Single bet

With a single bet, you tip a single result. That can be a team's win, a draw or the number of goals. You set a stake and multiply it by the offered odds. If your tip is right, you get your stake and the winnings paid out. If you are wrong, the stake is lost.

The single bet is the simplest bet type and the natural entry point into the subject of sports betting. There is only one outcome that decides between a win and a loss. You don't have to keep several events in view or work through combinations. That keeps it clear.

At the betting shop on site, you place a single bet quickly at the terminal or at the counter. You choose the match, the desired outcome and your stake. You then receive a betting receipt on which your tip, the odds and the possible winnings are noted.

You calculate the payout of a single bet with the formula payout = stake times odds. The pure winnings are the payout minus your stake. The table shows three examples, each with a winning tip.

If you are wrong, the stake is lost and the payout is zero. Higher odds bring more winnings, but stand for a less likely outcome. So odds of 1.50 indicate a clear favourite, while odds of 2.00 suggest a fairly open contest. The size of your stake has a directly linear effect on the payout: if you double the stake, the possible winnings also double at the same odds.

The biggest difference lies in the number of events. With the single bet, exactly one tip counts. With the accumulator, several tips are linked into one chain. For an accumulator to win, every tip it contains has to be right. Just one wrong tip brings the whole accumulator down.

In return, the accumulator multiplies the odds of the individual tips, so even small stakes can produce big winnings. The single bet, by contrast, stays simple. You always know exactly what you have bet on and which outcome decides between a win and a loss. Anyone who wants to play several tips but doesn't want the full risk of an accumulator finds a middle way in the system bet.

Unlike with the accumulator, your winnings depend on a single tip only. That has clear strengths, but also limits.

• Advantage: a wrong tip cannot ruin the whole slip
• Advantage: you see directly what you have bet on and keep control
• Advantage: ideal for beginners, because it is easy to follow

• Disadvantage: the odds are usually lower than on an accumulator, because only one event counts
• Disadvantage: several small wins add up more slowly than one big accumulator win
• Disadvantage: it is less suited to big winnings from a small stake

Compare the odds and consider whether your tip is realistic. High odds are tempting, but stand for a rather unlikely result. Only stake money you can spare. Play responsibly. Gambling is only permitted from the age of 18 (21 in Bremen). How high your stake may be at most can vary depending on the provider. You'll find the comparison of all bet types in the guide single bet, accumulator and system bet compared.