What is an Alphabet bet?
An Alphabet is a fixed set of 26 bets on six selections in different events. Sporting Life's bet guide describes it as two Patents, a Yankee and a six-fold accumulator, each built from a different group of the six:
| Part | Selections | Bets | What is inside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patent A | 1, 2, 3 | 7 | 3 singles, 3 doubles, 1 treble |
| Patent B | 4, 5, 6 | 7 | 3 singles, 3 doubles, 1 treble |
| Yankee | 2, 3, 4, 5 | 11 | 6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 four-fold |
| Six-fold | 1 to 6 | 1 | All six must win |
| Total | 26 | 6 singles, 12 doubles, 6 trebles, 1 four-fold, 1 six-fold |
Two of the doubles appear twice: 2 with 3 sits in Patent A and in the Yankee, and 4 with 5 sits in Patent B and in the Yankee. The calculator settles each of the 26 bets on its own, so those pairs are paid twice when they both win.
The order of your selections matters
Unlike a Heinz or a Lucky 63, where every selection plays the same part, the Alphabet gives positions different jobs. Selections 2 to 5 appear in a Patent and in the Yankee; selections 1 and 6 appear only in their Patent and the six-fold. The middle four carry most of the bet.
With 50p stakes on the prices in the calculator (9/1, 5/2, 2/1, 3/1, 7/2, 8/1):
- the four middle selections win, 1 and 6 lose: £261.25 back for £13;
- selections 1 and 2 win, the rest lose: £24.25 back, because they share Patent A;
- selections 1 and 4 win, the rest lose: £7 back, because they sit in different Patents and only the two singles pay.
The same two winners pay very differently depending on where they sit, so place the selections in the order you mean before you write the slip.
How much does an Alphabet bet cost?
| Stake per bet | Win only (26 bets) | Each way (52 bets) |
|---|---|---|
| 10p | £2.60 | £5.20 |
| 50p | £13.00 | £26.00 |
| £1 | £26.00 | £52.00 |
A Heinz on the same six selections is 57 bets and a Lucky 63 is 63, so the Alphabet is the cheapest way to cover six selections with singles included. The price of that saving is coverage: the Alphabet skips most of the doubles and trebles that cross between the groups.
Alphabet vs Heinz and Lucky 63
If all six of the sample prices win, a 50p Alphabet returns £8,980 for £13, while a 50p Heinz returns £27,207.50 for £28.50. The Heinz has every double, treble, four-fold and five-fold, so it pays far more when everything comes in and costs more than twice as much. The Alphabet trades that top end for a lower stake and a structure you control by ordering the selections. Neither has better odds: each bet inside them is priced the same way.
Each way Alphabets
Each way doubles the bet to 52: 26 win lines and 26 place lines at the place fraction of the odds. Mark horses that finished in the places but did not win as Placed and set the terms from your slip. Non-runners count at odds of 1.0, which shrinks every bet they are in (a double becomes a single), and Rule 4 / dead heat on each row applies deductions to that selection. See our each way calculator for how place terms work.