What Does Doubles Mean in Betting? Fully Explained

You’ll find the option to place a double bet on all good sports betting sites, but what does doubles actually mean in betting? A double is the simplest kind of multiple bet. It involves making two selections from different events and backing them both in the same wager.

For example, you might select two different football teams to win two separate games. If both of them won then your double would win, but if only one, or neither of them won, your double would lose.

Now that you know the basics of how a doubles bet works, let’s take a look at the mechanics in more detail.

How Does a Double Bet Work 

A double bet requires you to make two winning selections from two different events. Both selections must win in order for the bet to pay out. This makes it more difficult to make a return from than two singles bets, but the payout from a double bet is much larger.

You’ll find this bet is available on all kinds of sports, including football, horse racing, and motorsports. Let’s look at an example of a football-based doubles bet.

Example of How a Doubles Bet Works

You place a bet on two different football matches, selecting one team in each match to win. Their odds are below:

Arsenal to Beat Manchester United (2/1 or 3)
Everton to Beat Fulham (3/1 or 4)

If you have these as singles bets with a $3 stake on each and both win, you’ll receive a total of:
(Stake 3) x (Odds 3) = 9 
(Stake 3) x (Odds 4) = 12
9 + 12 = 21, minus your original stake of 6 for a total of $15 profit.

If you have these selections as a double bet with a $6 stake and both win, you’ll receive a total of:
(Stake 6) x (Odds 3) = 18
(Returns 18) x (Odds 4) = 72
72 minus your original stake of $6 for a total of $66 profit.

As you can see, the profits from the double bet are much higher. However, if just one team lost then you wouldn’t receive any payout.

Different Types of Double Bets

Above we’ve described a simple double bet, the kind that you’ll find on most betting sites. However, there are a couple of other types of double bets that you might find interesting. Let’s take a look at them.

What is a Pool Based Double?

A pool based double works exactly the same as a double bet, except you don’t know what your payout will be until the day of racing has concluded.

You’ll only find this option as a horse racing bet and you’ll be paid out from the ‘pool’ of bets once they’ve all been settled. This means you could end up winning more than a traditional double, or less, depending on what other punters have selected.

What is a Running Double?

A running double fits under the category of pool-based doubles, as your winnings are decided by what’s in the pool. However, it differs from others as it takes place over two consecutive races (one after the other). 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Doubles

As with all kinds of betting, there are benefits and drawbacks to making doubles bets. Below are some of the most important.

Pros:
●    Higher payouts thanks to the accumulating odds
●    Easier to predict than larger multiples bets

Cons:
●    Harder to win than a single stake bet
●    Pool-based doubles don’t guarantee a certain payout

Doubles vs. Other Bets

Now that you know all about doubles bets, let’s take a look at some other popular multiple bets.

●    Forecast: You’ll see this kind of bet most commonly in horse racing, but also in other racing sports. You need to pick the winner and second place in the same race to win this bet.
●    Trebles: A treble is just like a double, with an additional selection. You make three selections from three different events and all must win for you to get paid out.
●    Accumulators: sometimes called parlays, this type of bet requires you to make three or more selections and for all of them to win in order for you to be paid out