Betting on the outcome in bookmakers

A bet on the outcome is a bet that is made directly on the outcome of the game. This is perhaps the most popular type of betting in bookmakers which does not require any special knowledge from the player: here we will simply bet either on which of the participants will win, or on whether there will be a draw in a match.

In bets on soccer, hockey or basketball games bookmakers will usually offer three outcomes and usually list this in the line as 1X2 (these symbols should mean possible outcomes):

  • 1 or P1 – first-team victory
  • X – draw
  • 2 or P2 – second team win

In some sports, a draw is not provided (for example, in tennis), and then in the line of the bookmaker will be offered a bet on 2 outcomes: in this case you can only win one or the second opponent.

Also, a victory of two outcomes is offered by bookmakers in the event that the match must have a winner (overtime, extra innings, etc), for example, in accordance with the rules of the tournament.

Please note that bets on the outcome of a soccer or hockey game are accepted for the main time of the game (unless the rules stipulate otherwise): if the final obtained from the results of additional time/overtime it is usually not taken into account by the bookmaker.

Most often, bets on the entire match, taking into account extra time/overtime, are also available in the lines of most bookmakers. This market can be called "Passage" (we bet that the team will pass to the next stage of the competition) or "Victory in the match", and this bet differs by the fact that there are only 2 outcomes, there can be no draw.

Double chance in betting: what is it 

When betting on the outcome of a game, despite its simplicity, there are some things you should know. Such a phenomenon as a double outcome (also called "double chance") implies two possible results of the match. Examples of double-outcome bets:

  • 1X – first team won't lose 
  • 12 – there will be no draw
  • X2 – the second team won't lose

And if the first and third options are clear (the bet will win if the team wins or a draw), the outcome of the 12 bets for the newcomers raises the question: what is it? It's quite simple, there are also two outcomes in which the bet will win. In short, a double chance of 12 is a bet that there will be no draw, that is, either the first or the second team will win.

Intermediate exodus

The interim outcome includes only a certain time period of the match/event. The bookmaker at its discretion indicates in the line-specific minutes of this time segment and challenges the player to predict the outcome of this segment.

For example, it could be an outcome "from the 1st to the 5th minute," "from the 45th to the 60th minute" or at any other specific time interval.

In the lines, some bookmakers call this market "Interim Exodus", some use other formulations, for example, "Exodus for a minute played."

Also, available in some sportsbooks are bets on the outcome of half-times in football or periods in hockey. There are the same rules as in the main outcomes, only the bet is made not on the result of the whole match or a segment of a few minutes, but on the result of a certain time/period.

How to bet on the outcome of a match

In theory, everything is simple: you need to predict the result of the match (or its main time) and bet on it.

As a rule, there is always a favourite in the competition, whose chances of winning are considered higher. Accordingly, the odds for such a team/athlete are lower than for the opponent. 

Some players try to play only on favourites with odds of 1.5 and below, thinking that the chances of these teams winning will be 100%. Unfortunately, this tactic usually leads to a loss: firstly, because the favourites can lose, and secondly because the size of the odds is a betting margin, which may well lead to losses in a long game.

Another common misconception is betting against the favourite (on the underdog winning). Many people think that if the odds on the favourite are understated, the odds on the outsider and the draw result are significantly overstated.  This is not the case because there is also a laid margin in the odds for the underdog and the draw.


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Andy H
Andy H
Site Manager
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