Betting guides

How bets work, what the odds mean and which strategies hold up when you run the numbers. Written in plain English, with every example checked.

Bet types

Why a £5 each way bet costs £10, what the place terms mean and when placing still loses you money.

Every full cover bet in one table, from a 4 line Trixie to a 247 line Goliath.

How the odds stack up in an acca, why the bookmaker loves them and how to work out your real chance of winning.

What 5/2 and 3.5 mean, how to turn any price into a percentage and where the bookmaker hides its margin.

Double after every loss and you'll always win it back. That's the theory. Run it thousands of times and see what happens.

What value means in betting, why it's so hard to do and why bookmakers limit people who manage it.