You back a strong favourite, watch them dominate for 89 minutes, then a freak deflection levels the score in stoppage time. On the standard match-result market, your ticket is dead. There was nothing wrong with your read — football just punished you for one bad bounce. This is exactly the kind of heartbreak that Double Chance and Draw No Bet (DNB) were built to soften.
These two markets are the football bettor's safety net. They won't turn a bad opinion into a winner, but they let you cover more of the ways a match can end — at the cost of slimmer odds. For Filipino punters who want their reads to survive a fluke goal or a defensive masterclass, understanding these markets is essential. Let's break them down properly on VOSLOT, your PAGCOR-licensed sportsbook.
The Standard 1X2 Market — Your Starting Point
Before we touch the safer markets, remember how a normal football bet works. The 1X2 market (also called match result or full-time result) has three outcomes:
- 1 — Home team wins
- X — Draw
- 2 — Away team wins
You pick exactly one. If any other result happens, you lose. That's clean and high-paying, but it's also unforgiving. Double Chance and DNB both start from these same three outcomes and simply bundle them differently to reduce your risk.
What Is Double Chance?
Double Chance lets you cover two of the three possible outcomes in a single bet. Because you're winning in two scenarios instead of one, the odds are lower than a straight pick — but your chance of collecting is much higher.
There are exactly three Double Chance options:
| Double Chance bet | You win if... | Combines |
|---|---|---|
| 1X | Home wins OR draw | Home win + Draw |
| 12 | Home wins OR away wins | Home win + Away win |
| X2 | Draw OR away wins | Draw + Away win |
The only way to lose:
- 1X loses only if the away team wins
- 12 loses only if the match is a draw
- X2 loses only if the home team wins
Think of it as eliminating one outcome instead of betting on one. The 12 option is special — it's "anyone but the draw," perfect for chaotic derbies where you're confident there'll be a winner but can't say who.
Double Chance worked example
Imagine a Philippine Football League match where the home side are clear favourites. The 1X2 odds look like this:
- Home win (1): 1.70
- Draw (X): 3.60
- Away win (2): 4.50
If you back 1X (home win or draw) at odds of around 1.25, a ₱1,000 stake returns ₱1,250 (₱250 profit) whether the home team wins or the match is drawn. You only lose if the underdog away team pulls off an upset.
Compare that to backing the straight home win at 1.70, where ₱1,000 returns ₱1,700 — bigger payout, but a late equaliser kills your ticket. Double Chance trades upside for survivability.
What Is Draw No Bet (DNB)?
Draw No Bet removes the draw from the equation entirely. You back either the home team or the away team to win. If they win, you collect. If the match ends in a draw, your full stake is refunded — you neither win nor lose.
So DNB has only two real outcomes for your wallet:
- Your team wins → you collect at the DNB odds
- Your team loses → you lose your stake
- Match is a draw → stake returned in full (a "push")
This is the closest thing to a built-in insurance policy in football betting. The draw — football's most common single result — simply can't hurt you.
Draw No Bet worked example
Using the same favourites match:
- Back Home DNB at odds of around 1.45
- Stake ₱1,000
Three scenarios:
- Home wins: ₱1,000 × 1.45 = ₱1,450 (₱450 profit)
- Match drawn: ₱1,000 refunded (₱0 profit, ₱0 loss)
- Away wins: you lose ₱1,000
Notice the DNB odds (1.45) sit between the straight home win (1.70) and the 1X Double Chance (1.25). That's not a coincidence — it reflects exactly how much risk each market carries.
The Math: How These Markets Relate to 1X2 Odds
Both markets are derived from the underlying 1X2 probabilities. Understanding the relationship helps you spot which option offers the best value.
Double Chance combines two outcomes' implied probabilities. Convert each 1X2 decimal odd into implied probability (1 ÷ odds), add the two you're covering, then convert back to odds:
- Home win 1.70 → 58.8% implied
- Draw 3.60 → 27.8% implied
- Combined 1X = 86.6% → fair odds ≈ 1 ÷ 0.866 = 1.15 (before margin, the sportsbook prices it around 1.25)
Draw No Bet effectively removes the draw and redistributes the stake. The simplified fair-odds formula is:
DNB odds = (Home odds × Draw odds) ÷ (Home odds + Draw odds)
Using 1.70 and 3.60: (1.70 × 3.60) ÷ (1.70 + 3.60) = 6.12 ÷ 5.30 ≈ 1.15 fair, priced around 1.45 after margin and the refund mechanism.
The takeaway: the safer the cover, the lower the odds. There is no free lunch. You're paying for reduced risk with reduced reward, and the price is mathematically fair (minus the house margin).
When to Use Each Market
Neither market is "better" — each fits specific situations. Here's how sharp Filipino bettors deploy them.
Use Double Chance when:
- You back a heavy favourite but fear a shock or a parked-bus defensive display
- You're betting an away underdog with the X2 option (draw or upset win) — great value when a small side travels to a giant
- You expect a tight, low-scoring match where a draw is genuinely likely
- You want to build a safer accumulator leg — stacking 1X selections across matches keeps multi-leg tickets alive
Use Draw No Bet when:
- You have a clear winner in mind but the draw worries you more than the loss
- It's a cup tie or knockout where teams play cautiously and 0-0 at full time is common
- You're backing a favourite at short odds and want better value than Double Chance offers
- You want your stake protected rather than partially committed to the draw outcome
The derby and cup-tie logic
Derbies and knockout cup ties are tense, defensive, and draw-prone. In these matches:
- DNB shines if you fancy one side — the likely draw refunds you instead of busting you
- Double Chance 12 shines if you're sure there'll be a winner but can't pick which (rare in derbies, but it happens in open, end-to-end rivalries)
Double Chance vs DNB vs Asian Handicap
Filipino bettors often weigh these three risk-reducing tools against each other. Here's a clear comparison using our favourites match (home team strongly favoured).
| Feature | Straight Win (1) | Double Chance (1X) | Draw No Bet (Home) | Asian Handicap (-0.5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example odds | 1.70 | 1.25 | 1.45 | 1.70 |
| Win if home wins | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Draw outcome | ❌ Lose | ✅ Win | ↩️ Refund | ❌ Lose |
| Away win | ❌ Lose | ❌ Lose | ❌ Lose | ❌ Lose |
| Risk level | High | Lowest | Low | High |
| Payout | Highest | Lowest | Medium | Highest |
Key insight: Asian Handicap -0.5 is mathematically identical to a straight win (both lose on a draw). The real risk-reducers are Double Chance and DNB. Note that Asian Handicap 0 (level ball) is functionally the same as Draw No Bet — both refund on a draw — so if your sportsbook lists one but not the other, you know the equivalent.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced punters trip up on these markets. Watch out for:
- Over-paying for safety on long-shots. Double Chance on a heavy favourite gives tiny odds (e.g. 1.12). You're risking ₱1,000 to win ₱120 — one upset wipes out eight winning bets. Make sure the safety is worth the price.
- Confusing X2 with backing the underdog to win. X2 wins on a draw or away win. Don't expect the full upset payout — you've sacrificed that for the draw cover.
- Forgetting DNB refunds aren't profit. A refunded draw means your money sat dead. Across a season, too many DNB pushes mean your bankroll isn't growing.
- Stacking too many "safe" legs in an acca. Even 1.25-odds legs compound risk. Five 1X legs at 1.25 still only pays around 3.05 — and one away upset kills the lot.
- Ignoring the margin. Always compare the Double Chance/DNB odds against the fair odds you calculate from the 1X2 lines. Sometimes the straight bet plus good staking discipline is smarter.
Betting These Markets at VOSLOT
On VOSLOT, finding these markets is straightforward. Open any football match, and alongside the main 1X2 odds you'll see Double Chance and Draw No Bet listed in the popular markets section. Add your selection to the bet slip, enter your peso stake, and the potential payout calculates instantly.
As a PAGCOR-licensed sportsbook, VOSLOT processes deposits and withdrawals through GCash and Maya, so funding your account and collecting winnings is fast and familiar for Filipino players. Live odds update in real time, letting you weigh a DNB against a Double Chance before kick-off — or even react as a match develops.
Bottom Line
Double Chance and Draw No Bet are the smart bettor's tools for surviving football's chaos. Double Chance covers two of three outcomes for the lowest odds and the highest hit-rate; DNB backs a winner while refunding your stake on the dreaded draw. Both lower your risk and, fairly, lower your reward — the math always balances.
Use Double Chance for shaky favourites, travelling underdogs (X2), and safer acca legs. Use DNB for cup ties, derbies, and short-priced favourites where the draw is your biggest fear. Neither guarantees a profit — no bet ever does — but used with discipline and honest value checks, they keep your bankroll alive when one bad bounce would otherwise end your night. Bet responsibly, calculate the value, and let VOSLOT handle the rest.
