What Is A Double Bet? – How to Calculate Double Bets

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Last Updated on: 22.02.2023

Double Bet refers to two distinct selections that are rolled into one bet. Thanks to the combined odds, this bet type offers better value as compared to individual wagers.

What is a Double Bet?

A Double Bet occurs when a punter places a wager on two different selections, on two separate events on the same bet slip. Doubles bets are probably the simplest accumulator out there and in order to get a pay-out on your stake, both the selections must win. However, it’s important to emphasize that you will only be betting on the winner of the event.

Remember that both the wagers will have to be on two separate events. For example, in football double betting, you can bet on Watford to beat Fulham at odds of 3/1 and Swansea to beat Blackburn at 2/1. Likewise, you can place a Double Bet on My Money Tree to win Race 1at odds of 3/1 and As You Wish to win Race 2 at odds of 2/1.

Remember that you cannot bet on My Money Tree to finish first and As You Wish to finish second. That will be considered a forecast bet, and not Double Bet.

Here is your list of season-end Premier League predictions.

What is Each-way Double Betting?

Each-way betting (stated as E/W) usually applies to horse racing and tennis. This consists of two parts – a WIN wager and PLACE wager. While the former implies that your selection wins the race, the PLACE component requires the horse to finish anywhere within the top four or five. However, this will vary across bookmakers.

Here is everything you ever needed to know about E/W betting.

How to place an E/W bet?

  • Choose your selection and determine how much you’d want to stake each-way
  • Place a WIN bet on your selection
  • Now PLACE a bet on the same selection to finish anywhere within the top four/five

(Most bookmakers will only require you to tick the E/W checkbox in the Bet Slip)

  • The stakes must be equal. For example, a £10 Each-way bet means that your total stake will be £20
  • The PLACE odds are usually a fraction of the odds on winning. It can be 1/2, 1/3, 1/5 (depending on the bookie)

Should your selection finish first, both components of the wager will return a handsome profit. However, should the horse not win but finish at any of the specified ranks, you earn your winnings from the PLACE component of the bet.

Understanding E/W bet with an example

You place an Outright E/W bet on Al Boum Photo to finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd at the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

  • Each-way stake = £10[Total stake = £20]
  • Winning odds on Al Boum Photo = 6/1
  • E/W bet odds = (1/5 x 6/1) = 6/5
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In tennis, E/W bet is usually reserved for the first two spots, i.e. 1st and 2nd finish.

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Best Betting Sites We Recommend for Double Bets in 2023

#1
William Hill
  • Bet £10 get £30 (credited as 2 x £15 bets)
  • Wide range of double bet markets
  • Leading online bookie
T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY

New customers using Promo code H30 only, Min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply. See full terms below. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad

#2
Ladbrokes
  • Place a Double Bet and get £20 in free bets
  • Wide range of betting options
  • 24/7 customer support
T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY

18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first 5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x 5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad

#3
bet365
  • Huge variety of system bet markets to choose from
  • One of the world's most preferred bookies
  • Bet £10 Get £50
T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY

18+ - Offer for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and Full T&Cs apply. Registration Required. BeGambleAware.org #ad

#4
BetVictor
BetVictor
  • Lucrative welcome offer
  • Double bet calculator on-site
  • Very fast withdrawals
T&Cs APPLY, 18+ ONLY

18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £5 at odds 2.00+ within 7 days of registering, no cashout. Get 3x £10 Free Bets,  set events at odds 2.00+. 7 day bonus expiry. Card payments only. T&Cs apply, see below. begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly

A Double Bet is the most straightforward multiple bet that has gained currency among punters. As the name suggests, this accumulator bet type rolls two selections into one. However, note that both the selections must be distinct from each other and have to be successful if you were to get a pay-out.

Don't miss our complete guide to accumulator betting

The most significant upside of Double Bet is that you get longer odds as compared to what you would’ve got had you backed both the selections separately. In the UK, you can place this wager on several sports, including football, horse racing, and tennis.

How Does Double Bet Work?

As stated earlier, both the selections will have to win in order for you to get a pay-out. When Selection A wins, everything that would have been returned to you is then carried forward to stake on Selection B. That is precisely why this bet has the potential to generate bigger winnings; however, at the risk that should the first selection lose, you would lose the bet and your stake.

Double Bet in Horse Racing

Consider you back fresh One and Whiskey Factor to win two individual events at the Will Rogers Downs. While you may not fancy the isolated odds on them, you can find longer Double Bet odds of 9/2 at Ladbrokes.

Simply click on both the selections. You may also get consolidated Double bet odds. In that case, only click on that. After this, go to your bet slip and type in the stake.

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Double Bet in Football

With football, the possibilities are endless. You can combine a number of selections and place a Double Bet on them. For example, you can back Liverpool to beat Chelsea at odds of 2/1 and Manchester United to beat Arsenal at 5/2. Conversely, you can retain the first selection and bet on Manchester United to draw against Arsenal.

Click for consolidated Both Teams to Score (BTTS) stats and the best bookmakers that we recommend.

All you have to do is select both the markets, head to your bet slip, and type in your stake. The bet slip will be displaying the Double Bet odds under the ‘Multiples’ sections.

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Tip: We recommend using Kickform for Football Tips, Predictions and odds.

Double Bet in Tennis

Tennis betting doubles are identical to those in football, in the way that they primarily revolve around head-to-head’s. For example, you can place a Double Bet on Rafael Nadal to win the Rolland Garros and Dominic Thiem to win his maiden US Open in Flushing Meadows.

Usually, there’s more than one tennis tournament going on at the same time. Also, you can always place a Double Bet in the Outright market.

Trivia: The oldest Grand Slam is the Wimbledon, first founded in 1877. Click here to know more about the best tennis betting sites and what should you expect from them.

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Understanding the Advantages of Double Bet

The most tangible upside of placing a Double Bet is the potential for a higher pay-out, courtesy of the combined odds. While single bets are simpler and don’t involve heavy-duty calculations, chances are their returns wouldn’t be as lucrative as those on Double Bets. Also, you can hope to back two selections that might be low-value, and still rake in the moolah.

Let’s understand how:

Consider you only stake £10 on Watford to win against Fulham at odds of 3/1 and Swansea to beat Blackburn at 2/1. You are confident that both these selections will turn up in your favour.

If Watford wins:

You get a profit of £30 (£10 x 3/1) and your pay-out would stand at £40 (original stake of £10 + £30). This pay-out is then used to stake on a Swansea win against Blackburn at odds of 2/1.

If Swansea wins:

You net a profit of £80 (£40 x 2/1), and your total pay-out becomes £120 (combined stake of £40 + £80).

Note that by playing a Double Bet, your total winnings amount to £120, a whopping profit of £110 from that original stake of £10 that you began with. That is equivalent to odds of 11/1 on your wager!

Comparing Double Bet to Single Bets

Think about how much you would have won had you placed two isolated bets of £5 each on the same selections:

If Watford wins:

  • Your profit = £15 (£5 x 3/1)
  • Your pay-out = £20 (£15 + £5)

If Swansea wins:

  • Your profit = £10 (£5 x 2/1)
  • Your pay-out = £15 (£10 + £5)
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How to Calculate Winnings

When you think about how to work out Double Bet odds, there is an easy equation that you can use.

It states:

Double Bet odds = (Odds of Selection A x odds of Selection B) + (Odds of Selection A + odds of Selection B)

While you can always use this formula and multiply it with your stake to arrive at the returns, you can also choose not to do such heavy lifting. Simply use an online Double Bet calculator before you place the wager. This is undoubtedly the most straightforward way to calculate your winnings.

You can toggle between the various bet types and choose one in keeping with your preferences.

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Double Bet FAQs

It is the simplest form of accumulator bet that punters can use to pile up the winnings. Here, you back the outcomes of two distinctly separate events. You win the bet only if both the selections come through as predicted. For example, you can bet on ‘Liverpool to beat Manchester City’ in Game 1 and back ‘More than 2.5 goals to be scored’ in Game 2 between Arsenal and Chelsea. Likewise, you can back Rafael Nadal to win the Rolland Garros and del Potro to reign supreme at the US Open.
You win big, thanks to the combined odds on your selections. You also have the flexibility to back two low-favourite selections.
Yes. You can place this bet on almost all single sports betting markets. It is extremely versatile, and all you have to do is back two different selections. Some of the more popular markets ideal for Double Bet include football, horse racing and tennis.
In E/W betting, your wager is divided into two. The first part goes towards securing a win for your selection, while the other bets on your selection to finish at any of the already-mentioned places. If the selection wins, both parts of the bet return profits. However, in the case that your selection doesn’t finish first but secures any of the spots stated by the bookmaker, you will register winnings only through the PLACE component of the wager.

ThePuntersPage Final Say

In all fairness, a Double Bet is a little riskier vis-à-vis a single bet. That’s precisely because you will require both the selections to turn in your favour. In case either selection doesn’t come up as predicted, you will lose the wager, and take home zilch. That’s the reason why many choose to keep off double bets and stick to singles in the hope of registering small, but consistent earnings.

That being said, should you seek to step up your game, a Double Bet may just be the ideal addition to your betting arsenal.

In conclusion, keep an eye out for the latest and the most appetising betting promos. And before you go out all guns blazing, make sure you’re giving bookie reviews the attention they deserve. You shall thank us later. To know more you can also check out our detailed analysis on types of system bets.