A Trixie, sometimes referred to as a “Full Cover” bet, includes 3 selections and covers 4 bets in total, which are three singles and then a 3-game parlay. Given the number of possible results, the payouts for these bets can be huge, but at the same time, can still create a decent return if a single selection is a loss.
In this article, we will address what is a Trixie in betting, while also looking at how it can be applied to different sports. On top of this will be betting strategy, the best online sportsbooks for this bet type, and how to place a Trixie bet online.
What is a Trixie Bet?
A Trixie bet is one of the multiple combination bets that consists of three selections. It includes three doubles (two selections combined) and one treble (all three selections combined), providing a return even if only two of the three selections win.
Payouts for Trixie bets are much easier to calculate using decimal odds as we need to multiply each to get the total price. You can convert them to/back to American odds later if that’s you’re preferred style.
- Team A has odds of 2.50.
- Team B has odds of 1.80.
- Team C has odds of 3.20.
To calculate your potential winnings, you would need to consider all possible combinations of doubles and the treble:
Doubles:
- Team A and Team B: 2.50 x 1.80 = 4.50
- Team A and Team C: 2.50 x 3.20 = 8.00
- Team B and Team C: 1.80 x 3.20 = 5.76
Treble:
- Team A, Team B, and Team C: 2.50 x 1.80 x 3.20 = 14.40
To calculate the overall return, you would need to sum up the potential winnings of all the combinations:
- If all three teams win (treble): 14.40
- If two teams win (doubles):
- Team A and Team B: 4.50
- Team A and Team C: 8.00
- Team B and Team C: 5.76
Total Returns based on a $10 stake:
- All three teams win = $144.00 + $45.00 + $80.00 + $57.60 = $326.60 – $40 (stake) = $286.60 profit
- Team A and Team B win only = $45 – $40 (stake) = $5 profit
- Team A and Team C win only = $80 – $40 (stake) = $40 profit
- Team B and Team C win only = $57.60 – $40 (stake) = $17.60 profit
With a Trixie, there are four lines that you need to pay. These are the three doubles and one treble bet. You need to stake per line. So, if you were placing a $10 Trixie, this would mean that the total stake would be $40 as you need to cover all four lines. If you wanted to bet $10 in total, then the stake would be $2.50 per line.
Trixie Bet Examples in Sports
One of the benefits of Trixie betting is that you’re able to apply it to multiple popular sports. The process works the same for each, and in this section, we’ve included some examples of how the bets might work and the payouts you will get based on a variety of bet sizes and outcomes on separate events.
Horse Racing
In the US, the Trixie is most commonly known as a Full Cover bet, with the original term mainly being associated with a different type of bet and betting markets across the UK. The bet is the same and horse racing bettors need to pick winners from multiple races to be successful.
Let’s consider the following selections:
- Race 1:
- Horse A to Win with odds of 2.50
- Race 2:
- Horse B to Win with odds of 3.80
- Race 3:
- Horse C to Win with odds of 4.20
To calculate your potential winnings, we will consider all possible combinations of doubles and the treble:
- Doubles:
- Race 1 (Horse A to Win) and Race 2 (Horse B to Win): 2.50 x 3.80 = 9.50
- Race 1 (Horse A to Win) and Race 3 (Horse C to Win): 2.50 x 4.20 = 10.50
- Race 2 (Horse B to Win) and Race 3 (Horse C to Win): 3.80 x 4.20 = 15.96
- Treble:
- Race 1, Race 2, and Race 3 (Horse A to Win, Horse B to Win, and Horse C to Win): 2.50 x 3.80 x 4.20 = 39.90
To calculate the overall return, you would need to sum up the potential winnings of all the combinations:
- If all three horses win (treble): 39.90
- If two horses win (doubles):
- Race 1 (Horse A to Win) and Race 2 (Horse B to Win): 9.50
- Race 1 (Horse A to Win) and Race 3 (Horse C to Win): 10.50
- Race 2 (Horse B to Win) and Race 3 (Horse C to Win): 15.96
NFL
In the NFL the Trixie bet is used to combine bets on the moneyline, for the most part. However, it’s not limited to this market and you’re able to create a wide range of bets from sportsbook markets on football games.
The example below includes three games and three bets from the moneyline market.
- Game 1:
- New England Patriots vs. Green Bay Packers
- You select New England to win with odds of 1.80
- Game 2:
- Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Fransisco 49ers
- You select Kansas City to win with odds of 2.50
- Game 3:
- Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets
- You select Miami to win with odds of 2.20
To calculate your potential winnings, we will consider all possible combinations of doubles and the treble:
- Doubles:
- Game 1 (New England to win) and Game 2 (Kansas City to win):
- Payout if both win: $10 x 1.80 x 2.50 = $45.00
- Game 1 (New England to win) and Game 3 (Miami to win):
- Payout if both win: $10 x 1.80 x 2.20 = $39.60
- Game 2 (Kansas City to win) and Game 3 (Miami to win):
- Payout if both win: $10 x 2.50 x 2.20 = $55.00
- Game 1 (New England to win) and Game 2 (Kansas City to win):
- Treble:
- Game 1, Game 2, and Game 3 (New England, Kansas City, and Miami to win):
- Payout if all three win: $10 x 1.80 x 2.50 x 2.20 = $99.00
- Game 1, Game 2, and Game 3 (New England, Kansas City, and Miami to win):
To calculate the overall return, you would need to add all the winning combinations together:
- If all three teams win (treble): $99.00
- If two teams win (doubles):
- Game 1 (Team A to win) and Game 2 (Team D to win): $45.00
- Game 1 (Team A to win) and Game 3 (Team F to win): $39.60
- Game 2 (Team D to win) and Game 3 (Team F to win): $55.00
NBA
For the NBA we’re going to take the points spread from three upcoming games. To make it easier, we’ve set the odds at -110 for each bet, but they may change slightly.
- Game 1:
- Los Angeles Lakers vs. Brooklyn Nets
- You select the Los Angeles Lakers with a spread of -5.5 points
- Game 2:
- Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
- You select the Milwaukee Bucks with a spread of +3.5 points
- Game 3:
- Golden State Warriors vs. Utah Jazz
- You select the Utah Jazz with a spread of -4.5 points
To calculate your potential winnings, we will consider all possible combinations of doubles and the treble. Let’s assume you bet $10 on each selection:
- Doubles:
- Game 1 (Lakers -5.5) and Game 2 (Bucks +3.5):
- Payout if both cover the spread: $10 x (1.91 for Lakers -5.5) x (1.91 for Bucks +3.5) = 3.65 = $36.50
- Game 1 (Lakers -5.5) and Game 3 (Jazz -4.5):
- Payout if both cover the spread: $10 x (1.91 for Lakers -5.5) x (1.91 for Jazz -4.5) = 3.65 = $36.50
- Game 2 (Bucks +3.5) and Game 3 (Jazz -4.5):
- Payout if both cover the spread: $10 x (1.91 for Bucks +3.5) x (1.91 for Jazz -4.5) = 3.65 = $36.50
- Game 1 (Lakers -5.5) and Game 2 (Bucks +3.5):
- Treble:
- Game 1, Game 2, and Game 3 (Lakers -5.5, Bucks +3.5, and Jazz -4.5):
- Payout if all three cover the spread: $10 x (1.91 for Lakers -5.5) x (1.91 for Bucks +3.5) x (1.91 for Jazz -4.5) = 6.97 = $69.68
- Total payout including singles bets = $36.50 + $36.50 + $36.50 + $69.68 = $179.18 – $40 (stake) = $139.18 profit
- Game 1, Game 2, and Game 3 (Lakers -5.5, Bucks +3.5, and Jazz -4.5):
Pros and Cons of Placing a Trixie Bet
Like all mixed bets, a Trixie comes with a host of reasons why you should or shouldn’t use it. What we will add is that the more bets you include, the harder they are to win and the bigger the edge that the bookmaker has.
That being said, below we’ve listed a range of pros and cons as to why you might want to both use and avoid this bet type.
Pros:
- Increased chances of winning – With a Trixie bet, you have multiple combinations of doubles and a treble, giving you more opportunities to win compared to a single bet.
- Potential for higher returns – If all three selections are successful, the payout can be substantial due to the combination of odds. This can result in a higher return on investment.
- Limited risk – Even if one selection loses, you still have a chance to win on the remaining combinations. This reduces the risk compared to placing a single bet on each selection.
- Cost-effective – Trixie bets involve placing multiple bets, but they are generally more cost-effective than placing individual bets on each selection.
Cons:
- Higher stake required – Trixie bets require multiple bets, so the overall stake is higher compared to placing a single bet. This means you need to invest more money upfront.
- Lower individual payouts – Each individual combination of doubles and the treble in the bet will have smaller payouts compared to winning single bets. This is because the stake is divided across multiple bets.
- Dependency on multiple outcomes – Trixie bets rely on the success of multiple selections. If one or more selections fail to win, the overall payout will be reduced or result in a loss.
- Limited flexibility – You have predetermined combinations, and you cannot adjust or customize the selections once the bet is placed. This may limit your flexibility in reacting to changing circumstances or adjusting your strategy.
Other Types of Trixie Bets
A Trixie bet includes three selections and four betting lines in total. There are, however, a couple of variations of this bet which have similar principles, but work in slightly different ways.
Each-Way Trixie
This type of Trixie bet combines each-way betting with the Trixie format. Each-way betting means you are placing two equal bets on a selection to win and to place (finish in a specified position). In an Each-Way Trixie, you would place an each-way bet on each of the three selections, resulting in a total of six bets (three to win and three to place).
Patent Bet
A Patent bet is similar to a Trixie bet, but key differences include an additional single bet on each selection, resulting in seven bets in total. This means you have the Trixie combinations (doubles and treble) plus three additional single bets. It offers even more coverage but also requires a larger stake.
Yankee Bet
The Yankee bet is another variation of the Trixie bet, but it includes four selections instead of three. It consists of 11 bets: six doubles, four trebles, and one four-fold accumulator. It offers increased coverage and potential winnings but requires a higher stake.
Trixie Betting Strategy
Cover bets, such as a Trixie are hard to win. The more selections you include in your bet, the tougher each bet gets. But a Trixie allows you to spread some of this risk, making it one of the more popular bet types of this nature. We’ve listed some betting strategies that you can apply to your bets to enable you to win more often.
- Research and Selection:
- Conduct thorough research on the teams, horses, or players you’re considering for your Trixie bet. Analyze their recent performance, form, statistics, injuries, and any other relevant factors.
- Select three strong contenders with reasonably consistent performances and favorable odds in different events or games. It’s crucial to choose selections that you believe have a good chance of winning.
- Diversify Your Selections:
- Spread your selections across different races, games, or events. This helps reduce risk by not relying on the outcome of a single event.
- Consider selecting one favorite, one mid-priced option, and one underdog bet to add variety and potential value.
- Risk Management:
- Determine a betting budget and stick to it. Set aside a specific amount of money you are comfortable risking on Trixie bets and avoid exceeding that limit.
- Calculate your stake size for each bet based on your budget. Since a Trixie bet consists of multiple bets, allocate a proportionate amount of your budget to each combination.
- Consider Each-Way Betting:
- If you’re confident in the potential of your selections but unsure about their chances of winning, consider placing an Each-Way Trixie bet. This provides a safety net by covering both the win and place positions.
- Monitor Odds and Adjustments:
- Keep an eye on the odds offered for your selections. Odds can change leading up to the event, so try to place your wager when you believe you are getting a value bet for your money.
- If the odds significantly change, reassess the potential payouts and adjust your stake allocation accordingly.
- Track and Analyze Results:
- Keep a record of your bets, including the selections, stakes, and outcomes. This will help you track your performance and identify any patterns or areas for improvement.
- Analyze the results to identify successful betting strategies and learn from any mistakes or losses. Continuously refine your selection process based on your findings.
How to Calculate Trixie Odds and Payouts
The easiest way to calculate Trixie odds and payouts is by converting initial odds to decimals. You can then multiply the decimal odds together to get your price, before converting this back to American-style odds if needed. A common misconception is that these bets are pariumutel bets, but this is not the case.
A Trixie bet consists of three selections and includes four sports bets: three doubles and one treble. Here’s how you calculate the odds and potential payouts for a Trixie bet:
- Determine the odds for each selection: Let’s say the three selections in your Trixie bet have the following odds:
- Selection A: 2.00
- Selection B: 3.50
- Selection C: 4.20
- Calculate the potential payouts for the doubles:
- Double 1: Selection A and Selection B
- Payout if both selections win: $10 (Stake) x 2.00 (odds of Selection A) x 3.50 (odds of Selection B) = 7.00 = $70
- Double 2: Selection A and Selection C
- Payout if both selections win: $10 (Stake) x 2.00 (odds of Selection A) x 4.20 (odds of Selection C) = 8.40 = $84
- Double 3: Selection B and Selection C
- Payout if both selections win: $10 (Stake) x 3.50 (odds of Selection B) x 4.20 (odds of Selection C) = 14.7 = $147.00
- Double 1: Selection A and Selection B
- Calculate the potential payout for the treble:
- Treble: Selection A, Selection B, and Selection C
- Payout if all three selections win: $10 (Stake) x 2.00 (odds of Selection A) x 3.50 (odds of Selection B) x 4.20 (odds of Selection C) = 29.4 = $294.00
- Treble: Selection A, Selection B, and Selection C
- Add up the potential payouts from the doubles and treble to calculate the overall potential payout for the Trixie bet.
Other Exotic Bet Types
There’s a wide range of exotic bet types to choose from, which often go under the heading of a “System Bet”. The table highlights what they are, the number of selections, and the number of bets for each.
System Bet | Number of Selections | Number of Bets |
Single | 1 | 1 |
Double | 2 | 1 |
Treble | 3 | 1 |
Trixie | 3 | 4 |
Patent | 3 | 7 |
Yankee | 4 | 11 |
Lucky 15 | 4 | 15 |
Canadian | 5 | 26 |
Lucky 31 | 5 | 31 |
Heinz | 6 | 57 |
Super Heinz | 7 | 120 |
Goliath | 8 | 247 |
Can I Place an Each Way Trixie?
Yes, you can place an each-way Trixie bet. The bet will alter slightly as it will include both the win and the place bet for each selection. As a result, the number of lines that you create will increase to 8 from four, to cater for the additional bets and separate wagers.
It’s worth noting that with these bets you’re only able to select all as each way or none. For example, you couldn’t have just two to win and then the last selection as each way.
FAQs
What is a Trixie bet?
How does a Trixie bet work?
What happens if one selection in a Trixie bet loses?
How are Trixie bet payouts calculated?
Can I place an Each-Way Trixie bet?
What are the advantages of Trixie betting?
Can I use Trixie bets for different sports?
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References
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