Each Way Betting Explained: An Online Betting Guide
Each way betting is popular among horse racing bettors, in particular, enabling you to cover more than one finishing position with a single wager. It’s also a great option for a host of other sports, including soccer.
Placing an each way bet is extremely easy, and some sportsbooks even offer extended places as part of their each way markets, enabling you to win money when your selection finishes four or five back from the winner. Read on to learn everything you need to know about this type of betting and how to maximise your winning chances.
- Each Way Betting Explained Simply
- How Each Way Betting Works in Practice
- Popular Each Way Betting Markets
- How to Place an Each Way Bet: 5 Simple Steps
- 5 Tips to Master Each Way Betting
- Is Each Way Betting for You?
- Each Way Betting: A Great Option for Online Sports Bettors
- Common Questions about Each Way Betting Explained
Each Way Betting Explained Simply
An each way bet is a wager that has two components. The first component is the win, and the second is the place. Therefore, when you place an each way bet, you have two chances of winning a payout – one if the selection wins, and one if the selection places in the top 3, 4, or 5 (the number of places varies). However, if your selection places, you win the bet with reduced odds, according to the number of places offered.
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How Each Way Betting Works in Practice
Each way betting is extremely popular among sports fans, as it lowers the risk attached to picking a winner. It’s a particularly good strategy when you bet on a sport with lots of competitors for first prize, such as horse races or a major golf tournament like the Masters.
If an each way market is offered by a sportsbook, you will see “E/W” next to the selection, which you can select instead of the outright winner bet. As the each way bet is actually two wagers in one, you will need to double your stake to place the bet.
Find Out How Many ‘Places’ Are Offered
Now, before placing an each-way wager, you need to check how many places the sportsbook pays out. For UK & Irish horse racing, it’s common to see sportsbooks offer the top four or five places for each way bettors.
However, some sportsbooks offer racing specials that increase the number of places offered, while other betting sites regularly add places to races and other events throughout the year. You should always double-check how many places your each way bet pays out, as it might have changed since the last time you placed a wager.
Let’s take a look at an example of each way betting so you can see how to build it into your online betting strategy.
Each Way Betting Explained with Horse Racing
Many punters place each way wagers at the best racing betting sites, as horse racing is the ideal sport for each way betting, given the size of the field and the battle for places.
Should your horse selection win the event, you will be paid out 100% of the odds. However, if your horse places, most of the best betting sites offer ¼ or ⅕ of the odds as a payout. You can check the actual amount before placing your bet to decide for yourself if it’s worth the stake.
To show you how each way betting odds work, let’s assume that you want to place a bet on a race at Royal Ascot. You pick a horse – Flat Runner – at odds of 6/1 to win the race outright.
Assuming that Flat Runner wins the race, your wager would return a profit of £60.00 from a £10.00 bet. Now, given that most sportsbooks offer ⅕ of the odds if your horse places, if Flat Runner finished 3rd or 4th in the race, you would receive a profit of £12.00.
Popular Each Way Betting Markets
Sportsbooks offer each way betting markets for a wide selection of sports, not only horse racing. The table below is an example of some of the each way wagers you might be able to place at your chosen online betting site:
| Sport | Each Way Bet Example |
|---|---|
| 🏇 Horse Racing | Flat Runner to Win the 2.05 at Aintree (1-5 places) |
| ⚽ Soccer | Spain to win the World Cup (1-3 places) |
| 🏈 American Football | Cincinnati Bengals to win the Super Bowl (1-2 places) |
| 🏌️ Golf | John Rahm to win the US Open (1-6 places) |
| 🎾 Tennis | Iga Swiatek to win Wimbledon (1-2 places) |
In most sports, futures bets are the ideal wager for each way betting, as lots of teams are in with a chance of winning. As shown in the table above, futures like the World Cup winner in soccer or the Super Bowl winner in American football are easy enough to understand.
But ultimately, there are two things you always need to check before placing an each way wager at any online sportsbook:
- How many places the sportsbook offers. Will your selection win you a payout if they finish in the top two, three, or even five places?
- What percentage of the odds the sportsbook offers for E/W winners. If your selection places, you won’t win 100% of the odds. Most sportsbooks pay out 20% or 25% for placed finishes, but you should always check this before betting.
Provided that you check each of these things and study each way betting odds offered by the sportsbook, you shouldn’t have any issues with this type of betting.
How to Place an Each Way Bet: 5 Simple Steps
Now you understand what it is, you might be ready to place an each way bet at your chosen sportsbook. The good news is that placing this type of wager is extremely straightforward, and you can follow the simple steps below:
Log in to your sportsbook account on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Choose which sport and event you wish to bet on. Remember, futures markets are ideal for each way bets.
Browse the odds and choose which person/horse/team you want to bet on, and add the relevant selection to your betting slip. You also need to check the “E/W” box at this stage.
Make sure you have enough money to fund your each way bet. Remember, each way wagers cost twice the amount as regular “to win” bets.
Finally, click “bet” to finalise your selection. You can then watch the action live to check on the progress of your each way bet – check out our live betting strategies to help you.
5 Tips to Master Each Way Betting
Before you dive into each way betting, we want to provide you with some helpful tips that you can bear in mind as you make your selections:
| 🧑🎓Do Your Research | Research is really important before placing an each way wager, no matter the sport that you bet on. For instance, if you’re betting on horse racing, studying a nag’s previous finishes at the racecourse in question can be a great starting point before backing them in an each way bet. If they regularly place in the top 3 or 4, the horse is probably a good option for your each way bet slip. |
| 🤑Look for Each Way Promotions | Lots of sports betting sites offer each way promotions that you can access, particularly ahead of major events. What’s more, when there are big fields in horse racing, sportsbooks tend to offer payouts for more places. You should combine any each way specials with regular ongoing promotions from the sportsbook to boost your bankroll while placing each way bets. |
| 💰Manage Your Bankroll | It’s easy to forget that an each way bet requires double the stake. So, if you were planning to bet £10 on a horse race and fancy an each way wager on your selected horse, you will need to lay a bet of £5 each way, £10 in total. This is really important to consider for your bankroll management, as each way betting can quickly become expensive if you don’t properly budget for it. |
| 💲Always Check the Each Way Payout | We’ve touched on this already but we want to reiterate the point because it’s so crucial – always check how much the sportsbook offers to pay out for each way wagers. The minimum you should accept is 20% – anything less than this doesn’t represent good value for money. |
| 👍Gamble Responsibly | As with all forms of online wagering, you need to gamble responsibly when developing your each way betting strategy. It’s particularly important with this type of bet, as you’re doubling your wager. Don’t go chasing after your losses, and always set your limits according to the gambling budget available to you. |
Is Each Way Betting for You?
Each way betting offers an interesting opportunity that can be rewarding if placed wisely. Here are some key point to remember about each way betting to help you decide if it’s a good bet option for you:
- Covers two outcomes in one bet – a safer alternative to accumulators
- Ideal for betting on bigger fields
- Reduces the risk of betting on winners – can win at least one outcome
- Each way promotions offered by some sportsbooks
- An each way bet costs double
As long as you stay mindful of the double stake factor, each way betting could result in a fun and flexible betting experience for you.
Each Way Betting: A Great Option for Online Sports Bettors
Each way betting is a great option for all online sports bettors interested in backing two outcomes at a time. While it’s most famous in horse race betting where there are a wide range of places for your second bet, you can also choose this bet for major events in practically every sport, from soccer to American football.
However, make sure you gamble responsibly and manage your bankroll, as each way bets cost more than regular outright winner wagers. You should also do your research and make sure you check the terms and conditions of each way bets carefully so you know what to expect. Get started with each way wagers today at your chosen sportsbook!
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Common Questions about Each Way Betting Explained
❓ How does an each way bet work?
To place an each way bet, you essentially place two wagers in one. The first component is on the win, and the second is on your selection to place. To fund the bet, you need to place two equal wagers, meaning you need to adjust your bankroll accordingly to ensure that you can afford to place the bet.
🧮 How do I calculate my winnings on an each way bet?
Helpfully, most sportsbooks calculate your potential each way bet winnings for you. However, you can also do it yourself by checking what percentage of the odds the sportsbook pays out for each way winners. For instance, if the payout is 20%, a winning each way bet from a £10 wager with 10/1 odds would be £20.
🧐 How do you match an each way bet?
You don’t need to match an each way bet manually. As soon as you check the “each way” option on your betting slip, the sportsbook will automatically deduct two equal stakes from your balance. Just make sure you have enough money in your account to fund the wager.
⚽ How does each way betting work in an Acca?
Each way accumulators are just like other each way wagers. You place the bet and provided that your selections place, you will win a percentage payout. Always check the terms and conditions attached to each way accas, as they will vary from site to site.
😀 Is it better to bet each way or win?
This really depends on your betting strategy. The main benefit of an each way bet is that you can still win a payout if your selection fails to win the race or event. If you only place a bet “to win” your selection must win outright for you to win any money.
