A Yankee bet, traditionally popular with horse racing betting, is a wager where you make four selections. However, you actually have 11 active bets across these for selections.
These 11 bets are broken down into six doubles, four triples, and one quadruple bet on all four of your selections. Rust us, it’s not as complex as it sounds, and we’ve made it even more simple for you in this explanatory guide.
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What is a Yankee bet?
This bet type is 11 wagers packed into one and involves making four selections, usually in horse racing. As a result, it requires higher stakes than usual but gives you more chances to win, and unlike
parlay betting, not all of the 11 bets need to come up in order for you to win.
Here’s how the 11 parts of the bet break down:
- 6 x double bets:
Formed by putting together all possible pair combinations.
- 4 x triple bets:
Formed by putting together all possible combinations using three of your four selections
- 1 x quadruple bet:
A parlay bet that requires all four of your selections to win.
Yankee bet explained
– The breakdown
Before we use a real-life example of a Yankee bet, let’s first show you how the separate bets are put together by naming your selections A,B,C & D:
| Bet type | Combinations | No. of bets |
| Doubles: | A&B, B&C, C&D, D&A, C&A, B&D | 6 |
| Triples: | A,B&C, B,C&D, A,C&D, B,D&A | 4 |
| Four-fold parlay: | A,B,C & D | 1 |
| Total: | 11 |
Your bet stakes
With this type of bet, you have to place an equal-sized stake on all 11 selections. For example, if you were to bet $1 on each selection, you would have bet $11 in total. You cannot, for example, place $1 on the six doubles, but only $50 on the triples and parlay.
How to calculate
Yankee odds
and payouts
As a Yankee bet is made up of 11 different wagers, there are 11 possible payouts. Basically, for each outcome, you just need to multiply the odds together and then calculate it based on your stake for each bet.
Here’s how the formula works for each bet:
| Double bet formula: | (Odds A x Odds B) x Stake = Payout |
| Triple bet formula: | (Odds A x Odds B x Odds C) x Stake = Payout |
| Four-fold parlay bet formula: | (Odds A x Odds B x Odds C x Odds B) x Stake = Payout |
| |
Depending on how many of your 11 bets win, you just need to add the payouts together to get your total payout.
Essentially, there are three possible scenarios:
- You win a payout on 1 x double bet
- You win a payout on 2 x doubles and 1 x triple (Add the three payouts together to get your total)
- All 1 bets win (add them all together to get your total)
Yankee bet
example
Usually, to do the calculations, you would use a Yankee calculator, as it makes things easier. To give you a real-life example of how it works, we’ve taken these four NBA selections from DraftKings Sportsbook:
- Knicks at +154
- Timberwolves at -105
- Bucks at +145
- Hornets +205
With a $1.00 stake on each selection, here’s how the calculation would work:
| Selection | Odds |
| 1.
| +154 |
| 2.
| -105 |
| 3. | -105 |
| 4. | +205 |
| Summary |
| Stake per bet: | $1.00 |
| Total stake: | $11.00 |
| Total returns: | $135.04 |
| Total profit: | $124.04 |
Top five strategies for
Yankee bets
So we’ve covered the workings of the Yankee bet pretty extensively so far, right? Now let’s take a look at the best strategies to deploy when placing this type of wager:
Consider your selections carefully
All four of your selections should be made with careful consideration using your knowledge of the sport. Don’t just pluck five horses or a team out of thin air as if you were doing lucky dip lottery numbers.
Think about the value of the odds
As well as the sporting side of things, you also need to consider the value that the odds are offering for each selection. At the end of the day, you ideally want to at least stand to win a decent portion of your total outlay back if just one of the doubles wins.
If you try and do the calculations on your own, you could be here all day. Use a Yankee calculator before you place the bet to find out if it’s worth it.
When placing a Yankee bet on horse racing, you usually have the each-way option available. This gives you the chance to win some money back even if your horse doesn’t win but makes a place finish.
Be diverse in your selections
Although we do recommend being careful if you have the safety net of a few favorites you can diversify your selections a bit. If you spot a good price, it doesn’t hurt to throw in an underdog selection that you think the bookies might be wrong about.
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Yankee bet
– Pros and cons
As with all forms of gambling, there are ups and downs to placing this type of bet, so let’s take a look:
- Better chance of winning
- High potential payouts
- More fun than single wagers
- Easy to learn and track
How to place a
Yankee bet
– Step-by-step
Here’s our step-by-step guide to help you get started with this popular combo wager:
- Register with a sportsbook or race betting site
- Deposit funds
- Claim any welcome
betting promotions
that are available
- Make your four selections
- Use a Yankee calculator to see if the bet is worth it
- Add the selection to your bet slip
- Enter your stake per bet or as a total outlay
- Watch the relevant race(s) or game(s)
- Receive your payout if any of your 11 bets win
- Withdraw your winnings
What’s the difference between a
Yankee bet
and a round robin?
A Yankee bet is actually a type of round robin bet, as a round robin is an umbrella term for a multi-wager bet that combines doubles, triples and access across multiple selections. You can consult our
round robin explained
guide for more information about other wagers that are similar to this.
What is the difference between a Yankee and a parlay bet?
Once again, a Yankee is a form of parlay betting in a way, to the extent that it is sometimes referred to as a “Yankee parlay”. However, technically speaking, a Yankee bet combines multiple parlay bets into a single wager.
Here’s the difference:
- With a Yankee you have 11 parlay bets each with separate stakes, all selections don’t need to win for you to receive a payout
- With a four-fold parlay, all four selections would need to be correct for your bet to win
Yankee horse racing bets vs other sports
Traditionally, a Yankee bet was only available for horse racing and greyhound bets. However, many sportsbooks now offer you the chance to place a Yankee bet on all available sports betting markets.
You will find that certain elements and features are not available on non-racing sports though. For example,you can usually only add the each-way permutation to a racing Yankee and not, for example, an NFL Yankee wager.
Best
Yankee bet
sportsbooks
Fancy giving the Yankee bet a try? You can either register with a horse racing bookie, or for more varied sports Yankees, try one of these sites:
- BetMGM
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- Bet365
- Caesars Sportsbook
More Useful Guides
Yankee bet
– Summary and conclusion
There you have it guys, that sums up just about everything you need to know about this unique type of round robin/parlay wager. Just remember that you don’t have to get all 11 bets right to receive a payout. Therefore if you find enough value in your selections, you can limit your losses or break even with just one of the doubles winning. What’s next? Register with one of our recommended sportsbooks online and give a Yankee a try.
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Yankee bet
FAQ
❓ What is a Yankee round robin bet?
A Yankee is a four-section bet that comprises 11 wagers in total. There are six doubles, four triples, and a four-fold parlay bet. Like
Trixie betting, not all of your selections need to be correct for you to receive a payout.
👀 Is a Yankee bet worth it?
It definitely can be provided that you make good selections. As well as thinking about horses, athletes, or teams that will actually win, you have to consider the potential value of all the odds when multiplied together. Check out our guide here at TheGruelingTruth for some tips.
🔎 How much does a Yankee wager cost?
This bet type is made up of 11 selections, and you have to place an equal stake on each selection. For example, if you were to bet $1.00 on each bet, the total cost of your Yankee would be $11.00.
