System Bets
What are system bets, how do system bets work and what are their pros and cons? Our complete guide to system bets has all the answers punters need.
System Bets Explained
System bets might seem complex, but the name just refers to a type of wager where there is no need for every leg to be a winner in order for some form of return to be handed to the player. As such, system bets have become increasingly popular on UK betting sites.
A system bet includes singles and combination wagers, so they are similar to accumulators. Due to the fact they can have a high number of lines, system bets might involve a significant outlay, but people are likely to be assured by their higher chances of it being a winning wager.
System bets have been around for some time but they have not always been referred to by this name, which means some sports fans might have used them without even realising them in the past. A system bet has to have at least three legs, otherwise, it cannot be classed as such. With a system bet, two out of the three legs could fail but still provide some sort of return to a user.
How Does a System Bet Work?
So how does a system bet work? A good example of a system bet is a Trixie. Trixies, perhaps the most common type of system bet to be placed on sports, may be comprised of the following:
- Southampton vs Crystal Palace (Southampton win) - leg 1
- Liverpool vs Manchester United (Liverpool win) - leg 2
- Brentford vs Chelsea (Chelsea win) - leg 3
Football fans wanting to add these three selections to their bet slip could opt to place a treble. However, with a treble, there is a need for each of the three legs to win in order to get a return.
With system bets, more outcomes are covered so there is more chance of receiving returns. This is how system bets work in the form of a typical Trixie, using the same examples as above:
- Bet 1: Leg 1 + leg 2 (Southampton and Liverpool to win)
- Bet 2: Leg 1 + leg 3 (Southampton and Chelsea to win)
- Bet 3: Leg 2 + leg 3 (Liverpool and Chelsea to win)
- Bet 4: Leg 1 + leg 2 + leg 3 (Southampton, Liverpool and Chelsea to win)
Different Types of System Bets
There are a lot of types of systems bets out there to try, but the most prominent ones include:
Trixie
As detailed above, the Trixie is perhaps the most common type of system bets, with this option popular across a wide variety of sports but primarily of interest to football and horse racing fans.
Trixie system bets are made up as follows:
- 3 doubles
- 1 treble
Patent
Patent bets are similar to Trixie system bets in that they also cover three selections on a wager.
Patent system bets cover a total of seven different lines and they are made up as follows:
- 3 singles
- 3 doubles
- 1 treble
Yankee
Named as such due to the fact this type of system bet was conceived in America, the Yankee has 11 different combinations.
There are four selections covered in a Yankee system bet and they are common in football. Yankee system bets are made up as follows:
- 6 doubles
- 4 trebles
- 1 four-leg accumulator
Lucky 15
As the name suggests, there are 15 legs in total in a lucky 15, which is a common system bet for fans of the sport of kings. Racing fans like to pick out four fancies and put them in a lucky 15.
Lucky 15 system bets are similar to Yankees with extra lines - they are made up as follows:
- 6 doubles
- 4 trebles
- 4 singles
- 1 four-leg accumulator
Canadian
There are 26 lines in total for the five selections in a Canadian system bet, which is sometimes also referred to as a Super Yankee due to its similarities with that other type of system bet.
Canadian system bets are made up as follows:
- 10 doubles
- 10 trebles
- 5 four-fold accumulators
- 1 five-fold accumulator bet
Alphabet
Another type of system bet with 26 lines is the alphabet, which is named as such due to the number of letters from A to Z.
Unlike a Canadian/Super Yankee, the alphabet includes six selections rather than just five. Alphabet system bets are made up as follows:
- 2 patents (contributing 14 bets)
- 1 Yankee (11 bets)
- 1 six-fold accumulator
Lucky 31
This type of system bet is an extension of the lucky 15, but with an extra selection added. As a result, there are 31 lines in total for a lucky 31 system bet, which is popular in racing.
Lucky 31 system bets are made up as follows:
- 5 singles
- 10 doubles
- 10 trebles
- 5 four-fold accas
- 1 five-fold accumulator
Heinz
Named after the food company's slogan, the Heinz system bet has a total of 57 different lines. As a result, this is a large system bet that can involve a significant outlay on a wager as a result.
As with the alphabet type of system bet, the Heinz system bet involves six selections in total. Heinz system bets are made up as follows:
- 15 doubles
- 20 trebles
- 15 four-fold accumulators
- 6 five-fold accumulators
- 1 six-fold accumulator
Lucky 63
Taking the lucky 15 and lucky 31 system bets to another level if the lucky 63 system bet. As the name of this one indicates, there are 63 lines in total in the lucky 63 system bets.
This one is made up of six selections and is a complete coverage type of system bet. Lucky 63 system bets are made up as follows:
- 6 singles
- 15 doubles
- 20 trebles
- 15 four-fold accumulators
- 6 five-fold accumulators
- 1 six-fold accumulator
Super Heinz
Heading back to the Heinz type of system bet, a Super Heinz adds another selection to the mix.
As a result, Super Heinz system bets have seven different selections included, which naturally means there is a significant increase to the total lines, though this is not a full coverage wager.
Even without singles being included, there are a total of 120 bets included in a Super Heinz. Super Heinz system bets are made up as follows:
- 21 doubles
- 35 trebles
- 35 four-fold accumulators
- 21 five-fold accumulators
- 7 six-fold accumulators
- 1 seven-fold accumulator
Goliath
A system bet comprising 247 different lines, goliath system bets are not for the faint-hearted.
Those who want to put on a system bet with eight selections could try out a goliath bet. Keep in mind that the stake chosen will be multiplied 247 times, so the total stake can be quite large.
As goliath system bets are not full coverage, at least two of the eight selections must win in order for these system bets to pay out any returns to the player.
Goliath system bets are made up as follows:
- 28 doubles
- 56 trebles
- 70 four-fold accumulators
- 56 five-fold accumulators
- 28 six-fold accumulators
- 8 seven-fold accumulators
- 1 eight-fold accumulator
Pros and Cons of System Bets
System bets have a lot of great pros as well as cons over other types of bets, such as the following:
Higher chance of winning wagers due to more outcomes being covered in total
Offers an opportunity to use a range of different strong sports betting strategies
Different types of system bets can be placed to suit different betting styles
Winnings can still be received even if not all of the legs turn out to be winners
The outlay for system bets such as the goliath can be high due to the large number of legs
System bets can be complex and complicated, so are not ideal for beginners to use
Betting bonuses such as welcome deals are often not able to be used on system bets
FAQs
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Steven is an experienced iGaming content writer who has been working in the industry since 2018. He is passionate about sports betting and enjoys writing about all aspects of the industry, including bookmaker reviews, betting tips and strategies, and news and analysis.