How Does Each Way Betting Work in Darts?
Each way betting is extremely popular in many sports as it gives bettors multiple chances to win and reduces the risk of losing. However, darts is not a sport that is particularly well known for each way betting.
When you place an each way bet you are effectively placing two bets, one on the ‘win’ and one on the ‘place’. It, therefore, works well in sporting events that offer a lot of places such as horse racing or golf.
In this guide we’ll show you how each way betting works in darts, how to place a darts each way bet and what considerations to look out for when betting on darts.
Each Way Betting
For those who need a refresher, each way betting is basically a bet that covers both if your selection wins or if it just narrowly misses out.
Bookmakers offer specific ‘place’ spots on certain events, and if your chosen player/horse/team doesn’t win, but lands in one of the designated paid places, then you’ll still get a financial return.
It is seen mostly in horse racing, where every race has a set number of places. In races with only a few horses, it’s usually just first and second place. However, for races that have a much bigger field, it can pay out on anything from three to six places. That means if you make an each way bet and your horse comes in sixth, you can still get a return.
Darts Betting
Darts is a highly popular sport to bet on with a unique scoring system. It is one of the most bet on sports in the UK, especially during the big televised tournaments.
You can place a full range of bets on darts, including single bets, bet builders and accumulators. It is also a great sport for in-play betting too.
As well as the obvious match winner bet, you can also bet on Legs, Sets, 180’s, Check Outs, Nine Dart Finishes, Match Treble bets and Three Dart Averages.
However, the format of the sport, which pits two opponents against each other, means there aren’t any place spots available in a regular match, there’s just a winner and a loser.
But this is where tournament betting comes in.
Each Way Betting In Darts
Each way bets in darts comes in the form of tournament betting.
For all major darts tournaments, there is an outright winner market. This is a bet on which player will win the overall tournament, not just one specific match.
Because most darts tournaments have a knock-out format, that means that you are always left with two finalists. Most bookmakers, therefore, offer each way darts betting markets on two places - whether a player will finish in first or second place.
Let’s take a look at an example:
For a PDC World Championship, bookmakers are offering a 1/2 Odds 2 Places each way market on the outright winner.
At the time of writing the odds for Michael van Gerwen to win outright are 12/1.
If you place a £5 each way bet on MVG to win then your total bet is £10 and it would be split as follows:
£5 on MVW to win at full odds - 12/1
£5 on MVW to come first or second at half of the odds - 6/1
This means that no matter whether Michael Van Gerwen finishes first or second, you will still receive a payout.
Each Way Betting In Darts Payouts
If we continue with the above example and Michael Van Gerwen wins the tournament then both of your bets will pay out:
£5 win at 12/1 = £65
£5 place at 6/1 = £35
Your total win will therefore be £100. If you minus your initial £10 stake then it’s £90 profit.
However, if Michael Van Gerwen reaches the final but doesn’t win, and therefore comes second, only the place part of the bet will pay out giving a return of £35. This is still a profit of £25.
If Michael Van Gerwen reaches the quarter-final, semi-final or goes out at any point before the final, the bet will be lost as the each-way market is only offered on the top two places.
How To Place An Each Way Bet On Darts
Placing each way bets in darts is exactly the same as placing them on other sports. You must first navigate to the Darts section, then the Outrights section. Here you’ll be given a list of upcoming tournaments available to bet on.
Click on the relevant tournament and you will be offered a list of players to bet on. If the each way market is available it will be stated at the top of the page. If the each way market is not available it will usually state ‘Win Only’ on the page.
It is then just a case of selecting your chosen player, and when the betting slip opens, tick the E/W box. You will then enter your stake, remembering that this will be doubled for the each way element, and then confirm your bet.
Which Darts Events Have Each Way Markets?
Each way markets may not be available for all darts tournaments, however they will be on offer for the big ones that attract the most attention. These include:
- PDC Darts Championship
- World Matchplay
- Grand Slam of Darts
- World Grand Prix of Darts
- World Cup of Darts
- Premier League Darts
- German Darts Championship
- European Tour
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Each Way Betting In Darts
There are both pros and cons to placing each way bets in darts as opposed to straight bets.
The obvious advantage is that it gives you some protection on your bet. It gives you a second chance to earn some winnings if your player loses the final.
The main disadvantage is that even if both parts of the each way bet win (the win and the place) it still won’t give as good a return as if you’d just placed a straight £10 bet on Michael Van Gerwen to win. (£10 x 12/1 = £130 payout with £120 profit).
Each way darts betting also doesn’t give you much slack by only offering 2 places. Your player still needs to reach the final in order to win anything, which is a tough ask.
Betting Considerations on Darts Betting
When placing any type of darts bet, including each way bets, it's beneficial to take these top tips into consideration.
Odds
Every bettor wants the best odds for their bets, it’s just human nature. To make sure that you’re getting the best, you could use an odds comparison site such as Oddschecker.
They scour the bookies for their odds and put them all in a convenient table so that you can see where the best odds are for each market at a glance.
Oddschecker will also show you the each way terms of bets when they are available.
Check them out before you place your darts each way bets to make sure you’re getting the most value.
Do Your Research
Knowledge is power when it comes to betting. You can never guarantee wins but you can certainly make more informed decisions when you have some intel to go off.
Study the recent form of darts players, see who is performing well going into a tournament, look at recent stats and then put that information to use when placing your bets.
Bookmaker Promotions and Offers
Bookies are always offering a range of bonus offers for various sports. However, when it comes to darts, many bookies actually sponsor the tournaments.
It is therefore worthwhile looking out for bookmaker darts promotions around the big events. Both Bet365 and Paddy Power sponsor major darts tournaments, and will usually offer a range of promotions such as free bets and bet boosts leading up to and during the tournaments.
Keep your eye out for bonus offers to get even more value from your darts bets.
Updated: 27 Sep 2024
The Author
Lynsey has been writing in the iGaming and sports betting industry for almost a decade. She has three years of experience in Matched Betting and enjoys sharing her expertise and knowledge to help others.