Betting guide
Betting Guide for Beginners
Simple answers to betting words, football bet types, odds, bet slips, bonus terms and market rules, written for readers who want the clear meaning first.
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Betting basics
Core words every bettor sees on odds pages, bet slips and settled tickets.
Bet slip
A bet slip is the ticket that holds your selections before and after placing a bet. It shows the market, odds, stake, possible return and ticket status.
Also searched as: Betslip, Bet ticket, Ticket Basics / All sportsOdds
Odds show the return a bookmaker is offering for a winning bet. In decimal odds, multiply your stake by the odds to see the total return, including your original stake.
Also searched as: Decimal odds, Betting odds Basics / All sportsPayout
Payout means the total amount returned when a bet wins. In decimal odds, the payout usually includes your original stake plus profit.
Also searched as: Return, Bet return, Winnings Basics / All sportsStake
Stake means the amount of money you place on a bet. If the bet loses, the stake is normally lost. If the bet wins, the stake is normally included in the total return.
Also searched as: Bet amount, Amount staked Basics / All sportsLive betting
Live betting means placing a bet after the match or event has started. Odds move quickly as the score, time, momentum and data feed change.
Also searched as: In-play betting, Live sports betting Basics / All sportsMarket
A market is the type of bet being offered. It is the question your selection answers, such as who wins the match, how many goals are scored, or whether both teams score.
Also searched as: Betting market, Market type Basics / All sportsPre-match betting
Pre-match betting means placing a bet before an event starts. Prices are available earlier, but they can move when team news, injuries or market demand changes.
Also searched as: Prematch, Before match betting Basics / All sportsProfit
Profit is what you win after your original stake is removed from the total payout. It is the extra money made on a winning bet.
Also searched as: Net win, Net profit Basics / All sportsResponsible betting
Responsible betting means treating gambling as entertainment, not income. It means setting limits, avoiding borrowed money, taking breaks and stopping when betting no longer feels controlled.
Also searched as: Responsible gambling, Safer gambling Basics / All sportsSelection
A selection is the outcome you choose inside a betting market. In an accumulator, each chosen outcome is often called a leg.
Also searched as: Pick, LegFootball
Football result markets
Winner, 1X2, double chance, draw no bet, correct score and similar football outcomes.
1X2
1X2 is the standard football match result market. 1 means the home team wins, X means the match ends in a draw, and 2 means the away team wins.
Also searched as: One X two, Match result, Home draw away Football / FootballCorrect score
Correct score means betting on the exact final score of a match. The selection must match both teams' goals exactly to win.
Also searched as: Exact score, Scorecast score Football / FootballDouble chance
Double chance lets you cover two possible football results in one bet. 1X means home win or draw, X2 means draw or away win, and 12 means either team wins.
Also searched as: 1X, 12, X2 Football / FootballDraw no bet
Draw no bet means you back one team to win, but if the match ends in a draw your stake is returned. The bet loses only if the selected team loses.
Also searched as: DNB, No draw bet Football / All sportsMatch winner
Match winner means betting on who wins the match or event. In football it can be the same idea as 1X2, but in sports without draws it is often a two-outcome market.
Also searched as: Winner, To win, Full-time result Football / All sportsMoneyline
Moneyline means betting on which side wins. It is common in sports such as basketball, tennis, baseball and American football, and it can also describe a basic win market in football.
Also searched as: Money line, Win marketGoals
Goal and total markets
Over/under, BTTS, team totals, next goal and interval goal bets.
BTTS, GG and NG
BTTS means both teams to score. GG usually means both teams score, while NG means no goal for at least one team. BTTS Yes and GG are normally the same idea.
Also searched as: BTTS, Both teams to score, GG Goals / FootballOver 1.5
Over 1.5 means you are betting that the match will have at least two goals in total. A 1-1, 2-0 or 3-1 result wins. A 0-0 or 1-0 result loses.
Also searched as: Over 1.5 goals, Over one point five Goals / All sportsOver/under
Over/under means betting whether a total will finish above or below a line. In football, this is often total goals, such as over 2.5 or under 2.5 goals.
Also searched as: Totals, Goal total, O/U Goals / All sportsTeam totals
Team totals means betting on how many goals, points or runs one named team records, instead of the combined match total.
Also searched as: Team goals, Team points, Team total over under Goals / FootballUnder 2.5
Under 2.5 means you are betting that the match will have zero, one or two total goals. Three goals or more makes the bet lose.
Also searched as: Under 2.5 goals, Under two point five Goals / All sportsInterval bets
Interval bets are markets settled on a specific part of the event, such as first half, second half, a 15-minute football window, a basketball quarter or a tennis set.
Also searched as: Time interval betting, Half betting, Quarter betting Goals / FootballNext goal
Next goal means betting on which team will score the next goal from the current match state. Some markets also include no goal as an option.
Also searched as: Next team to score, Goal scorer next teamHandicaps
Handicap markets
Asian handicap, European handicap and spread-style betting explained simply.
Asian handicap
Asian handicap is a handicap market where one team receives a virtual advantage or disadvantage. Many Asian handicap lines remove the draw result and can return the stake when the adjusted score lands exactly on a whole-number line.
Also searched as: AH, Asian line Handicaps / FootballEuropean handicap
European handicap is a three-way handicap market. After the virtual goals are added or removed, the adjusted result can be home win, draw or away win.
Also searched as: Three-way handicap, 3-way handicap Handicaps / All sportsHandicap
A handicap gives one side a virtual head start or deficit before the result is judged. It is used to balance matches where one team is stronger than the other.
Also searched as: Handicap betting, Goal handicap, Point handicap Handicaps / All sportsSpread
Spread means a handicap line based on points, goals or runs. The favourite must win by more than the spread, while the underdog can win outright or lose by less than the spread.
Also searched as: Point spread, Goal spread, Run lineEvents
Cards, corners and match events
Markets based on what happens during the match, not only the final score.
Cards
Cards betting means betting on yellow cards, red cards or booking points in a football match. Markets can cover total cards, team cards, player cards or card handicaps.
Also searched as: Card betting, Booking points, Red cards Events / FootballCorners
Corners betting means betting on corner kicks in a football match. You can bet on total corners, team corners, corner handicap, first corner or interval corners.
Also searched as: Corner bets, Total corners, Corner market Events / FootballYellow cards
Yellow cards betting focuses on cautions shown by the referee. You can bet on total yellows, team yellows, player to be carded or yellow card handicaps.
Also searched as: Yellow card bets, Bookings Events / FootballFouls
Fouls betting means betting on the number of fouls committed in a match, by a team, or by a player. These markets are usually settled from an official statistics feed.
Also searched as: Foul bets, Total fouls Events / FootballFree kicks
Free kicks betting means betting on the number of free kicks awarded or taken in a football match, depending on the bookmaker's market wording.
Also searched as: Free kick bets, Total free kicks Events / All sportsProp bets
Prop bets are side markets about something specific inside an event, such as player shots, assists, cards, saves, rebounds, aces, wickets or map kills.
Also searched as: Proposition bets, Player props, Special markets Events / All sportsSpecials
Specials are markets created for specific events, tournaments or situations. They can cover unusual outcomes that do not fit standard win, total or handicap markets.
Also searched as: Special bets, Novelty marketsCombinations
Combination bets
Singles, doubles, trebles, accumulators, bet builders and chained bet slips.
Accumulator
An accumulator combines several selections on one ticket. The odds multiply together, but every selection normally has to win for the bet to pay out.
Also searched as: Acca, Accumulator bet, Multiple bet Combinations / All sportsBet constructor
Bet constructor lets you build a custom bet by combining several selections, often from the same event. The bookmaker prices the combined outcome as one bet.
Also searched as: Bet constructor betting, Custom bet Combinations / All sportsDouble
A double is one combined bet with two selections. Both selections normally have to win for the double to pay out.
Also searched as: Double bet, Two-leg accumulator Combinations / All sportsSingle bets
A single bet is one selection on one market. It wins or loses only on that selection, so it is the simplest bet type.
Also searched as: Single, Straight bet Combinations / All sportsTreble
A treble is one combined bet with three selections. All three selections normally have to win for the ticket to pay out.
Also searched as: Treble bet, Three-leg accumulator Combinations / All sportsAnti-accumulator
An anti-accumulator is a less common bet type built around selected outcomes failing rather than all winning. Exact rules vary heavily by bookmaker.
Also searched as: Anti acca, Anti-acca Combinations / All sportsBet builder
Bet builder lets you combine multiple selections from the same event into one priced bet. It is also called Build a Bet or same game parlay on some sites.
Also searched as: Build a Bet, Same game parlay, Same event multibet Combinations / All sportsChain bet
A chain bet links several selections in a sequence. Returns from one winning selection can be used as the stake for the next part, depending on the bookmaker's chain rules.
Also searched as: Chain betting Combinations / All sportsConditional bet
A conditional bet is placed or activated only if another condition happens first. It is usually linked to the result of an earlier selection.
Also searched as: If bet, If-win bet Combinations / All sportsMultibet
Multibet means a bet made from multiple selections on one ticket. Many bookmakers use it as another word for accumulator or multiple bet.
Also searched as: Multi bet, Multiple, MultiplesAdvanced
System and pool bets
Patent, Yankee, Heinz, Goliath, Lucky bets, TOTO and other advanced structures.
System bet
A system bet contains several smaller combinations inside one ticket. Unlike a normal accumulator, it can sometimes return money even if not every selection wins.
Also searched as: System betting, Permutation bet Systems / All sportsGoliath
A Goliath is a large system bet from eight selections with 247 bets inside it. It covers doubles through eightfold accumulators, but no singles.
Also searched as: Goliath bet Systems / All sportsHeinz
A Heinz is a system bet from six selections with 57 bets inside it. It includes doubles, trebles, fourfolds, fivefolds and one sixfold.
Also searched as: Heinz bet Systems / All sportsLucky bet
Lucky bet usually refers to system bets such as Lucky 15, Lucky 31 or Lucky 63. They include singles plus larger combinations, and some bookmakers add bonuses for certain winning patterns.
Also searched as: Lucky 15, Lucky 31, Lucky 63 Systems / All sportsPatent bet
A patent is a system bet with three selections and seven bets inside it: three singles, three doubles and one treble.
Also searched as: Patent Systems / All sportsSuper Heinz
A Super Heinz is a system bet from seven selections with 120 bets inside it. It includes doubles, trebles, fourfolds, fivefolds, sixfolds and one sevenfold.
Also searched as: Super Heinz bet Systems / All sportsSuper Yankee
A Super Yankee, often called a Canadian, is a system bet from five selections with 26 bets inside it. It includes doubles, trebles, fourfolds and one fivefold.
Also searched as: Canadian, Super Yankee bet Systems / FootballTOTO Correct
TOTO Correct is a pool-style football game where you predict correct scores across a set of matches. The prize and rules depend on the bookmaker or pool format.
Also searched as: TOTO Correct Score, Toto correct score Systems / FootballTOTO-15
TOTO-15 is a pool-style football game where you predict outcomes across 15 listed matches. The format can use 1X2 result picks or another operator-specific result structure.
Also searched as: Toto 15, TOTO 15 Systems / All sportsYankee
A Yankee is a system bet with four selections and 11 bets inside it: six doubles, four trebles and one fourfold accumulator.
Also searched as: Yankee betFine print
Bookmaker rules
Bonus terms, minimum odds, cash out, settlement rules and promotion wording.
1UP and 2UP
1UP and 2UP are early payout promotions. They usually pay a selected team as a winner if that team goes one or two goals ahead, even if the match later changes. Exact rules depend on the bookmaker.
Also searched as: 1UP, 2UP, Early payout Bookmaker rules / All sportsCash out
Cash out means accepting the bookmaker's offer to settle a bet before the final result. The amount can be lower or higher than your stake depending on how the bet is going.
Also searched as: Cashout, Early cash out, Partial cash out Bookmaker rules / All sportsFree bet
A free bet is a promotional stake from a bookmaker. It can be used to place a bet, but the token itself is often not withdrawable and may not be returned with the winnings.
Also searched as: Freebet, Free bet token, Free ticket Bookmaker rules / All sportsMinimum odds
Minimum odds are the lowest odds allowed for a bet to qualify for a promotion or bonus rule. If your odds are too low, the bet may still stand but may not count for the offer.
Also searched as: Min odds, Qualifying odds Bookmaker rules / All sportsVoid bet
A void bet is a bet or selection that is cancelled for settlement. The stake is usually returned, and in accumulators the void leg is normally settled at odds of 1.00.
Also searched as: Voided bet, Cancelled bet, Refunded bet Bookmaker rules / All sportsWagering requirement
A wagering requirement is the amount you must bet before bonus funds or bonus winnings can be withdrawn. It is usually written as a multiplier, such as 5x or 30x.
Also searched as: Rollover, Play-through, Bonus wagering Bookmaker rules / All sportsAcca bonus
An acca bonus is an extra boost or reward attached to qualifying accumulator bets. It usually requires a minimum number of selections and may require each selection to meet minimum odds.
Also searched as: Accumulator bonus, Acca boost Bookmaker rules / All sportsBonus expiry
Bonus expiry is the deadline for using a bonus, free bet or promotion. If the deadline passes, the offer or bonus winnings can be removed.
Also searched as: Expiry date, Promotion expiry, Free bet expiryAll sports
Sports betting guides
How common betting markets work across tennis, basketball, cricket, racing, esports and combat sports.
Basketball betting markets
Basketball betting markets focus on the winner, point spread, total points, quarters, halves, team totals and player props such as points, rebounds and assists.
Also searched as: Basketball betting, Basketball markets Sports / CricketCricket betting markets
Cricket betting markets cover match winner, innings runs, wickets, player runs, top batter, top bowler, boundaries and tournament outcomes.
Also searched as: Cricket betting, Cricket markets Sports / EsportsEsports betting markets
Esports betting markets depend on the game, but common options include match winner, map winner, map handicap, round totals, correct score and player or team props.
Also searched as: Esports betting, CS2 betting, Dota betting Sports / Horse racingHorse racing betting markets
Horse racing betting markets focus on race position. Common markets include win, place, each-way style bets, forecast, tricast and head-to-head matchups.
Also searched as: Horse racing betting, Racing markets Sports / MMA and boxingMMA and boxing betting markets
MMA and boxing betting markets focus on fight winner, method of victory, round, round groups, total rounds and whether the fight goes the distance.
Also searched as: Combat sports betting, Boxing betting, MMA betting Sports / TennisTennis betting markets
Tennis betting markets are built around players, sets and games. Common markets include match winner, set winner, total games, game handicap, correct set score and aces.
Also searched as: Tennis betting, Tennis marketsNo guide article matches that search. Try a simpler term such as odds, handicap, accumulator or tennis.