How to work out a single bet
A single is the simplest bet there is: one selection, and if it wins you are paid at the odds. The return is the stake multiplied by the decimal odds; the profit is the return minus the stake.
- Fractional odds: stake × the fraction, plus the stake back. £10 at 5/2 is £10 × 5 ÷ 2 = £25 profit, £35 returned.
- Decimal odds: stake × the price. £10 at 3.5 returns £35.
- American odds: +250 means £250 profit per £100, the same as 5/2. Our odds converter switches between the three.
| £10 single at | Decimal | Profit | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evens | 2.0 | £10 | £20 |
| 2/1 | 3.0 | £20 | £30 |
| 5/2 | 3.5 | £25 | £35 |
| 3/1 | 4.0 | £30 | £40 |
| 9/2 | 5.5 | £45 | £55 |
| 10/1 | 11.0 | £100 | £110 |
Each way singles
An each way single is two bets of the same stake: one to win and one to place. £5 each way costs £10. The place part pays a fraction of the odds (usually 1/4 or 1/5) if the horse finishes in the places the bookmaker pays.
£5 each way at 8/1, 1/5 odds for three places:
- Wins: win part £5 × 9 = £45, place part £5 × (1 + 8/5) = £13. Total £58, a £48 profit.
- Places: win part loses, place part returns £13. That is a £3 profit on the £10 staked.
- Unplaced: both parts lose, £10 gone.
The place terms depend on the race type and the number of runners; our guide to each way bets sets them out, and the each way calculator handles them for multiples too.
Non-runners, Rule 4 and dead heats on a single
Non-runner: a single on a horse that doesn't run is void, and the stake comes back. Mark it Void and the calculator returns the stake.
Rule 4: if another horse is withdrawn late and you took a fixed price, the winnings are cut by the deduction. A £10 single at 4/1 with a 25p Rule 4 pays £40 winnings less 25%, so £30 profit and £40 returned instead of £50. The Rule 4 calculator has the full Tattersalls table.
Dead heat: when two horses tie for first, the stake is halved and the half on your horse is paid at full odds. Our dead heat rules guide walks through the maths.
Singles or multiples?
A single wins or loses on one result, so it is the easiest bet to judge before you place it: the price tells you how often it needs to win to break even (a 3/1 shot needs to win 1 time in 4). Doubles, trebles and accumulators multiply the odds together, so they pay far more when everything wins, but every extra leg adds another way to lose and another layer of bookmaker margin. Full-cover bets like the Lucky 15 sit in between: they include singles alongside the multiples. Whatever the bet, stake only what you are happy to lose.