How it works
A bet calculator multiplies the decimal odds of the legs along every line of your bet and adds the lines up. A double that wins at 2.00 and 3.00 returns six times its stake. A system bet such as a Yankee is every double, treble and fourfold of four selections, each settled the same way.
A void leg (a postponed match, a non-runner) counts as odds of 1.00, so a double with one void leg settles as a single. A dead heat divides the stake by the runners tied and pays that share at full odds. Each-way doubles every line: a win part at the full odds and a place part at the place terms.
The formula
- Line return = stake × odds of leg 1 × odds of leg 2 × …
- A won leg counts at its decimal odds, a lost leg at 0, a void leg at 1, and a dead heat at its odds ÷ runners tied.
- Each-way place odds = 1 + (decimal odds − 1) × place terms
- Bet return = the sum of every line’s return
A worked football example
Back three home wins at 1.80, 2.10 and 2.50. As a treble, a stake of 10.00 returns 94.50. As a Trixie (the three doubles and the treble: four bets of 10.00, 40.00 in all), the same three winners return 229.80. If the 2.50 leg loses, the treble returns nothing and the Trixie still returns 37.80 from the double that came in.
What it does not tell you
It tells you what a slip pays, not whether it was worth placing. Every extra leg multiplies the bookmaker’s margin along with the odds: five legs at a 5% margin each carry about 28% in total. It also assumes standard settlement. Bookmakers’ own rules on void legs, dead heats and acca bonuses can differ, and theirs decide.
Common questions
How is an accumulator calculated?
Multiply the decimal odds of every leg together and multiply by the stake. A fourfold of 10 at 1.50, 2.00, 1.80 and 2.20 returns 10 × 1.50 × 2.00 × 1.80 × 2.20 = 118.80. If any leg loses, the whole accumulator loses.
What happens to my bet if one leg is void?
A void leg, such as a postponed match or a non-runner, is settled at odds of 1.00. It drops out and the rest of the bet carries on: a treble with one void leg becomes a double, and a double becomes a single. Check your bookmaker’s rules, because some only void a postponed match after a set number of hours.
How many bets are in a Yankee, a Lucky 15 and a Heinz?
A Yankee is 11 bets on four selections: 6 doubles, 4 trebles and a fourfold. A Lucky 15 adds the 4 singles to make 15. A Heinz is 57 bets on six selections, and a Goliath is 247 on eight. Each-way doubles the count.
How is a dead heat settled?
Your stake is divided by the number of runners tied, and that share is paid at the full odds. A bet of 10 at 11.00 that dead heats with one other runner counts as 5 at 11.00, so it returns 55.
How does an each-way accumulator work?
It is two accumulators of the same stake: one on every selection winning, and one on every selection placing at its place terms. A winner counts for both. If one selection only places, the win accumulator loses but the place accumulator can still pay.