Each way betting lets you back a horse (or a golfer, or a football team in an outright market) to win, while also getting paid if it only finishes in the places. It’s the most popular bet in UK racing, but the payouts confuse a lot of people. Here’s how it works, the standard place terms, a worked example with real numbers, and when an each-way bet is actually good value.
Each-way in 30 seconds
- An each-way bet is two equal bets: one to win and one to place.
- So £5 each-way costs £10 in total.
- The place part pays a fraction of the odds, usually 1/4 or 1/5.
- If your pick wins, both parts pay. If it only places, just the place part pays.
- The number of places depends on the race type and number of runners.
Skip the maths: use our each-way calculator
Enter your stake, odds and place terms, and our free calculator shows your returns for a win, a place or a loss. It handles fractional and decimal odds.
What is each way betting?
An each-way bet is really two separate bets of the same stake, placed together. The first is a win bet, which pays only if your selection wins. The second is a place bet, which pays if your selection finishes in one of the paid places, including first.
That’s why the cost doubles. A “£5 each-way” bet is £5 on the win and £5 on the place, so £10 leaves your balance.
In return, you get a safety net: your pick doesn’t have to win for you to get something back. However, the place part pays at reduced odds.
Standard UK place terms
Place terms tell you two things: how many places are paid, and what fraction of the win odds the place part pays. In UK and Irish racing, bookmakers follow a standard set of terms based on the race type and the number of runners.
| Runners | Non-handicap | Handicap |
|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | Win only | Win only |
| 5–7 | 2 places at 1/4 odds | 2 places at 1/4 odds |
| 8–11 | 3 places at 1/5 odds | 3 places at 1/5 odds |
| 12–15 | 3 places at 1/5 odds | 3 places at 1/4 odds |
| 16+ | 3 places at 1/5 odds | 4 places at 1/4 odds |
These are the standard terms, but individual bookmakers can and do change them for particular races. The place terms are always shown next to the race on the bet slip, so check them before you bet.
A worked each-way example
Say you back a horse at 10/1 (11.0 in decimal) for £5 each-way in a 12-runner non-handicap. That’s £10 in total, and the terms are three places at 1/5 of the odds.
First, work out the place odds. One fifth of 10/1 is 2/1 (3.0 in decimal). Now the returns:
- Win part: £5 at 10/1 returns £55 (£50 profit plus your £5 stake).
- Place part: £5 at 2/1 returns £15 (£10 profit plus your £5 stake).
| Result | Win part | Place part | Total return | Profit on £10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | £55.00 | £15.00 | £70.00 | +£60.00 |
| 2nd or 3rd | £0 | £15.00 | £15.00 | +£5.00 |
| Unplaced | £0 | £0 | £0 | −£10.00 |
Now compare a handicap with 16 or more runners, which pays four places at 1/4 of the odds. The place odds become 10/4, or 5/2. Your £5 place part would then return £17.50, so a placed finish makes £7.50 profit instead of £5.
If you’d rather not do this by hand, the each-way calculator works it out in seconds.
Extra places
Extra places are one of the most common racing promotions. A bookmaker might pay four places in a race where the standard terms only pay three. If your horse finishes fourth, you still collect on the place part, where elsewhere you’d get nothing.
The catch is that bookmakers offering extra places sometimes price the race a little shorter, so compare the odds too. Big meetings such as the Grand National and the Cheltenham Festival see lots of extra-place offers. Our Cheltenham free bets guide covers these in more detail. As always, T&Cs apply to each promotion.
Each way betting on golf and football
Each way betting isn’t just for racing. It works in any market with lots of runners and one winner.
Golf
Golf is the classic each-way sport outside racing. With over 100 players in a field, even the favourite is usually a big price. Bookmakers commonly pay 1/5 of the odds on the top five or more, and many add extra places for the majors. Golf dead heats are common, as covered below.
Football outrights
You can also bet each-way on outright markets such as league winner, top goalscorer or a tournament winner. Here the place terms vary much more between bookmakers and markets. Check both the number of places and the fraction before you bet.
Dead heats, non-runners and Rule 4
Dead heats. If two selections tie for a paid position, your stake is split. For instance, if your horse dead-heats for third in a three-place race, your place stake is halved and paid at the full place odds. The other half is lost. In golf, several players often tie for the final places, so the stake can be divided further.
Non-runners. If a horse is withdrawn before the race, the number of runners can drop. Bookmakers settle place terms on the number of runners that actually start. So a race of eight declared runners that ends up with seven only pays two places, not three.
Rule 4. When a horse is withdrawn late, bets on the others taken at a fixed price may have a deduction from the winnings, depending on how short the withdrawn horse was. It doesn’t apply to starting-price bets, and it comes off your profit rather than your stake. Our Rule 4 guide has the full deductions table and worked examples.
When is each-way good value?
Each-way works best on bigger prices in bigger fields. As a rough guide, the place part only covers the cost of the whole bet if the place odds are at least evens. With 1/5 terms, that means win odds of 5/1 or longer. With 1/4 terms, it’s 4/1 or longer.
By contrast, short-priced horses rarely suit each-way. At 2/1 with 1/5 terms, the place part is only 2/5. A £5 each-way bet returns £7 if the horse places, so you’re £3 down. In that case, a straight win bet is usually the better option.
Large handicaps with 1/4 odds on four places tend to offer the best terms for each way betting. Races with exactly eight runners are also often seen as good each-way races, because three places are paid. Of course, none of this guarantees a return.
Using free bets for each way betting
Some welcome offers let you use free bets each-way, while others don’t. The qualifying bet rules matter too, so check how an each-way bet counts towards the minimum stake. Our guides to how free bets work and qualifying bets and minimum odds explain what to look for. Here are some of the simplest offers to claim right now:
Free bet offers
Paddy Power Sports Easy Low risk
£30 in free bets
18+ · Code YSKAST · £5 bet at evens+ · £30 free bets · 30 days · Debit/Apple Pay/bank
Full T&Cs
18+ · New Customer offer - Use promo code YSKAST. Place a min £5 bet on the sportsbook at odds of min EVS (2.0) and get £30 in free bets. Free bet rewards valid for 30 days. Only deposits via Pay by Bank, Debit Cards & Apple Pay will qualify for this offer. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly
Kwiff Sports Easy Very low risk
£40 in free bets
18+ · £10 bet at 2.0+ in 5 days · 4 x £10 free bets (3+ legs each) · 7-day expiry
Full T&Cs
New UK customers. £10 cash bet, min. odds 2.0, in 5 days of deposit. Get 4x £10 Free Bets: Single, 2 Accas & Bet Builder (3+ legs each). Excl. cashout, E/W, Multis, Ineligible Markets & Odds Boosts. 7-day expiry. T&Cs apply. 18+ | GambleAware
Unibet Sports Easy Very low risk
£40 in free bets
18+ · Opt in · Dep & bet £20 at 2.0+ in 7 days · £40 free bets · 7 days · Debit/bank only
Full T&Cs
18+ | GambleAware.org. New GB customers only. Opt in, deposit and Bet £20+ on sports at min odds of 2.0+ (1/1) for £40 in Free Bets within 7 days of registration. Debit cards or instant bank transfers only. Free bets expire within 7 days of issue. Geographical restrictions and T&C’s apply.
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Each-way betting FAQ
£20 in total. An each-way bet is two bets of the same stake, one to win and one to place, so the cost is always double the stake shown. It means the place part of your bet is paid at one fifth of the win odds. So a horse at 10/1 pays 2/1 for a place, and a horse at 20/1 pays 4/1. Both parts pay out. You get the win part at the full odds, plus the place part at the reduced place odds, because winning also counts as finishing in the places. Yes. If the horse only places and the place odds are shorter than evens, the place return is less than your total stake. For example, a 2/1 shot at 1/5 odds returns £7 from a £10 total stake. Mostly, because they follow standard terms based on runners and race type. However, some bookmakers pay extra places on selected races, so it pays to compare. The terms are shown on the bet slip.How much does a £10 each-way bet cost?
What does 1/5 odds mean in each-way betting?
What happens to my each-way bet if my horse wins?
Can I lose money on an each-way bet even if my horse places?
Are each-way place terms the same at every bookmaker?
18+ only. Free bets and welcome offers are for new customers and T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose. If gambling stops being fun, visit our responsible gambling page or call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. Free advice is also available from BeGambleAware.org.
