the easiest to understand and the easiest to keep track of. Example: €10 at odds of 2.00 returns €20 if it wins, which is €10 profit. The bookmaker's margin applies once.

Accumulator

An accumulator, or parlay, combines several selections into one bet, and every selection must win. The odds are multiplied together. Example: three selections at 1.80, 2.00 and 1.50 give combined odds of 5.40, so €10 would return €54. The catch is that the margin is also compounded. If each selection carries a margin of around 5%, a three-leg accumulator carries roughly 15%, and the more legs you add, the more likely it is that one of them lets the whole bet down. Accumulators make big returns look close, but most of them lose.

System bets

A system bet combines several selections into many smaller bets, so that not every selection has to win. A trixie, for example, covers three selections in four bets: three doubles and one treble. A yankee covers four selections in eleven bets. Example: a €1 trixie costs €4 in total. If two of the three selections win, one double pays out and the rest lose. System bets reduce the all-or-nothing nature of an accumulator, but they cost more, because each line is a separate stake.

Handicap bets

A handicap gives one side a virtual advantage or disadvantage before the event starts. With a half-goal line, such as −0.5, there is always a winner and a loser. With a whole line, such as −1, the stake is returned if the favourite wins by exactly that margin. Quarter lines, such as −0.25, split the stake in half across the two nearest lines. Example: €10 on a team at −0.25 is effectively €5 at 0 and €5 at −0.5. If the match is drawn, the first half is refunded and the second half loses, so you get back €5.

Each-way and other variants

In events with many participants, an each-way bet splits the stake between a win bet and a place bet, with the place part paying a fraction of the win odds. Rules for the number of places and the fraction vary, so read the terms. Bet builders, which combine several outcomes within one match, work like accumulators and carry the same compounding of margin.

Which bet type fits a budget

Singles keep your costs visible and your risk easy to understand. Accumulators and builders offer large returns at a low stake, but the probability of winning falls quickly with every leg. System bets spread risk but multiply stakes. Whatever you choose, fix a weekly or monthly budget, keep individual stakes small and never use a larger bet to recover losses. The maths of odds and margins is explained in the betting basics, and sport-specific markets in the football, basketball, tennis and cricket guides. Free support is listed on our responsible gambling page.