Trixie, Patent, Yankee, Lucky 15, 31 & 63 Explained
System bets — also called full cover bets — combine multiple selections into every possible combination of doubles, trebles and accumulators, so that a return is still possible even if one or more selections lose. From the 3-selection Trixie to the 6-selection Lucky 63, this guide explains exactly how many bets each system contains, how returns are calculated and when each makes sense to use.
What Are System Bets?
A system bet takes a set of selections and automatically places every possible combination of doubles, trebles and accumulators from those selections as separate bets — all for a single unit stake each. The result is that you don't need all selections to win to get a return. Even with one or two losers, surviving combinations can still pay out.
A standard accumulator requires every selection to win — one loser and the whole bet is lost. A system bet removes that all-or-nothing pressure by running every possible subset combination simultaneously. The trade-off is cost: because each combination is a separate bet with its own stake, the total outlay is significantly higher than a single accumulator.
System bets come in two flavours:
Full Cover — No Singles
Every combination of doubles, trebles and accumulators is included — but no singles. At least two selections must win to get any return. Lower total stake than the equivalent with singles. Better for confident bettors who want combination coverage without paying for singles.
Full Cover — With Singles
Every combination including singles. Even one winning selection returns something. Higher total stake — but the safety net of singles means you can't be completely blanked if even one selection wins. Preferred in horse racing where value at longer odds makes singles worthwhile.
Understanding total stake is critical. When a bookmaker says "£1 Trixie", that means £1 per bet — and a Trixie contains 4 bets, so the total outlay is £4. A £1 Lucky 15 costs £15 total. Always multiply the unit stake by the number of bets before placing.
Trixie — 3 Selections, 4 Bets
The Trixie is the smallest full cover system. It takes 3 selections and places every combination of doubles and a treble — but no singles. At least 2 of your 3 selections must win to get any return at all.
3 doubles (A+B, A+C, B+C)
1 treble (A+B+C)
Total: 4 bets
Total stake at £1/bet: £4
Minimum winners for a return: 2
Trixie — How Returns Build
Three selections: Horse A at 3.00, Horse B at 4.00, Horse C at 5.00. Unit stake: £1.
1 Winner (e.g. A only)
No doubles or treble can form.
All 4 bets lose.
Return: £0
Loss: −£4
2 Winners (A + B)
A+B double wins: 3.00 × 4.00 = 12.00
A+C and B+C doubles lose.
Treble loses.
Return: £1 × 12.00 = £12.00
Profit: +£8.00
All 3 Winners (A + B + C)
A+B: £12 | A+C: £15 | B+C: £20
Treble: 3.00×4.00×5.00 = 60.00 → £60
Total return: £107
Profit: +£103
The Trixie is ideal when you have three solid selections you're confident about but want protection against one letting you down. Two winners can still return a profit at reasonable odds — and all three winning delivers a substantial return from a small outlay.
Patent — 3 Selections, 7 Bets
The Patent is a Trixie with singles added. The same 3 selections cover every possible combination — including a single on each selection individually. Even one winner returns something, making it the most forgiving 3-selection system.
3 singles (A, B, C)
3 doubles (A+B, A+C, B+C)
1 treble (A+B+C)
Total: 7 bets
Total stake at £1/bet: £7
Minimum winners for a return: 1
Patent — How Returns Build
Same three selections: A at 3.00, B at 4.00, C at 5.00. Unit stake: £1.
1 Winner (A only at 3.00)
Single A wins: £1 × 3.00 = £3.00
All doubles and treble lose.
Return: £3.00
Loss vs £7 staked: −£4
2 Winners (A + B)
Singles A+B: £3 + £4 = £7
A+B double: £12
Total return: £19.00
Profit: +£12.00
All 3 Winners (A + B + C)
Singles: £3+£4+£5 = £12
Doubles: £12+£15+£20 = £47
Treble: £60
Total return: £119.00
Profit: +£112.00
The Patent is the system of choice for horse racing bettors on a big day. It covers the possibility of only one winner landing — which with longer-priced horses can still return a profit — while building to large returns if all three oblige.
Yankee — 4 Selections, 11 Bets
The Yankee is the most popular four-selection system. It covers all doubles, trebles and the fourfold accumulator from 4 selections — but no singles. At least 2 selections must win for any return.
6 doubles (AB, AC, AD, BC, BD, CD)
4 trebles (ABC, ABD, ACD, BCD)
1 four-fold (ABCD)
Total: 11 bets
Total stake at £1/bet: £11
Minimum winners for a return: 2
Yankee — How Returns Build
Four selections: A at 2.50, B at 3.00, C at 3.50, D at 4.00. Unit stake: £1.
1 Winner — any single
No doubles can form.
All 11 bets lose.
Return: £0
Loss: −£11
2 Winners (A + B)
A+B double wins: 2.50×3.00 = 7.50
All other combinations lose.
Return: £7.50
Loss: −£3.50
3 Winners (A + B + C)
3 doubles + 1 treble active
AB: £7.50 | AC: £8.75 | BC: £10.50
ABC treble: £26.25
Return: £53.00
Profit: +£42.00
All 4 Winners (A+B+C+D)
All 11 bets pay
6 doubles + 4 trebles + 1 four-fold
Four-fold: 2.50×3.00×3.50×4.00 = £105
Total return: ~£295
Profit: ~+£284
Lucky 15 — 4 Selections, 15 Bets
The Lucky 15 is a Yankee with singles added — making it the most popular full cover system in British betting shops, particularly for horse racing. One winner is enough to get a return on the four singles, and all four winning delivers a very large payout from a modest outlay.
4 singles (A, B, C, D)
6 doubles (AB, AC, AD, BC, BD, CD)
4 trebles (ABC, ABD, ACD, BCD)
1 four-fold (ABCD)
Total: 15 bets
Total stake at £1/bet: £15
Minimum winners for a return: 1
Lucky 15 Bonuses
Most bookmakers offer special bonuses on Lucky 15 bets to reward all four winners or to soften the blow of only one winner:
Typically 10–25% Winnings Bonus
If all four selections win, many bookmakers add a percentage bonus to the total returns — commonly 10% to 25%. This bonus is applied to the profit or total winnings and varies by bookmaker. Always check the specific Lucky 15 bonus terms before placing.
Double the Odds on One Winner
Some bookmakers offer double the odds on the single winning selection if only one of your four selections wins. This can convert a loss into a near break-even or small profit on a single winner — a meaningful safety net on a Lucky 15.
Lucky 15 — How Returns Build
Four horse racing selections: A at 4.00, B at 6.00, C at 8.00, D at 10.00. Unit stake: £1 (total outlay: £15).
1 Winner (C at 8.00)
Single C: £1 × 8.00 = £8.00
All other bets lose.
Return: £8 from £15 staked.
Loss: −£7.00
(Consolation bonus may apply)
2 Winners (A + B)
Singles: £4 + £6 = £10
AB double: 4.00×6.00 = £24
Total return: £34.00
Profit: +£19.00
3 Winners (A + B + C)
Singles: £4+£6+£8 = £18
3 doubles: £24+£32+£48 = £104
1 treble: 4×6×8 = £192
Total return: £314.00
Profit: +£299.00
All 4 Winners
All 15 bets pay
Four-fold: 4×6×8×10 = £1,920
Total return: ~£2,534
Profit: ~+£2,519
(Plus any all-4 bonus)
Notice how the returns accelerate dramatically as more selections win. This is the power of full cover betting — and why the Lucky 15 remains the cornerstone bet for horse racing enthusiasts picking from a day's card of races.
Lucky 31 — 5 Selections, 31 Bets
The Lucky 31 extends full cover to 5 selections — adding singles, doubles, trebles, four-folds and the five-fold accumulator. The step up from Lucky 15 to Lucky 31 more than doubles the number of bets and the total stake, but also significantly increases the potential return when multiple selections win.
5 singles
10 doubles
10 trebles
5 four-folds
1 five-fold
Total: 31 bets
Total stake at £1/bet: £31
Minimum winners for a return: 1
Lucky 31 — Returns Overview
1 Winner
Only the single on that selection pays.
A winner at 5.00 returns £5 from £31 staked.
A significant loss unless consolation bonus applies.
2 Winners
2 singles + 1 double pay.
Modest return — still likely a loss vs £31 staked at short-to-mid odds.
3 Winners
3 singles + 3 doubles + 1 treble pay.
Returns start to look meaningful at average odds of 4.00+.
4 Winners
4 singles + 6 doubles + 4 trebles + 1 four-fold pay.
Strong returns at any decent odds — typically well over stake.
All 5 Winners
All 31 bets pay including the five-fold.
At average odds of 5.00 per selection the five-fold alone
returns 5⁵ = £3,125 from a £1 unit stake.
Bonuses
Like the Lucky 15, most bookmakers offer a consolation bonus (double odds) for one winner and an all-winners bonus (typically 10–25% extra) for all five winning.
The Lucky 31 is suited to confident, seasoned bettors picking five selections across a day's racing. The total stake of £31 (at £1 per bet) is meaningful — at higher unit stakes the outlay grows quickly — so it tends to attract experienced bettors comfortable with the larger investment.
Lucky 63 — 6 Selections, 63 Bets
The Lucky 63 is the largest standard full cover system — six selections combined into every possible single, double, treble, four-fold, five-fold and six-fold. It's the most comprehensive protection available and also the most expensive, with a £1 per bet unit stake costing £63 in total.
6 singles
15 doubles
20 trebles
15 four-folds
6 five-folds
1 six-fold
Total: 63 bets
Total stake at £1/bet: £63
Minimum winners for a return: 1
The Lucky 63 is primarily a horse racing bet — placed across six selections from a Saturday or festival card. At small unit stakes (10p or 25p per bet) the total outlay remains manageable while the potential return from 4, 5 or all 6 winning is substantial. At £1 per bet the total of £63 requires careful consideration — this is a bet for bettors with genuine conviction across all six selections.
A Lucky 63 at £1/bet costs £63. At £2/bet it costs £126. At £5/bet it costs £315. The stake multiplier is 63 — so even a modest increase in unit stake produces a very large total outlay. Most bettors place Lucky 63s at 10p, 25p or 50p per bet to keep total exposure manageable while retaining the large upside on multiple winners.
Lucky 63 — All-Winners Potential
All 6 at Average 5.00
Six-fold: 5⁶ = £15,625 (at £1/bet)
Plus all 57 other winning combinations.
Total return: ~£20,000+
All 6 at Average 8.00
Six-fold: 8⁶ = £262,144 (at £1/bet)
A genuinely life-changing return on six longer-priced selections
all landing on the same day.
Full System Reference Table
Every standard full cover system at a glance — selections, bet count, total stake at £1 per bet, and minimum winners required for a return.
Trixie
Selections: 3
Bets: 4 (3 doubles, 1 treble)
Singles: No
Total at £1/bet: £4
Min winners: 2
Patent
Selections: 3
Bets: 7 (3 singles, 3 doubles, 1 treble)
Singles: Yes
Total at £1/bet: £7
Min winners: 1
Yankee
Selections: 4
Bets: 11 (6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 four-fold)
Singles: No
Total at £1/bet: £11
Min winners: 2
Lucky 15
Selections: 4
Bets: 15 (4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 four-fold)
Singles: Yes
Total at £1/bet: £15
Min winners: 1
Canadian (Super Yankee)
Selections: 5
Bets: 26 (10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 four-folds, 1 five-fold)
Singles: No
Total at £1/bet: £26
Min winners: 2
Lucky 31
Selections: 5
Bets: 31 (5 singles, 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 four-folds, 1
five-fold)
Singles: Yes
Total at £1/bet: £31
Min winners: 1
Heinz
Selections: 6
Bets: 57 (15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, 6 five-folds, 1
six-fold)
Singles: No
Total at £1/bet: £57
Min winners: 2
Lucky 63
Selections: 6
Bets: 63 (6 singles, 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, 6
five-folds, 1 six-fold)
Singles: Yes
Total at £1/bet: £63
Min winners: 1
Every "Lucky" system is the equivalent "without singles" system plus singles added. Trixie + singles = Patent. Yankee + singles = Lucky 15. Canadian + singles = Lucky 31. Heinz + singles = Lucky 63. The number of bets in the with-singles version is always 2ⁿ − 1 where n is the number of selections.
Calculating Returns
Calculating system bet returns manually requires working out each winning combination separately, then summing them. The unit stake is multiplied by the combined decimal odds for each individual combination that contains only winning selections.
Step 1: List all winning selections and their odds
Step 2: Identify every bet combination that contains only
winners
Step 3: For each winning combination, multiply the odds
together
Step 4: Multiply by unit stake to get the return from that
combination
Step 5: Sum all winning combination returns
Step 6: Subtract total stake (unit stake × total number of bets)
for profit
Lucky 15 Example — 3 of 4 Winners
Selections: A at 3.00 ✅, B at 4.00 ✅, C at 5.00 ✅, D at 6.00 ❌ Unit stake: £1. Total staked: £15.
Single A: £1 × 3.00 = £3.00
Single B: £1 × 4.00 = £4.00
Single C: £1 × 5.00 = £5.00
Single D: ❌ loses
AB: £1 × 3.00 × 4.00 = £12.00
AC: £1 × 3.00 × 5.00 = £15.00
BC: £1 × 4.00 × 5.00 = £20.00
AD, BD, CD all include D ❌ — lose
ABC: £1 × 3.00 × 4.00 × 5.00 = £60.00
ABD, ACD, BCD all include D ❌ — lose
ABCD includes D ❌ — loses
Singles: £3 + £4 + £5 = £12
Doubles: £12 + £15 + £20 = £47
Treble: £60
Total return: £119
For complex systems with multiple selections, use our Accumulator Calculator — select the system bet type, enter your selections and odds, and it calculates the full return breakdown automatically for every number of winners.
When to Use Each System
Full cover systems with singles were designed for horse racing and remain most popular there. Longer odds (4/1 to 10/1 selections) mean even a single winner can return a profit with the right consolation bonus, and all winners produces life-changing returns. The Lucky 15 across a Saturday card of four races is one of the most traditional bets in British racing culture.
✅ Best for longer-priced selections where singles add valueIn football, most selections are at shorter odds (1.50–2.50 range) where singles add little value. The Trixie (3 selections) and Yankee (4 selections) give full combination coverage without paying for singles that barely cover a unit stake. Use when you have multiple strong fancies across the same day's fixtures and want partial cover if one lets you down.
📊 No singles needed at shorter football oddsEvery system has a break-even point — the average odds per selection needed for the bet to return its total stake with a given number of winners. For a Lucky 15 to break even with just 2 winners, each of those two selections needs to be at odds long enough that their double covers the 15-unit outlay. At very short odds, system bets require more winners to profit. Longer-priced selections suit systems far better than short-priced favourites.
📊 System bets reward longer-priced selections mostA Lucky 63 at £1 per bet costs £63. At £5 it costs £315. Keep the unit stake proportional to your bankroll — the most common approach is to decide your total budget for the bet, then divide by the number of bets to get the unit stake. A £15 Lucky 15 budget means £1 per bet; a £7.50 budget means 50p per bet with the same bet structure.
✅ Total budget ÷ number of bets = unit stakeCommon Questions
If a selection in a system bet is a non-runner (withdrawn before the race), that selection is removed from all combinations at odds of 1.00 — effectively voiding it. Every combination that included that selection continues with the remaining legs. A four-selection Lucky 15 with one non-runner becomes the equivalent of a three-selection Patent (7 bets) on the remaining three horses, and the four bets involving only the non-runner are voided with stakes returned. The overall number of active bets and total stake reduce accordingly.
Yes — most bookmakers allow system bets combining selections from different sports and events. A Lucky 15 could include two horse racing selections, one football result and one tennis match if you wish. The only restrictions are the bookmaker's standard combination bet rules — for example, most don't allow combinations of related markets (two selections from the same match) in a system bet. Check your bookmaker's terms, but in general cross-sport system bets are fully permitted.
It depends on your selections' odds and your priorities. A Lucky 15 costs more (15 units vs 11 for a Yankee) but gives you a return even with just one winner — the four singles provide a safety net. A Yankee is more capital efficient if you're confident all four selections will perform — you're not paying for singles you don't expect to need. At longer horse racing odds, the Lucky 15 bonuses and single-winner consolation make it genuinely better value than a Yankee. At shorter football odds where singles barely cover a unit stake, the Yankee is usually the more efficient choice.
Bonuses are most commonly offered on the Lucky series — Lucky 15, Lucky 31 and Lucky 63 — which are primarily horse racing bets. The all-winners bonus (typically 10–25% extra on winnings) and one-winner consolation (double odds on the single winner) are industry-standard promotions on these bets. Trixie, Patent, Yankee and Heinz bets do not typically attract the same automatic bonuses, though individual bookmakers may run specific promotions. Always check the current bonus terms before placing any Lucky series bet.
Both use 6 selections. The Heinz (named after Heinz's 57 varieties, rounding to 57 bets) contains all combinations except singles — 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, 6 five-folds and 1 six-fold, totalling 57 bets. The Lucky 63 adds a single on each of the six selections to the Heinz, bringing the total to 63 bets. The difference is the same as between any "without singles" and "with singles" system — the Lucky 63 costs more but gives a return even if only one selection wins, while the Heinz requires at least two winners to pay out anything at all.
Working out system bet returns manually is complex. Use our free Accumulator Calculator to select any system bet type, enter your selections and odds, and see the full return breakdown instantly — for every possible number of winners.
Try the Accumulator Calculator →