What is the Head to Head (H2H) betting market?

What is Head to Head betting (H2H)?

Head to head betting (even said H2H) is a type of sports betting market where there are only two possible outcomes of a match. For example, a Team A win or Team B win.

In some cases, head to head bets involve three outcomes, such as football, where a home win, away win, or draw are possible.

Head to head betting is the most popular type of sports bet offered. It focuses on the win or loss outcome of a match. H2H bets are very popular in tennis, where there can only be two outcomes: Tennis Player A or Tennis Player B.

Head to head betting can even be used for comparing two Formula 1 drivers. You can bet on one of two football teams advancing further in a tournament or two football players – which one will score more goals than the other in a match. H2H is a very intuitive type of bet that is accessible to inexperienced bettors too.

What about the draw?

Most online betting operators will refund losing head to head bets on matches if the match finishes in a draw. In part, this is because the draw is improbable, and including it as a 3rd outcome would potentially complicate the head to head market for punters.

To further illustrate head to head betting, take a look at a tennis match between Djokovic and Monfils. Djokovic is at odds of 1.45 to win the match, while Monfils is rated a 2.00 chance to win. There is no potential for a 3rd outcome. Head to head betting on tennis is simply a market that reflects the probability odds of a player winning or losing a match.

Is the H2H betting market profitable?

H2H has only two possible outcomes. This makes it easy to bet and reduces a lot of the risk involved, but on the other hand, H2H bets usually have lower odds than other markets.

We, therefore, suggest following the golden rule of finding value bets.

Head to Head Betting and Bonuses

It is common for operators to offer free bets to existing customers on sports events, and quite often it requires a bet on a head to head market to qualify for the bonus. Head to head bets are the most popular and easily understood form of sports betting and this is why online sites use them for promotions.

Below we explain how to calculate a payout.

How to calculate your payout for a bet on the head to head market

You can calculate your payout for a bet on the head-to-head market in an easy way. Let’s say you bet on Roger Federer to beat Rafa Nadal in the Wimbledon final with a stake of Euro 100 at odds of 2.50.

Calculate return excluding commission

It’s calculated as:

Odds * Stake = Euro return

So in our example: 2.50 * 100 = Euro 250

Therefore, if Federer won your bet would return Euro 250 – including bet, with a profit of Euro 150.