Each way betting is very straightforward and a term you are likely to have heard bandied around when it comes to horse racing terminology. Put simply, an each-way bet is made up of two bets - a win bet and a place bet.
There are any number of different bets you can place when betting on horse racing and one of the most popular types are each-way bets.
A place usually refers to 2nd, 3rd and 4th, depending on how many horses are in the race and the terms of your chosen betting sites.
Betting each way increases your chances of making a return, however your stake is higher.
Each-way betting provides the opportunity to get a decent return without your horse finishing first. The number of runners dictates the amount of places available and we’re going to take a closer look at how it works.
Usually you would place a bet on a horse to win and if that horse comes first, you have a winning bet. Each-way betting enables you to win some money, provided your horses finish in the places.
It splits your bet into two parts; a win bet and a place bet. Both parts of the bet have to be the same (e.g. £5 to win and £5 to place) and each-way betting is only possible in races with five or more runners.
If the horse finishes first, both parts of the bet land and we’ve included an example below to show how it works.
A £10 each-way bet (£20 total) at a 1/5 of the odds is placed on Neptunes Collognes at 40/1. The selection finishes third, so the £10 win part of the stake is lost, but the each-way bet is successful and returns £90 (8x10 + £10 stake).
If you place an each-way bet and the horse wins you can calculate your return in the following way.
The number of places paid out is determined by the bookmaker. For example 1/2,1/3, 1/4, or 1/5 of the odds.
The bookmakers will often offer extra places for the bigger races at weekends and major festivals, particularly in handicaps. Races like the Grand National often provide each-way betting for seven or eight places.
If you believe your selection in a race has a good chance of finishing in the places and the odds merit an each-way bet then it may be worth placing an each-way bet, for example if the odds are around 6-1 or higher. It is not worth placing an each way bet if the odds are short as returns are so low for the place part of the bet.
If you have more than one fancy in a number of races then you may want to place an each-way multiple bet. This means you will receive a payout if any of your horses are placed.
Below are a few options:
If you are placing a bet online through a website or app, make sure that the each-way box is ticked (this is often abbreviated to e/w).
Betting each-way is all about trying to find some value and as such, it’s usually advised to stick to horses at double-figure prices.
An each-way bet is considered to be lower risk than win only, as the latter only pays out for a win, whereas each-way bets provide the opportunity for a decent return even if they’re not the first horse across the line.
Most sports offer each-way betting and a good example would be golf, where bookmakers usually pay out six places during a tournament.
Football tournaments are another good opportunity for each-way betting, if you fancy a team to go far in the World Cup but think they might struggle to go all the way.
Read our guide pages below for more information on types of bets and betting terminology:
