Each-Way AtlasGlossary: each-way, odds and racing terms
Unit stake
A unit stake is the amount placed on one line of a bet, and the total cost is that amount multiplied by the number of lines. A single each-way bet has two lines, so it costs double the unit stake. Worked sums are on what each way means and Lucky 15 and Yankee costs.
Editorial team of Each-Way Atlas · Checked
What a unit stake is
A line is one separate bet inside the slip. The unit stake is what you put on each line. It is the figure you type into the stake box on a slip that asks for it.
The total cost is larger whenever there is more than one line. A bet that looks like a single entry can therefore cost a multiple of the figure you typed.
That is the reason to know the term: the figure you choose and the amount that leaves your balance are not always the same.
The short version: total cost = unit stake × number of lines.
How many lines each bet has
A single, a double, a treble and an accumulator are each one line. The full-cover bets are different: they bundle several lines into one slip entry.
| Bet | Lines | Lines if each way |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 1 | 2 |
| Double | 1 | 2 |
| Treble | 1 | 2 |
| Accumulator | 1 | 2 |
| Yankee (four selections: 6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 fourfold) | 11 | 22 |
| Lucky 15 (four selections: 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 fourfold) | 15 | 30 |
An each-way bet doubles the number of lines because every line has a win part and a place part. The cost sums are on Lucky 15 and Yankee costs.
The short version: multiply the unit stake by the lines, then by two if the bet is each way.
Reading the slip before you confirm
A slip may ask for the unit stake and show the total cost on a separate line. Read the total before you confirm, because that is the amount at risk.
Returns follow the same logic in reverse: each line has its own return, and the settlement adds them up. See return versus profit and how to work out each-way returns.
Set a deposit limit that suits your budget; the steps are on set a deposit limit or block betting accounts.
The short version: the total on the slip, not the figure in the stake box, is what you risk.
What we have and have not checked
The line counts are standard combinatorics and can be checked by hand. How each operator labels the stake box is a separate question.
| Fact to read | Where to read it | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Whether the stake box means unit stake or total stake | Bet slip and help pages of at least two licensed operators | Not verified |
| The operator's definition of unit stake in its rules | Operator betting rules, read and dated | Not verified |
The short version: line counts are shown; operator slip labelling is marked Not verified.
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