What Does an Each-Way Bet Mean in Betting, and How Does It Work?

Vadims Mikeļevičs

Vadims Mikeļevičs

One of the best things about horse races is that they happen all year long. Even when the traditional horse racing season is finished in the UK, you can still follow races in other regions like North America, Asia, and Australia. If you wager with a big-name bookie like Paddy Power, Unibet, or Betfred, you have access to a near endless stream of horse race events. Horse races provide a variety of betting opportunities, including each-way bets. By the way, if you are looking for information on the UK betting company sites we just mentioned, MightyTips has it.

So, what does each-way mean in betting? Well, an each-way bet is actually two separate bets rolled into one. You wager on one outcome while, at the same time, wagering on another. While this may sound a bit confusing, it really isn't. Keep reading to find out our simple but detailed answer to the question at hand, which is: What does each-way mean in betting?

What are the Two Parts of an Each-Way Bet?

Image for 'the two parts of an each-way bet' featuring a smiling man with phone

What does each-way mean in betting horses? Let's start by telling you that each-way bets generally apply to horse races. However, they can also apply to other sports that feature a field of competitors, such as golf and auto racing. What does each-way mean in football betting? It means the same thing, although it only applies to tournaments like the World Cup. If you want to find out about different topics of football betting, then you're at the right place.

An EW bet consists of two parts, and you stake the same amount on both. The first bet is commonly called the win bet. This is simply a wager on which horse you think will win the race. The second part of the bet is the place bet, which is a wager on that same horse to finish within a specified number of places. This usually means second place, third place, or fourth place, depending on the size of the field.

How Do You Make an Each-Way Bet?

Even though punters are placing two wagers when they make an each-way bet, they aren't really placing two bets. With most online bookmakers, you simply have to go to the race menu and select the horse you want to bet on. You then go to your betslip and select the "Each-Way" bet option. It's then just a matter of entering the stake amount and submitting the bet.

How Many Places are Paid on an Each-way Bet?

Image for 'How Many Places are Paid on an Each-way Bet?' featuring a man with money

The number of places paid for an each-way bet depends on how many runners are in the field. In most cases, each-way bets are only offered on races that have at least 5 horses. If the field consists of between 5 and 7 horses, then 2 places are usually paid. In a field of 8 or more, you can expect your bookie to pay out for three places. In larger races that feature 16 or more horses, your bookie will normally pay for 4 places.

Extra Places and Enhanced Each-Way Terms

What does each-way mean in horse betting? Well, now that you have a good idea, don't forget to keep your eye on your bookmaker's promotions page for special horse racing promotions, such as those that offer extra places for select races. Having even one extra place pay can give you a distinct advantage with an each-way bet. You can easily find such offers at top bookmakers for major horse racing events like the Grand National. Just be sure to read the terms and conditions and ensure that the extra place terms apply to each-way bets.

How Do I Decide Whether an Each-Way Bet is Worth It?

Image for 'How Do I Decide Whether an Each-Way Bet is Worth It?' featuring a man pointing upstairs

You are pretty much guaranteed to make a profit if the win part of an each-way bet hits. However, there are some instances in which placing an each-way bet might not be worth it. To figure out whether a certain race warrants an each-way bet, you should ask yourself two questions. Of course, this is assuming you already know the answer to the question at the top of the page, which is: What does each way mean in betting? If you do, then here are the two other questions. The first question is: Will I break even if my horse places? The second one is: Are there enough places to make the bet worthwhile?

Will you at Least Break Even if Your Selection Place?

In betting, what does each-way mean in terms of breaking even? Well, you need to do a bit of basic math to figure out whether you'll at least break even if you only win the place portion of your bet. If the place bet pays 1/5, then you essentially need your horse to have win odds of at least 5/1 in order to make your money back. If a place bet pays 1/4,then the horse should be priced no lower than 4/1. If it meets that criteria, then you will at least get your money back if the horse only places. As you may have guessed, you should avoid each-way bets on favorites.

Are There Enough Places to Make an Each-Way Bet Worthwhile?

Image for 'Are There Enough Places to Make an Each-Way Bet Worthwhile?' featuring a thoughtful woman

Horses in some fields make better each-way candidates than those in others. For example, a race featuring 8 horses and a field featuring 15 horses typically both pay 3 places. This means that your 15/1 runner only has to finish ahead of 5 horses in a field of 8, while it would need to beat 12 participants in a field of 15. Being in a field of 8 horses is obviously a much better each-way betting situation considering the odds. It would be a different story if the horse was a slight favorite.

Placing an Each-Way Bet on the Cheltenham Festival

What does each-way mean in betting Grand National? It means plenty of wagering opportunities and a shot at collecting winnings. It's the same with the Cheltenham Festival, which is one of the most famous horse racing events on the planet. The festival features several key races, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Queen Mother Champion Chase, and Champion Hurdle. It takes place each year over a stretch of four days in March. Bettors from all over the world place all types of wagers on these races with the help of our betting tips and reviews.

What makes this festival so exciting from a bettor's perspective is that bookies offer all sorts of special promotions, like extra place promotions in which they pay for extra places. Instead of paying for 3 or 4 places, they will pay for 4 or 5 places, depending on the size of the field. These offers are popular at new horse racing betting sites in particular.

This is the perfect time to find the best value and boost your account balance, even if bigger fields make it a bit harder. Needless to say, each-way betting isn't the only horse betting market. There are plenty of other types. You can even pick a race winner and add it to an accumulator with other sports picks. And we have loads of accumulator predictions for today. We also have a wonderful selection of the best football tips for tomorrow

Looking for Expert Picks and Football Predictions?

Image for 'Looking for Expert Picks and Football Predictions?' featuring a car and football ball

Our tipsters research a lot of information when they handicap games and provide their picks. It doesn't matter if you want free horse racing tips or if you are looking for selections in any other sport. MightyTips has you covered. We also rate and review online bookmakers so that you can quickly and easily find the best sports betting sites. We can even connect you to the best bookmakers accepting Revolut.

Looking for a valuable bonus? How about guides, tutorials, or a helpful betting tool like a calculator which offers a fast way to calculate your bets? We've got those too. MightyTips offers everything you need to make your sports betting more fun and a lot more profitable. What does each way in betting mean? It means fun, and hopefully lots of winning.

Review Author

Vadims Mikeļevičs

Vadims Mikeļevičs

Vadims Mikeļevičs is an e-sports and biathlon enthusiast with years of writing experience about games, sports, and bookmakers.

Reviewed By Editor in Chief

Eugene Ravdin

Eugene Ravdin

Hey! I've been working for the official UEFA website for 18 years as a translator, reporter, editor, and language version editor in chief.