What happens to my bet if there's a dead heat? A dead heat is when two or more participants tie for a position. In scenarios where there is a dead heat, some bets can be affected. Because there isn't a clear winner, the odds of the selection are divided by the number of participants making up the dead heat. Horse/Greyhound racing If you’ve placed a bet on a horse or greyhound to win the race and it’s involved in a dead heat, your stake odds are divided by the number of participants in the dead heat at your taken odds, and then multiplied by your original stake. Racing Example If you backed an 11.00 horse or greyhound for £10 and there’s a two-way dead heat, your odds would be divided by two (=5.50) and multiplied by the £10 stake, resulting in a return of £55. Golf and other sports Dead heats are common in golf, and most tournaments will see golfers tied for a position. But you generally can’t have a dead heat for the actual winner of a tournament because extra holes are played to decide who emerges victorious. Dead Heat Example The leaderboard below shows the conclusion of a fictional championship tournament: Position Name Score 1 Tiger Woods -15 2 Phil Mickelson -14 2 Rory McIlroy -14 4 Justin Rose -12 5 Dustin Johnson -10 5 Andrew Johnston -10 5 Bryson DeChambeau -10 8 Shane Lowry -8 9 Tommy Fleetwood -5 Example Bet You placed £5 each way on Dustin Johnson at 20/1 for the championship. The each-way terms are 1/4 of the odds for the first five places. Johnson finished tied for fifth with two other players, resulting in a dead heat for the place. The ‘win’ part of your bet is a loser as he did not win the tournament, but he finished in the first five places so the ‘place’ part of your bet will provide some returns. For more information, see our general rules here. If you need any further assistance, please see our contact details here. Related articles Contact us Sports Betting Rules When will my bet be settled? Virgin Bet FIVES Where do I see my game history?