What Does 1X2 Mean in Betting? – Get the 1X2 Bet Meaning Explained

Jamie Clark

Senior Editor

Updated: 21 November 2023

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1X2 betting is just another name for the full-time result market where 1 is a home win, X a draw in the game and 2 an away win. That’s how it works. We’re here to tell you what does 1X2 mean in betting terms and it’s not basic multiplication. Our experts delve into the win draw win market bet type and show you how it works, plus a few tips so you can be a smarter punter. Everything will soon become clear about the 1X2 bet meaning, its pros and cons and much more.

What Does 1X2 Mean in Betting?

So, to recap, what is 1X2 in betting then? It’s just gambling jargon for the full-time match result in team sports like football. Also known as the win draw win market offered by all betting sites, this type of bet give you three options to choose from. You can side with either the home team or away side earning victory, or wager on a draw. There’s no smoke and mirrors here. The 1X2 betting meaning really is as simple as that. You may just have known this market by another name.

How Does 1X2 Betting Work?

Now that you see what does 1X2 mean in betting circles, there’s how it all works to figure out. To quickly recap, you only have three betting options here. Each of the possible outcomes in a match or game involving a sports team has a corresponding number or symbol If you choose to bet on “1” from the win draw win market, you’re backing the home side for success.

Alternatively, you could wager on “2”, which denotes the away team winning. As for “X”, well by process of elimination that means the draw is your preferred option. The final full-time match result must reflect what you have bet on in order to get your wager paid out as a winner. You should also know that for games where there must be a winner, which can go beyond regulation time of a game, bets will be settled as a draw and don’t cover any extra time played.

What Does 1X2 Mean in Football Betting?

As noted above, the most popular sport for 1X2 bets is football. While you can easily get win draw win markets on both codes of rugby, cricket matches and other team pursuits, none can match the beautiful game. This is the thing that people wager on football betting sites most often with dozens of games to take a punt on in the UK every week during the season.

There are 92 clubs across the Premier League and English Football League in total, for instance. That means across a matchday or week, punters can wager on 1X2 betting for 46 games. You’re not short of opportunities if a bet on the full-time result interests you. In the event that it’s a domestic, European or international cup competition or tournament, we just want to re-emphasise that your bet will be settled at the end of 90 minutes and any stoppage time.

Part of understanding what does 1X2 mean in betting is appreciating that extra time and penalties won’t be covered by your wager. Bets only apply to the regulation time of football matches, regardless of whether it’s a knockout phase game or tie in something like the UEFA Champions League or EUROs for national teams. If there’s no winner in 90 minutes, then your 1X2 bets are settled as a draw whatever happens in the additional period played.

Pros & Cons of 1X2 Betting Explained

Just like any wager you place, there are some upsides to the win draw win market but also some drawbacks. This reflects the risk and reward that lies behind all betting. Here are the positives and disadvantages of the 1X2 betting market as our experts see them:

What Other Markets Can You Combine 1X2 Bets with?

Thanks to the advent and creation of Bet Builder functions available with online bookmakers, you can create same game multiples where it’s possible to combine the full-time match result market with others. This is a way to boost the price and get a better return than wagering on win draw win can provide alone.

What Alternative Markets are Based on 1X2 Betting?

When you stop and think about how betting odds work, there are even some additional markets derived from the full-time result. That takes us beyond merely what does 1X2 mean in betting terms to consider alternatives, using how the three possible outcomes are in terms of their prices. Look out for these common betting markets at the bookies that use win draw win as their basis. They are genuine 1X2 betting alternatives:

Accumulator Betting 1X2

With so many sports happening on weekends, acca betting is commonplace. The bookies are bombarded by punters placing their latest multiples and the most common element in them, as you might’ve guessed, is the win draw win market. The 1X2 betting forms the core of so many accas with its popularity enduring, even though the number of options have increased. Check out some of the alternative sports bets above.

Owing its origins to The Pools coupon on a Saturday, the 1X2 football accumulator has moved from paper online in a big way over the last 20 years. Anyone taking a punt in the UK has all those league games in England (and Wales) to choose from, plus fixtures from the four tiers of the Scottish Professional Football League. When you consider all that is going on throughout the season, it’s no wonder that 1X2 bets are so popular in accumulators on this sport.

1X2 Live Betting

Besides the growth of accas, a genuine innovation of the digital age in gambling has been live betting with in-play markets that react to what’s happening on the field of play. When traders started creating this opportunities, the natural place to start was with 1X2 betting odds on the full-time result. The prospects of either team winning or games ending in draws can change a lot throughout a match.

If, for example, the away team scores an early goal, then the live betting odds for a draw and home side winning become bigger. This is only logical as the visitors have an advantage in the game and will be victorious if things stay the same for the remainder of the game. There are times, however, when in-play betting markets including 1X2 bets become suspended. This may be because a penalty kick is about to be taken, or the referee is about to send a player off the field.

1X2 Betting Tips

We’ve considered in some detail what does 1X2 mean in betting terms here, but what about when to wager? More importantly, how is it best to approach doing so? Our experts can help you there. Follow these hints and tips, and they should enable you to make better choices when wagering. We’re going to share our best betting strategies with you now:

Best Bookmakers for an 1X2 Bet

As the most basic market for betting on team sports events, the full-time result or win draw win option is universally available across all bookmaker sites. The only metric determining if one bookie is better than another is if there are better odds on offer. If you choose to keep it simple with 1X2 betting, please gamble responsibly.

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Jamie Clark

Senior Editor

Jamie Clark has been with bettingsites.co.uk from the very beginning and penned the very first pieces of content that appeared right here. Known for his horse racing expertise, his strong gambling knowledge comes from childhood where he was surrounded by both horses and betting. The godson of a former on-track bookmaker at Market Rasen Racecourse, Jamie ended up working in the same industry and became Sports Editor of heavyweight bookies Coral for three years before they merged with Ladbrokes. After a successful spell freelancing for other big names in the business, he helped us launch this site with his skills, experience and ability coming in useful. Read long form content across a range of betting subjects from Jamie right here.

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