How a Double bet works
The two prices are multiplied: a double at 2/1 and 3/1 is 3.00 × 4.00 = 12.00, so £5 returns £60. That is more than two £5 singles would return at the same prices (£35), but a single loser loses the whole double.
An each-way double is two bets: a win double, and a place double at the each-way fraction of both prices. If both selections place without winning, only the place double pays.
If one selection is a non-runner or void, the double becomes a single on the other selection at its normal price.
What is in a Double?
| Bet | Number |
|---|---|
| Doubles | 1 |
| Total bets | 1 |
At £1 a bet, a Double costs £1.00 win only, or £2.00 each way. At 10p a bet it costs £0.10.
Double returns by number of winners
A £1 Double (£1.00 in total) on selections at 2/1, 3/1, with the winners taken in that order.
| Winners | Stake | Return | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | £1.00 | £0.00 | -£1.00 |
| 1 | £1.00 | £0.00 | -£1.00 |
| 2 | £1.00 | £12.00 | £11.00 |
At these prices the bet first shows a profit with 2 winners. Longer prices lower that number, and shorter prices raise it.
Worth knowing
Use doubles when you are confident of both selections and their prices are short. Combining two odds-on picks into a double gives a better price than either alone, though the risk of the bet losing goes up accordingly.
Double questions
How do I work out a double?
Convert both prices to decimal odds (fractional odds plus one) and multiply them, then multiply by your stake. 6/4 and 5/2 are 2.50 and 3.50, so a £10 double returns £87.50.
What is the difference between a double and two singles?
Two singles pay separately, so one winner still returns money. A double rolls the first return onto the second selection, so it pays more if both win and nothing if either loses.
How many bets are in a Double?
1, on 2 selections. A £1 Double costs £1, or £2 each way.