Want to know more about accumulator (acca) bets? In this guide, Betway have broken down what they are, how they work, pros and cons, and how to calculate them.
Accumulators are one of the most popular bet types, thanks to the potential high payouts and level of excitement involved when keeping an eye on all the different results.
In this guide, the team at Betway delve into everything you need to know about accumulators or ‘acca’ bets. From explaining what they are and showcasing how they work with an accumulator bet example to breaking down the pros and cons – as well as providing instructions on how to calculate them – we’ve covered it all.
What is an accumulator bet?
An accumulator is a single bet that involves several selections. While doubles (two selections) and trebles (three selections) do count as an accumulator, the term generally applies to a bet that includes four or more selections.
Rules of an accumulator bet
In a standard accumulator, all of your selections must win in order for the bet to land. Whilst an especially popular football betting strategy, you can build accumulators across a wide range of sports and markets (including horse racing).
How do accumulator bets work?
By putting together an accumulator, you increase your odds with each selection.
For example, you may fancy these four selections:
Chelsea to beat Arsenal – 2/1
Liverpool to beat Man City – 2/1
Man Utd to beat Tottenham – 3/1
Everton to beat Wolves – 4/1
By backing them all individually, you limit your returns – i.e. £10 on Chelsea to beat Arsenal at 2/1 would return a £20 profit.
Backing Chelsea to beat Arsenal at 2/1 and Liverpool to beat Man City at 2/1 in a double would see your odds rise to 5/1. A £10 bet on this double would return a £50 profit.
Backing all four of your selections in one accumulator, however, would produce odds of 180/1. A £10 bet on the fourfold accumulator would return a profit of £1800.
Accumulator odds explained
If you’re curious about how to calculate an accumulator bet yourself, here’s a quick rundown:
Multiply all your decimal odds together to get the accumulative odds
Multiply the accumulative odds against your stake to get the potential returns
If the odds you’re looking at are in a different format to decimals (i.e. fractional or percentage), you’ll need to convert them in order to follow the above. You can find out more about how to do this in our guide on how to read betting odds.
For ease, however, you can use our betting calculator tool. Simply fill in your selected odds, and you can see how potential accumulator options could stack up in an instant – no manual calculations needed!
Why choose an accumulator bet?
The beauty of an accumulator is that putting all of your selections into one bet quickly increases the odds. If you make several selections, you need only stake a small amount of money to give yourself a chance of a big win.
Of course, it also increases the risk. Just one of your selections would have to not win in order for the whole bet to lose.
Pros and cons of acca betting
As with any type of betting, there are various pros and cons involved with accumulators. Below are a couple of things to bear in mind:
Pros:
Potential for higher returns: By combining multiple selections into one bet, your odds will increase, which, in turn, will boost the potential payout.
Ability to mix and match: With accumulators, you’re able to place bets across different markets and sports, which may appeal to those who prefer more creative betting strategies.
Cons:
Higher risk: If just one of your selections fails then you lose the entire bet.
Less consistent wins: Similarly, given that you’re relying on correctly predicting multiple outcomes, the likelihood of being successful is lower.
If you’re interested in combining multiple selections into one bet, it might also be worth looking into Canadian bets, also known as a Super Yankee, which consists of 26 bets using five selections across four bet variations. Or, for something even more complex, there’s the Heinz bet (57 wagers across six selections), and even the Super Heinz bet (120 wagers across seven selections).
Alternatively, if you’re feeling unsure about the level of risk, an each-way bet offers more security and a chance at winning, as you can still be successful by placing rather than just winning.
How to place an accumulator bet
Placing an accumulator is easy to do on the Betway site or mobile app.
Simply make as many selections as you would like – they will appear in your betslip as you are going along.
Once you’ve finished making your selections, simply go to your betslip!
You may then be presented with several ways of backing your selections (doubles, trebles, a Lucky 31 or others), but backing an accumulator is the easiest.
Type your stake into the box directly below your selections. If you have made four selections (like the example above), it will be called a four-fold. If you have made six selections, it will be called a six–fold. And so on.
Good luck with your accumulators!
You can check out our accumulator tips for football and other sports on the Betway Insider.
Ready to place a bet? Visit Betway’s football odds page.
