What you need
- An account at a bookmaker running 2 Up & You Win.
- An account at a betting exchange (Smarkets, Betfair Exchange, Matchbook).
- Enough money for the back stake plus the lay liability, often about 3 times the stake.
- 18 or over.
A worked example
£50 on Arsenal at 3.00 at the bookmaker. £49.50 against Arsenal at 3.05 at the exchange. Both matched, you're £1.49 down. Arsenal go 2–0 up at 41ʹ: the bookmaker pays out. Brighton come back to 2–2: your lay wins too.
Odds are examples; the sums use 2% exchange commission. Most 2UPs end in the small qualifying loss. The comeback is the exception.
Step by step
- Find a close match. You want back and lay prices close together, so the qualifying loss is small. The matcher sorts them by rating.
- Work out the lay. Use the 2UP calculator.
- Place both bets before kick-off. Back first, then lay straight away, before the price moves.
- If your team goes two up, you have a choice: leave the lay running for a comeback, or close it at the exchange. The alert lands the second it happens.
- If not, you keep the qualifying loss and move on to the next match.
Mistakes that cost money
- Laying the wrong team, or the wrong stake. Check before you confirm.
- A bookmaker's terms that exclude the market or the bet type. Read them.
- Backing without laying. That's an ordinary bet.
Get the 2UP alerts.
A free account gets the Friday 2UP watchlist and the calculator. Pro adds the live matcher and the alert the moment a team goes two up.
Free account · No card to sign up · 7-day free Pro trial when you're ready
18+. Matched betting carries risk if a step is missed, and results vary. We sell alerts and tools, not profits. Safer gambling · GambleAware.org · National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133