Bet Win or Each Way in Horse Racing?

Bet Win or Each Way in Horse Racing?

When you place a bet on a horse to win there are two ways you can do so, that is to bet win or each way. Every single punter out there will have their own thoughts on whether you should bet win or each way, and if you do bet each way when you should be each way. This is all down to personal choice and preference, and something that only you can decide how to bet. If you need help deciding which method to use then here are the four most common each way betting strategies.

Bet All to Win

The first method is one employed by many people and that is to completely ignore each way betting and bet everything to win. The idea behind this is that when you do get a winner at a huge price, instead of having half of your stake on as you would if the bet was each way, you have your full stake amount on. This means you are going to land a big win and while you will get small returns from placed horses if you bet each way, this big win will more than likely  cover those small wins, and some on top as well.

Those against this method are against it because if you have a big priced selection that finishes second you don’t see anything back for it. For example, you could back a horse at 33/1 and if it comes second you will get nothing back from the bookmakers. If you do choose this method then be prepared to miss out on occasions like that, but you can also get ready for a big win when you do land a nice priced winner.

Bet All Each Way

Another method that some people use is to back everything each way. At a guess, this is the least common method, but it is one that some people use. The belief behind this method is that even if you are backing a short priced horse, if you do it each way then you are more likely to get some kind of return on your bet. It may not be enough to cover the full stake that you placed originally, but it will be something that you can add to your betting bank and use in the future.

The big downside to this betting method is that regardless of the price of your horse, you will only ever have half of your stake going onto your winners. This means if you are backing consistent winners then you are not going to make as much money as you would using any of the other three methods on this page.

Betting each way on every selection chosen is something that some people do, but if you are expecting to back winners then it is highly likely that you would make more money by betting on any of the other three strategies that are on this page.

Bet to Win 5/1 or Less, Bet Each Way Any Bigger

This is a common method because when you start backing horses that are priced over 5/1 you will see a profit from a placed horse, even if this is a small profit it is still a profit. Due to this, many people will back each way and out of all the methods on this page, this is probably the most common.

If you back a horse at 3/1 each way and it places you will lose money, because the each way returns do not cover the win stake you have lost. However, anything above 5/1 and you will get a return, even on races where the each way terms are at their lowest. A 6/1 horse that places will give you a tiny profit on your bet, and it is that profit that draws people to betting each way on runners that are priced up this big.

However, for some punters, the small profit you receive on these runners is not worth backing a horse each way, and they prefer to back these horses to win in the hope of landing a nice winner or two. These winners will make up for the small profit on placed horses that you will miss out on, which prevents this from being used by the majority of people.

Bet to Win Single Figure Prices, Bet Each Way Double Figure Prices

This method is arguably the shrewdest method of all we have on this page, and it is the method of choice for those who want to bet each way, but want to maintain value in their betting. By betting this way you miss out on the place returns for horses between 5/1 and 9/1, but when those horses do win you will get a much bigger return on your bet because your full stake will be on them to win.

However, to give you a good balance, you are betting those at 10/1 and over each way, so if you get a big priced horse that places then you are still going to see a return on the bet and not feel like you have missed out. Even with just half of your stake on these selections to win, should they win then you are still going to get a nice return from your bets on them.

Conclusion

When betting each way, the one rule you follow is to bet with whatever method you think is the best for your betting style. If you are new to betting and want advice then the final method of betting to win at single figure prices and each way at 10/1 and over is the method that combines the best of each one. This method is not the most popular, but more and more punters are beginning to turn this way in an attempt to maximize their horse racing profit. While other methods have floors, this one looks to cover the best of the other three and it is a great way to work when placing each way bets.