Welcome to our look at the humble double bet (also called Win Double bets, or just Win Doubles). Our guide to one of the most common and popular bet types explained clearly, so that anybody who reads through this post should be able to understand how to make the bet, what it is and how to work out the odds for a double bet.
We’ll not only explore how double bets work, but also the types of double bets available as well as giving you a double bet example and other guidance on how to place the bet.
So, let us begin with the obvious questions – What is a double bet, how do I win the bet and do we have any tips for placing a win double?
The Double Bet Explained
A double bet, despite the name, is one bet on two selections. It is usually a double result bet, which means that you need to predict the winner of the two events you back correctly to win.
For example, a popular double bet is to pick the winner of a horse race and then pair it with a predicted winner from another. Back both selections as a double bet and if both win, then you get a better pay out than you would from backing both as a single bet.
It is the first of the series of accumulator bets, where all selections on a bet slip have to win in order for the bet to be a winner.
How does a Double Bet Pay Out More Than Two Single Bets?
Not only does a double bet tend to pay out more than two single bets, but for the same unit stake, win doubles in betting are only half the cost of two single bets too, meaning you risk less money.
Let’s give you an example of why this is the case. Let’s say you are going to place a double bet on two football teams to win their games at the weekend.
You back Manchester United to beat Manchester City at odds of 2/1 and double that up with a bet on Tottenham to beat Arsenal, this time at odds of 3/1.
- Single Bet Costs And Pay Outs
Now if you wanted to back these games as two single bets. Then you would need 2x your unit stake. In this case, we will say £10, so that means your bets would be: –
- £10 on Manchester United to beat Manchester City at 2/1.
- £10 on Tottenham to beat Arsenal at 3/1.
Your total bet cost is therefore £20 and if your bets both win then this is what you would get back.
- If Manchester United win – You receive back £20 in winnings and your £10 stake.
- If Tottenham win – You receive back £30 in winnings and your £10 stake.
That means you would have £50 in profit across both bets, plus your £20 stake returned for a total return of £70.
- How much does the Double Bet on the Two selections pay out?
To make this a fair comparison, we can say that we are going to spend the same £20 total on our double bet as we did the two singles. For a Win Double bet on these two different selections the bet would look like.
- £20 Win Double on Manchester United (2/1) and Tottenham (3/1) to win.
The total bet cost is the same £20 as the two single bets, but the potential returns are considerably greater.
Let’s say Manchester United’s game kicks off earlier and they do indeed win. That means that you have a total return of £60 from that first bet £40 in winnings, and your £20 stake back. However, this money is not yours as it is placed on the second selection, which is Spurs to win.
Now let’s assume Spurs also win their game. You staked £60 on Spurs to win at odds of 3/1. This means that you would win £180 as the winning part of the bet, plus you would also get your £60 stake back too. This means that you would have a total return of £240, from the same £20 stake.
Better still, if you decided to place a £10 win double on the same selections, you would still win £120. That is double the amount you would receive from backing them successfully as two singles.
However, the big benefit of backing two singles is that if one bet wins, you get a return. With a double bet, you need both selections to win in order to win the bet and earn a return.
An Example of A Double Bet
It is very straightforward to place double bets and we will show you how simple it is to place this bet type via this easy-to-follow step-by-step double betting guide.
- Log in to your betting account.
- Head to the sporting markets you want to place double bets on.
- Add your two single selections to your bet slip.
- Your bet slip should show you the option to back the two selections as a double bet.
- If you are happy with the odds on offer for the double bet, enter your stake.
- Click the button to place a double bet with the bookmaker.
- Sit back and watch the results come in to see if your double bet is a winner!
A double bet on two selections is that easy to place, literally any newcomer to betting can understand the process inside just a few moments of signing up!
Are There Other Bets Similar to Win Double Bets?
Yes, you can opt to place some of your double bet as an Each Way bet, rather than a straight win bet.
It is still a multiple bet, but when you place a double bet each way, you need to cover the place part of the bet in addition to the win part. This will double the cost of the bet, costing you two unit stakes.
So a £10 each way place double bet would cost you £20, not £10 for the standard win double bet.
However, your bet selections must be compatible with each way betting. For example, if you place a double bet on horse racing, then these can be easily turned into each way double bets. But, if you select two football matches and pick the winner from both and combine them as a double bet, these markets cannot be backed each way.
That is because there is no place betting on the full time result market in football games. This kind of bet can only be placed as a standard win double bet.
So if you place to back each way doubles, remember to check that the markets you select are compatible with each way bets first.
- Accumulator Bets
Alongside the each way double chance bet, there are also a number of other bet types similar to a Double bet.
They include other accumulators such as the treble bet (which is the same as a standard double bet, but comprises of three selections), as well as four-fold, five-fold and so-on accumulator bets.
A double bet can be seen as the first bet a novice can make when they are considering expanding their bet strategies to include multiple selection bets like accumulators, full cover bets and banker bets to name but three.
Frequently asked questions
What type of bet is a Double Bet?
A double bet is a form of accumulator bet of just two selections in which both selections must win in order for the bet to win. In its standard form it is a single bet on two selections.
It is more often referred to as a double bet, or win double, on betting sites, rather than an accumulator (which tends to be the term used for bets of four selections or more).
Can you place an Each-Way Double Bet?
Yes. Almost all betting sites will have an option to make your bet an each-way bet when placing a double bet.
You need to mark the box that makes the double bet an each way bet on the bet slip before you place a bet.
Also remember that while the double bet odds on your selections won’t change when backing them each way, you will need to pay 2x the unit stake for this bet to cover the win and place options.
How do the odds combine on a winning Double Bet?
You can use a double bet calculator, or your bet slip to calculate double bets odds and potential outcomes if your double bet selection wins, but it is a relatively simple calculation to make.
In this example of a double bet if you placed a £10 on two horses to win their races. One at odds of 3/1 and the second selection at odds of 5/1, how much would it return?
If your first part of the bet wins, then your £10 stake returns £30 in profit, plus the £10 stake is returned. That means then that £40 is being placed on your second runner in the double bet.
Then should the second bet win at odds of 5/1, that would see you win £200, plus you would get the £40 stake money back too, for a total return of £240, £230 of which is profit.
Do the two selections for Double Bets have to be made from the same sport and sports betting market when sports betting?
No. You can combine selections from different markets from the same sport, or even different markets from different sports with the best betting sites when creating your double bet.
So, for example, you could back Arsenal to beat Manchester United in the Premier League football match for the first bet in your win double and then pair that with Peter Wright to beat Michael Smith in a PDC Darts tournament.
But you can also bet on two football matches, or two horse races, which shows how much flexibility there is when it comes to placing double bets with bookmakers nowadays.
Can I use Free Bets on a double bet?
Usually, you can. Unless a bookmaker’s terms and conditions state that the offer must be used on a single selection bet, then you can usually use a free bets on double bets as they are single bets, just with two selections on the bet.
It is worth checking whether you can use your free bets on Win Doubles before you try to place a double bet, but a general rule of thumb is that if a bookmaker allows you to use free bets with accumulator bets, then you can place double bets with your free bets too.
What are the main advantages of double bets?
There are a number of advantages when it comes to how double bets work. They are cheaper to place than backing both selections singly, and they will offer a bigger return than backing both selections as single bets too. They are a very simple multiple bet of two different selections that is easy to understand and follow. They are also very flexible as a form of betting as they can be used across multiple markets in the same sport, and even across multiple sports.
What are the disadvantages of double bets?
The only disadvantage to double bets is that they are harder to land winners on than single bets as you require both events in your double bet to win.
Other than that, there are no disadvantages to placing double bets. It us as straightforward a multiple bet as you can get.
Can I Place Two Double Bets?
Of course you can, but it depends how you want to structure the bet as to whether you place two double bets, or one four-fold accumulator.
If you back two selections as a win double, and then another two selections as another win double, then that is two double bets. One independent of the other.
However, if you want to combine two double bets into one single bet, then that stops being a double bet (as there are four selections now on your bet slip that you are backing with a single stake), and this now becomes a four-fold accumulator.
