Bet types at a glance: single bet, accumulator and system bet

The single bet is the simplest type: you back the result of one match or event. If your selection comes in, you get your stake multiplied by the odds.

Worked example: you back the home win in a Bundesliga match at odds of 1.80. With a 10-euro stake, you get 18 euros back. Your profit is 8 euros.

The formula is: payout = stake x odds. That makes a single bet easy to follow. If you lose, your stake is gone. If you win, the figure is easy to work out.

For getting started at a Tipico betting shop, it is the clearest choice. Our guide shows you step by step how to fill in and hand in a betting slip.

With an accumulator, also called an acca or combo, you link several selections on one betting slip. The odds of every selection are multiplied together. This gives much higher total odds than a single bet.

Worked example: you combine three matches at odds of 1.50, 1.80 and 2.00.

Total odds: 1.50 x 1.80 x 2.00 = 5.40

With a 10-euro stake, that gives a possible payout of 54 euros, and here is the big drawback: every selection has to come in. Even if two out of three come in, the whole accumulator is lost. With each extra match, the chance of a miss goes up sharply.

Accumulators offer high possible returns, but a much greater risk of losing too. No betting system guarantees a profit over time here. The bookmaker's margin sits in every single price, and with the odds multiplied together it works all the more in the provider's favour.

The system bet is a cross between a single bet and an accumulator. You pick several selections, and the system automatically forms every possible partial combination from them. Not all of them have to come in for you to land at least a part win.

Example, a 2-from-3 system: you pick 3 selections. The system forms every possible pair from them. With 3 selections, you get exactly 3 partial combinations (1+2, 1+3, 2+3). Each one counts as its own small accumulator. If 2 of your 3 selections come in, you win on at least one partial combination.

Your stake is spread across all the partial combinations, or charged for each one separately. As a result, a system bet costs more than a simple accumulator with the same selections.

A system bet gives you a cushion against the odd wrong call. It works well when you fancy several selections but want to avoid the all-or-nothing risk of an accumulator. The same applies here: the bookmaker's margin works in every partial combination. No system guarantees a profit.

As the potential payout grows, so do the risk and the complexity of the bet.

Which bet type is right for you depends on how many matches you want to call and how much risk you want to take.

Handicap bets, over/under markets, both-teams-to-score and half-time/full-time bets round out the range in most of our shops.

• Handicap bet: one team is given a notional head start or deficit. This is how the provider evens out unequal matches.
• Over/under: you bet not on the outcome but on whether, say, more or fewer than 2.5 goals are scored.
• Both teams to score (BTTS): you back whether both teams score at least one goal, whatever the result.
• Half-time/full-time: you combine the half-time score with the final score. Higher odds, but much harder to land.

You can see the current range right at the self-service terminal. Which markets are available depends on the sport. Live bets on matches in progress are possible at the betting shop too, although in person the live range is limited by law to the final result and the next goal. The full live range is only available online.

The single bet is the best fit for getting started. You learn how it works, you can follow the result clearly, and you back just one event. That makes it easy to see where you won and where you lost.

Accumulators stand out because of the high odds. But they are hard to win on over time, and no betting system guarantees a profit. The basics of sports betting strategy explain why the bookmaker's margin works in the provider's favour in the long run.

Start small. Only stake what you can afford to lose. Read up on loss and deposit limits and use them as a tool for responsible gambling. Betting is entertainment, not a way to earn a living. The minimum age for sports betting in Germany is 18. If you need support, the BZgA helps free and anonymously on 0800 1372700. You'll find more support services under player protection and help.