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Round Robin Betting Explained

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Round Robin betting is perhaps one of the most complex bet types out there. Essentially, Round Robin bets are a way to spread parlay bets out to minimize risk and maximize your odds of winning! In this round robin betting guide, we are going to explain everything you need to know about this type of bet.

What Is A Round Robin Bet? 

A round robin bet (RR bet) is a type of betting strategy that allows you to place multiple parlay bets simultaneously. Unlike a regular parlay bet, where you would need all selections to win to get a payout, a round-robin bet allows you to earn a return even if one or more selections lose.

In simple terms, a RR bet is a way to make multiple parlays at once. With this kind of bet, you are making double (for example, Team A and Team B) and treble (for example, Team A, Team B, and Team C).

Types Of Round Robin Bets

Round-robin betting consists of different types, including the Trixie, Yankee, Canadian, Heinz, and Goliath bets, among others. Understanding these types of bets can help you with your strategy and risk management.

Trixie

A Trixie bet involves three selections, creating four bets – three doubles and one treble. If teams A, B, and C are your choices, the combinations would be: 

  • A and B;
  • A and C;
  • B and C; 
  • A, B, and C together (the treble). 

Yankee

On the other hand, a Yankee bet involves four selections, creating 11 bets – six doubles, four trebles, and one four-fold accumulator. This widens your opportunity to win, especially if you are strongly positive about the performance of your four preferred teams or players.

Canadian (Super Yankee) 

A Canadian or Super Yankee bet includes five selections, which culminate into 26 bets – 10 doubles, 10 trebles, five four-fold accumulators, and one five-fold accumulator. This type provides extensive coverage and is suitable for bettors willing to invest more.

Heinz

A Heinz bet involves a total of six selections and consists of 57 bets – 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, six five-folds, and one six-fold accumulator.

Goliath 

A Goliath is the largest among these types with eight selections, creating an astounding 247 bets – 28 doubles, 56 trebles, 70 four-folds, 56 five-folds, 28 six-folds, eight seven-folds, and one eight-fold accumulator.

Other Types Of Bets 

Apart from the types we mentioned above, there are also:

  • Round Robin with 2-Way Bets,
  • Round Robin with 3-Way Bets, and 
  • Complete Round Robin. 

While these options offer flexibility and can be tailored to specific needs, the more structured and widely recognized types like Trixie, Yankee, Canadian, Heinz, and Goliath remain the most popular among bettors.

round robin bet meaning

How To Make Round Robin Bet?

Before deciding to make a RR bet, you need to understand the basics of this strategy. Here, we give you some general steps involved in creating a round-robin bet. These steps can vary slightly depending on the sportsbook you use.

  • After choosing an online sportsbook and registering or logging in, add money to your account using some of the payment options. 
  • Select the sport you want to bet on, at least 3 selections for a Round Robin bet. 
  • Click on the odds for each outcome you want to bet on, this way, you will add them to your bet slip. 
  • Check if your selections appear on the bet slip, you should see a minimum of three picks listed
  • On your bet slip, where the selections are, look for round robin bet, it can be labeled as “Round Robin,” “Combination Bets,” or “Parlay Combinations.” Choose the type of round robin bet you want to place. 
  • Enter the amount you want to wager on each combination.
  • Confirm your bet after reviewing the details on your bet slip.
  • Save or note down the bet confirmation for your records. 
  • Follow the progress of your bets to see how are they performing.
  • After the event, check the sportsbook for the outcomes of your bets and any potential winnings.

Example of a Round Robin Bet

To understand how this kind of bet works, we will use three NBA teams as an example. Let’s say you’ve decided to place a round-robin bet on: the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors. Each team will be set a moneyline of -110, meaning that every successful $100 you bet will net you a $90 profit.

In this example, you’ll have three separate two-team parlays created from these three selections and one 3 team parlay.

  1. Lakers (-110) and Celtics (-110) 
  2. Lakers (-110) and Warriors (-110) 
  3. Celtics (-110) and Warriors (-110) 
  4. Lakers (-110), Celtics (-110), and Warriors (-110) 

In total, you are making 4 bets. If you choose all teams to win, and one of them loses, here’s what happens.

Let’s say that the Warriors lost a game. That means that you won just one game, and that game is the Lakers and the Celtics. All other bets you lost because the Warriors lost their game. 

While the outcome of three of your four parlays was a loss, thanks to the Lakers & Celtics parlay, you’ve still managed to retrieve some winnings from your round-robin bet. Even with the Warriors losing, which would have led to an outright loss with a traditional parlay, a round-robin bet still yields a profit.

What Are The Pros And Cons?

Like any betting strategy, round-robin bets come with their pros and cons. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of this bet can help you decide if this bet is the right choice for you.

👍Advantages 👎Disadvantages 
Round robin betting gives you a better chance of winning at least one parlay compared to a single parlay bet.More complicated to set up and understand compared to single bets or straight parlays.
You can choose different numbers of teams and combinations for your bets.It requires more money upfront because you’re placing several bets.
Provides a structured approach to betting on multiple outcomes without the need for extensive individual bets.You have to manage and track multiple bets, which can be time-consuming.

How Many Teams Can I Include In My Round Robin Bet Slip?

Round-robin bets require a minimum of three teams or selections, with the maximum ranging from 8 to 12 options, but this is rarely seen nor recommended. It’s rather unlikely that you’ll win every single one of those bets. Even if the payout skyrockets by combining all those, it’s almost a statistical certainty that you won’t win that bet. Remember to check your sportsbook’s rules and limitations before placing your bet. 

Common Mistakes

Mistakes to avoid when placing a round-robin bet include choosing too many outcomes, insufficient pre-betting research, and betting more than you’re ready to potentially lose. To avoid these mishaps, stick to a limited number of games (preferably 3-5), conduct thorough research before finalizing your selections, and always have a defined betting budget.

Are Round Robin Bets A Good Choice?

In conclusion, while betting always has a level of risk, round-robin betting is a strategy that can raise your chance of winning. This guide has explained how round-robin betting works, showing that it stands out among other betting options. Unlike straight bets and parlays, where all your picks must win, round-robin bets can still pay off even if you get some picks wrong. This makes round-robin betting a good choice when you feel confident about several games and want to balance your risk and reward potential.

FAQs

It depends on two things – the number of selections and the amount of money you’re willing to stake on each bet. As round robin bet comprises multiple bets, the total cost will be the stake per bet multiplied by the number of bets.

Yes. While parlays can generate larger payouts, they require each selection to win. With round robin, you could still earn a return even if one or more of your selections don’t win.

A Trixie bet involves four bets on three selections. These are three double bets and one treble bet. It is one type of round robin bet.

The rules can vary depending on the sportsbook. But in general, you select three or more outcomes and place each possible combination as a separate bet.

You can calculate potential winnings for each individual ‘leg’ of bets (double, treble, etc.) and combine them. However, the easiest way to work out potential returns is by using a betting calculator