What is a Yankee bet?
A Yankee is a full-cover bet on four selections in different races with 11 bets: every double, every treble and the four-fold. There are no singles, so you need at least two winners for a return.
| Bet | Number | Pays when |
|---|---|---|
| Doubles | 6 | Both selections in the pair win |
| Trebles | 4 | All three in the treble win |
| Four-fold | 1 | All four win |
| Total | 11 |
Adding the four singles turns it into a Lucky 15; with five selections the same idea is a Super Yankee (26 bets).
How much does a Yankee bet cost?
Multiply the unit stake by 11, or by 22 each way.
| Stake per bet | Win only (11 bets) | Each way (22 bets) |
|---|---|---|
| 10p | £1.10 | £2.20 |
| 20p | £2.20 | £4.40 |
| 50p | £5.50 | £11.00 |
| £1 | £11.00 | £22.00 |
| £2 | £22.00 | £44.00 |
How many winners do you need on a Yankee?
Two for a return, and usually three for a profit. A £1 Yankee (£11 staked) on the sample prices of 2/1, 3/1, 5/2 and 4/1:
| Winners | Bets that pay | Return | Profit or loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| One | 0 | £0.00 | -£11.00 |
| Two (2/1 and 3/1) | 1 | £12.00 | £1.00 |
| Two at evens | 1 | £4.00 | -£7.00 |
| Three (2/1, 3/1 and 5/2) | 4 | £78.50 | £67.50 |
| All four | 11 | £523.50 | £512.50 |
The working for three winners: in decimal odds 3.0, 4.0 and 3.5, the three doubles return £12, £10.50 and £14, and the treble 3 x 4 x 3.5 = £42, so £78.50. Two short-priced winners often fail to cover the stake, which the evens line shows.
Is a Yankee better than a Lucky 15?
Neither is better in general; they cover the same four selections in different ways. The Yankee costs 11 units and needs two winners. The Lucky 15 costs 15 and adds four singles, so one winner returns something, and some bookmakers add bonuses or consolation payouts to Lucky 15s (check the terms of the bookmaker you use). With the sample prices, two winners return £12 on a £1 Yankee and £19 on a £1 Lucky 15, but the Lucky 15 cost £4 more; all four winning return £523.50 against £539. Run both through the calculators with your own prices before choosing.
Using the calculator
Pick Per bet to type the unit stake (what most betting slips ask for), or Total to type what you want to spend and let the calculator split it. An each way bet is two bets per line, so it costs double.
Mark each selection as Won, Placed (each way only), Lost or Void. A void (non-runner) is settled at odds of 1.0, so the bet carries on as a smaller bet. Open Rule 4 / dead heat on a row to apply a deduction or a dead heat to that selection.