What is a double and a treble in betting?
A double is one bet on two selections, and a treble is one bet on three. Every selection must win for the bet to pay. The odds are multiplied, so a double at 1.80 and 1.60 pays 2.88 times your stake. They are the smallest accumulators, and not the same as double chance.
Where do doubles and trebles sit among bet types?
Betting names follow the number of selections on one ticket:
| Selections | Name | All must win? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Single | Yes (there is only one) |
| 2 | Double | Yes |
| 3 | Treble (triple in some places) | Yes |
| 4 | Four-fold | Yes |
| 5 or more | Five-fold, six-fold and so on | Yes |
From two selections upwards, each of these is an accumulator (parlay in the US), so a double is a two-leg parlay. Some bookmakers label everything above a single a “multiple” or “acca”.
How does a double pay out?
Take two hypothetical picks: Team A to win at 1.80 and Over 2.5 goals in another match at 1.60. With a £10 stake:
- Total odds: 1.80 × 1.60 = 2.88.
- Return if both win: £10 × 2.88 = £28.80, which is £18.80 profit.
- If either loses: £0.
The odds multiply because the winnings from the first pick roll on to the second. Your £10 becomes £18.00 after pick one, and that £18.00 at 1.60 becomes £28.80. The guide on how accumulator odds are calculated walks through this step by step.
How does a treble pay out?
Add a third pick, a double chance selection at 1.50:
- Total odds: 1.80 × 1.60 × 1.50 = 4.32.
- Return if all three win: £10 × 4.32 = £43.20, which is £33.20 profit.
- If any one loses: £0.
The implied chance falls with each pick. On these prices, the double has an implied chance of 1 / 2.88 = 34.7%, and the treble 1 / 4.32 = 23.1%. The third pick raised the potential return by half, from £28.80 to £43.20, but cut the implied chance by about a third.
How do they compare with singles?
Here are the same three picks staked as three £10 singles (£30) or one £30 treble:
| Outcome | Three £10 singles | One £30 treble |
|---|---|---|
| All three win | £18.00 + £16.00 + £15.00 = £49.00 | £30 × 4.32 = £129.60 |
| Two win (1.80 and 1.60) | £18.00 + £16.00 = £34.00 | £0 |
| One wins (1.80) | £18.00 | £0 |
| None win | £0 | £0 |
The treble pays far more when every pick lands, and nothing when one misses. The singles give money back when you are partly right. Neither is better in general.
Is a double the same as double chance?
No, and this is a common mix-up.
- A double is a bet type: two selections combined on one ticket.
- Double chance is a market inside one match: you back two of the three results, such as home or draw (1X), draw or away (X2), or home or away (12).
You can have a double that contains a double chance pick, as in the treble above, but the two terms mean different things.
What are “doubles” and “trebles” in a system bet?
When a slip offers “doubles” in the plural, it usually means every possible double from your picks, each as a separate bet. Three picks give three doubles (A + B, A + C, B + C), so £1 “doubles” costs £3. Three doubles plus one treble is a Trixie, a type of system bet. Always check whether your stake is per bet or for the whole slip.
What happens if a match in a double or treble is void?
At most bookmakers a void leg counts as odds of 1.00. A double with one void leg becomes, in effect, a single. A treble with one void leg becomes a double. With 1.80, 1.60 and a void third leg, a £10 treble returns £10 × 1.80 × 1.60 × 1.00 = £28.80 if the other two win. Rules on postponed and abandoned matches vary by bookmaker; see what happens if a leg is void.
When might you choose a double or a treble?
- You want a bigger return than a single without the long odds of a five- or six-fold.
- You have two or three picks you have looked at closely, rather than filling a ticket for the sake of it.
The guide on choosing between two, three or four legs compares these sizes side by side.
Where Daily Betting Tips fits
Daily Betting Tips publishes three ready-made tickets every day. The safe ticket has 1 or 2 picks, so it is a single or a double. The medium ticket has 2 or 3 picks, a double or a treble. The risky ticket has 3 to 5 picks. The bet builder shows the total odds if you would rather put your own double or treble together. The app is not a bookmaker, so bets are placed and settled at your bookmaker under its rules.
18+. Betting involves risk; no prediction is guaranteed. If gambling stops being fun, visit BeGambleAware or call 1-800-GAMBLER in the US.