How-to
Reading a bet slip: stake, odds, return and each-way fields
A bet slip has five fields: selection, odds, stake, return and each-way. Read them in that order before you tap confirm. Return includes your stake, so €10 at 5/1 (6.00) returns €60.00 and makes €50.00 profit. An each-way bet is two stakes, so €5 each-way costs €10.
Editorial team · checked
What you need
- A betting app on your phone and a selection already added to the slip.
- A calculator or the acca calculator for more than one selection.
- About two minutes. The first slip is the slowest.
We did not open accounts or place bets to write this. The numbers are our own worked examples.
In short: no account change is needed to read a slip.
Seven steps before you confirm
- Read the selection. Check the event, the market and the name. Result: you can say in one line what you are backing. Common mistake: backing a place market when you meant to win.
- Read the odds. On this site fractional odds come first and decimal odds sit in brackets: 5/1 (6.00). Result: you know the format on the slip. Common mistake: reading 5/1 as a return of 5. See odds formats.
- Enter the stake in euro. Result: the slip shows your stake as €10.00. Common mistake: a total typed where the slip wants a stake per line.
- Read the return, not only the profit. Return = stake × decimal odds. Profit = return − stake. At 6.00 a €10.00 stake returns €60.00, which is €50.00 profit. At 7/2 (4.50) a €20.00 stake returns €90.00, which is €70.00 profit. Common mistake: treating the return as profit. Labels differ by app, so check whether the return shown includes the stake: Not checked.
- Look at the each-way field. Each-way is two bets, one to win and one for a place. A €5.00 each-way stake costs €10.00 in total. The place terms are on the slip: read them. See each-way. Common mistake: forgetting the total is doubled.
- Check what happens if the price moves. Check whether your app lets you accept or reject changes to the odds. Which apps offer it, and where: Not checked. Result: you know your setting before you tap. Common mistake: confirming a slip whose odds changed while you read.
- Confirm, then find the bet. Result: the bet appears in your history. See your betting history. Common mistake: closing the app before the confirmation shows.
In short: return includes the stake, and each-way doubles it.
Three worked examples
| Slip | Decimal odds | Stake | Return | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/1 to win | 6.00 | €10.00 | €60.00 | €50.00 |
| 7/2 to win | 4.50 | €20.00 | €90.00 | €70.00 |
| Evens to win | 2.00 | €15.00 | €30.00 | €15.00 |
Void bets, Rule 4 and bonus terms change these figures. See void bet and Rule 4.
In short: decimal odds times stake gives the return in one step.
How long it takes
About two minutes per slip. Three slips later, the order selection, odds, stake, return, each-way becomes a habit.
In short: the same order every time is the whole method.
If it did not work
- The slip shows no return. Work it out with stake × decimal odds, then compare when the app shows a figure.
- The odds changed when you confirmed. Cancel and read the slip again. Do not tap confirm twice.
- No each-way option appears. The market may not offer a place part. Read the market rules: Not checked.
- The app crashed mid-bet. See what happens when the app crashes.
In short: four fixes, none of which needs a new account.
How we checked
The arithmetic is ours and can be repeated. The operator behaviour in steps 4 and 6 is Not checked: we have not yet read two or three operators' bet slip help pages. Read how we check betting apps.
In short: calculations are verified; operator slip settings are not.
18+ and where to get help
18+ only. Gambling can be addictive – play responsibly. Set limits, take breaks and never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Free 24/7 support: 1800 936 725 · gamblingcare.ie. More on the responsible gambling page.
In short: Free 24/7 support: 1800 936 725 · gamblingcare.ie.
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