Guide to Placing a Round Robin Bet

Martin Green
August 16, 2024

A round robin bet provides an excellent alternative to regular parlays if you would like to reduce the level of risk involved. You start out by making several predictions on upcoming games, and you then place a series of parlay bets on your chosen picks. A round robin differs from a typical parlay bet, as you can still receive a payout if one or more of your picks proves to be incorrect.

This type of bet may suit players that find individual parlays too risky. We have broken down some of the key types of round robin bets you can make below, and we have also rounded up the best online sportsbooks that accept round robins. You will also learn our top tips for placing a round robin wager.

The Different Kinds of Round Robin Bets

A round robin is a popular wager type among experienced bettors. It is very flexible, as you can make as many selections as you like and then choose how many different parlay combinations you would like to create within that group.

We have highlighted some of the most common types of bets that fall into the round robin category below.

Trixie

A trixie is the simplest type of bet you can make when compiling a round robin. It requires you to make three predictions. You then place three doubles (two-team parlays) and a treble (a three-team parlay) on your chosen picks.

For example, let’s say you like:

New York Yankees to beat Cleveland Guardians
Los Angeles Dodgers to beat Colorado Rockies
Toronto Blue Jays to beat Pittsburgh Pirates

You would then place four bets:

A Yankees-Dodgers parlay
A Yankees-Blue Jays parlay
A Dodgers-Blue Jays parlay
A Yankees-Dodgers-Blue Jays parlay

A $10 trixie would therefore cost $40 in total. If all three teams won their games, all four parts of the bet would pay out. If only two teams won, just one of the bets would pay out.

Patent

A patent is a similar round Robin option to a trixie, but it also includes single bets. Sticking with the example above, you would place seven different wagers:

New York Yankees to beat Cleveland Guardians
Los Angeles Dodgers to beat Colorado Rockies
Toronto Blue Jays to beat Pittsburgh Pirates
A Yankees-Dodgers parlay
A Yankees-Blue Jays parlay
A Dodgers-Blue Jays parlay
A Yankees-Dodgers-Blue Jays parlay

A $10 patent, therefore, costs $70. If all the teams win, all seven parts of the bet pay off. If one, two or three teams let you down, you still receive a payout, although it may be less than the cost of the bet if only one or two teams win.

Yankee

A Yankee requires you to make four predictions. You then place 11 parlay combinations on those four picks:

A four-leg parlay.
Four three-leg parlays.
Six two-leg parlays.

That means you receive the maximum potential payout if all four picks are correct, but you also receive some money back if just two or three of them succeed. This is one of the most popular round robin wagers. You can alternatively go for a Lucky 15, which also includes four single bets on each of the picks, resulting in 15 bets overall.

Canadian

A Canadian is a larger round robin option, which involves making 26 different bets: 10 doubles, 10 trebles, five four-leg parlays and a five-leg parlay. A $10 Canadian will therefore cost you $260.

This parlay betting option may also be referred to as a Super Yankee. You can alternatively place a Lucky 31, which also includes single wagers on each of your five picks. Larger round robins include a Heinz (six selections), a Super Heinz (seven selections) and a Goliath (eight selections).

Which sportsbooks let you place round robin bets?

All reputable online sportsbook operators allow you to place round robin bets. You generally just need to click on multiple selections to add them to your betslip. A round robin option will then appear on the slip. It will allow you to choose the amount you would like to risk on each bet within the round robin, along with the cumulative odds available.

We recommend these top online sportsbooks for placing a round robin:

They are all A+ rated online sports betting providers that have been carefully vetted by the BMR team, and they offer appealing round robin terms and odds.

What You Need to Know to Place a Round Robin Bet

Follow these steps to place a round robin bet today:

Log into your online sportsbook account and click on three or more different selections to add them to your betslip.
Click on the “Round Robin” tab that appears.
Type in the amount you would like to wager on the two-team parlays, the three-team parlays, the four-team parlays and so on into the relevant boxes.
The slip will then inform you of the overall cost of the bet.
Click to confirm the wager.

Your overall payout increases each time one of your bet selections proves to be correct. You will be paid out after all of the games have concluded.

Winning a Round Robin Bet

Most round robin bets feature parlays of between two and seven legs. That means at least two of your predictions will need to prove correct for a typical parlay bet to succeed.

The more correct selections you make, the larger the payout you receive. Just bear in mind that your payout could be less than the cost of your bet. For example, you might compile a $10 Canadian and spend $260, but only two selections prove correct at odds of -110.

In that case, your return would be $36.45, which is less than your initial outlay. If three picks paid off at -110, you would get $142.48 back, which still represents an overall loss. You would earn a profit if four picks proved correct at -110 odds, and you would receive a large profit if all five were correct. The longer the odds on each selection, the more potential for massive payouts.

Is round robin betting for you?

Round robin betting can be a very prudent strategy for knowledgeable sports fans. Many seasoned bettors have experienced the crushing feeling of losing a parlay after a single leg failed.

You can eliminate that risk by opting for a round robin sports bet on upcoming games instead. Think of it as any insurance policy for wagering purposes, whereby you still earn a small profit or reduce your potential losses if your predictions are imperfect.

Tips for Round Robin Betting

It is rarely advisable to stick heavy favorites in a round robin. You might also like to avoid long shots. Try to find that sweet spot in the middle. For example, go for picks on standard point spreads and totals if you are betting on football. If you are betting on baseball or hockey, opt for reasonably priced moneylines.

You can use our free round robin calculator to work out the maximum win and risk amounts on a round robin bet, along with the situational results. This can be an invaluable tool, as it helps you understand the level of risk involved and come up with a suitable bet amount.

We offer a range of free betting calculators, including a hedging calculator and a parlay calculator, both of which can bolster your parlay wagering strategy.

Finally, make sure you shop for the best odds when compiling a round robin. That will boost your overall payouts if you make multiple correct predictions. You can use our free odds comparison tool to see which sites offer the best odds on the various picks you like and then visit that sportsbook to compile your round robin.