Guide · 7 min read
System bets explained: Trixie, Yankee, Lucky 15 and "2 from 3"
A system bet splits your selections into several small accumulators, so one loser doesn't sink the whole bet. This guide shows how many lines each system has, what it costs, how much you get back for each number of winners, and why a system lowers the swings without improving the expected return.
Updated 22 October 2026
Contents
Lines instead of one accumulator
An accumulator loses as soon as one selection loses. A system bet gets round that by building every smaller combination of your selections. Each combination is called a line (or a bet) and is its own small accumulator with its own stake.
"2 from 3" means: from three selections, build every double. That gives three lines: A+B, A+C and B+C. If two of the three selections win, exactly one line wins. If all three win, all three lines win.
The number of lines is the binomial coefficient "k from n":
lines = n! / (k! × (n − k)!)
total stake = lines × stake per line
Check whether the bet slip asks for the stake per line or the total stake. Both exist, and mixing them up multiplies your planned stake very quickly: a "€1 Yankee" costs €11, not €1.
Trixie, Yankee, Lucky 15 and the rest
The named systems from the UK and Ireland are full-cover bets: they contain every combination from a certain size up. Systems with "Lucky" in the name also include the singles.
| System | Selections | Lines | Cost at €1 a line | Winners needed for any return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 from 3 | 3 | 3 doubles | €3 | 2 |
| Trixie | 3 | 3 doubles + 1 treble = 4 | €4 | 2 |
| Patent | 3 | 3 singles + 3 doubles + 1 treble = 7 | €7 | 1 |
| 3 from 4 | 4 | 4 trebles | €4 | 3 |
| Yankee | 4 | 6 doubles + 4 trebles + 1 four-fold = 11 | €11 | 2 |
| Lucky 15 | 4 | 4 singles + the 11 lines of a Yankee = 15 | €15 | 1 |
| Canadian (Super Yankee) | 5 | 10 doubles + 10 trebles + 5 four-folds + 1 five-fold = 26 | €26 | 2 |
| Lucky 31 | 5 | 5 singles + 26 = 31 | €31 | 1 |
| Heinz | 6 | 15 doubles + 20 trebles + 15 four-folds + 6 five-folds + 1 six-fold = 57 | €57 | 2 |
| Lucky 63 | 6 | 6 singles + 57 = 63 | €63 | 1 |
| Super Heinz | 7 | every double up to the seven-fold = 120 | €120 | 2 |
| Goliath | 8 | every double up to the eight-fold = 247 | €247 | 2 |
Continental bookmakers often show the same thing as "system 2/3 + 3/3" or let you tick the combination sizes yourself. The maths is identical. Some bookmakers add bonuses to the Lucky systems, such as better odds when only one selection wins; those are promotions with their own terms.
"Winners needed for any return" only means that from this number at least one line pays something. Whether you are in profit depends on the odds, as the example shows.
Worked example: 2 from 3 and a Trixie
Three selections: A at 1.80, B at 2.00, C at 2.20. Three lines at €5 each, total stake €15.
| Line | Odds | Return if it wins |
|---|---|---|
| A + B | 1.80 × 2.00 = 3.60 | €18.00 |
| A + C | 1.80 × 2.20 = 3.96 | €19.80 |
| B + C | 2.00 × 2.20 = 4.40 | €22.00 |
| Winners | Winning lines | Return | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| A, B and C | all three | €59.80 | +€44.80 |
| B and C only | B + C | €22.00 | +€7.00 |
| A and C only | A + C | €19.80 | +€4.80 |
| A and B only | A + B | €18.00 | +€3.00 |
| one or none | none | €0.00 | −€15.00 |
With exactly two winners you are just in profit here, because every double is priced above 3.00. If a line's odds are below the number of lines (3.00 for a 2 from 3), that line winning returns less than the whole system cost. Three selections at 1.50 each (doubles at 2.25) would lose €3.75 with two winners.
A Trixie adds the treble A + B + C at 1.80 × 2.00 × 2.20 = 7.92, so four lines and a total stake of €20. All three winning: €59.80 + €39.60 = €99.40, a result of +€79.40. Two winners: +€2.00 (B and C), −€0.20 (A and C) or −€2.00 (A and B). The extra line raises the top payout but makes two winners worth less, because the treble's €5 is lost whenever one selection fails.
How to calculate any system bet
The same five steps work for every system, including big ones with bankers:
- List the lines. Write down every combination of size k from your n selections. For 3 from 4 with A, B, C and D: ABC, ABD, ACD and BCD.
- Work out each line's odds. Multiply the odds in the line, exactly as for an accumulator.
- Return per line. Line odds × stake per line.
- Pick a scenario. For a given set of winners, only the lines whose selections all won count.
- Add up and subtract the stake. Total returns minus total stake is your result for that scenario.
For a 3 from 4 with four selections at 2.00 and €2 a line (total stake €8), each winning treble returns 2.00³ × €2 = €16. Three winners means one line: +€8. Four winners means all four lines, €64 back: +€56. Two winners and no line pays: −€8.
If a selection is void, it is usually settled at odds of 1.00 in every line it appears in, so a treble with a void leg becomes a double. Check your bookmaker's rules for multiples. Reading the returns on a real slip is covered in how to read a bet slip.
Each-way system bets
In horse racing, Trixies, Yankees and Lucky 15s are often placed each way. Each line then becomes two bets, one for the win and one for the place, so an each-way Yankee is 22 bets and a €1 each-way Yankee costs €22. The place part pays a fraction of the win odds, set by the bookmaker's each-way terms. Read the slip carefully: it is easy to double the stake without noticing.
System bets with a banker
A banker is a selection that sits in every line. "1 banker + 2 from 3" means: the banker is combined with every double from the other three selections. There are still three lines, but each has one more selection and therefore higher odds.
The price: if the banker loses, every line loses at once. A banker turns a system back towards an accumulator, with higher odds but also the margin of one more selection in every line.
The margin in a system bet
A system spreads the risk over several lines, but the bookmaker's margin doesn't disappear. Each line is an accumulator, and in each one the margins of its selections multiply (see bookmaker margin and overround). At a 5% margin per selection, every double carries an effective margin of about 10.3% (1.05²) and every treble about 15.8% (1.05³).
| System | Mix of lines | Average return to players |
|---|---|---|
| Singles | 1 selection each | 95.2% |
| 2 from 3 | 3 doubles | 90.7% |
| Lucky 15 | 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 four-fold | ≈ 90.2% |
| Yankee | 6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 four-fold | ≈ 88.4% |
| Treble (accumulator) | 1 treble | 86.4% |
Same stake per line, 5% margin per selection, fairly priced picks otherwise. A system smooths the results and gives partial returns, but it does not improve the expected value. Why accumulators lose shows the same effect for longer accas.
That is why system bets play no part in sure betting. A sure bet covers every outcome of a single market with singles at different bookmakers, and every extra combination would add margin rather than avoid it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a system bet?
A system bet splits your selections into several smaller accumulators, called lines, each with its own stake. A 2 from 3 builds the three possible doubles from three selections, so you still get a return if one selection loses.
How much does a Yankee cost?
A Yankee has 11 lines: 6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 four-fold. At 1 euro a line it costs 11 euros, and each way it is 22 bets, so 22 euros. Always check whether the bet slip asks for the stake per line or the total.
How many winners do I need in a system bet?
In a k from n system at least one line wins once k selections win; in a Trixie or Yankee that is two, in a Patent or Lucky 15 one. You are only in profit if the winning lines return more than the total stake, which depends on the odds.
Is a system bet better than an accumulator?
It is less all-or-nothing, because one losing selection does not lose every line. It is not better on average: every line still carries the multiplied margin of its selections, so the expected return stays below that of singles.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Fixed-odds betting (full-cover bets: Trixie, Yankee, Heinz, Goliath)
- Wikipedia: Binomial coefficient
- Bookmakers' betting rules, sections on multiples and system bets (stake per line, void legs, each-way terms)
As of October 2026. The worked examples are illustrations with the stated odds. Bookmakers' rules, odds and offers change; their current terms and betting rules always apply.
Not betting, legal or tax advice. 18+. Betting involves risk and no profit is guaranteed. Only bet money you can afford to lose. Our responsible gambling page lists free help, and the disclaimer applies.