What is a System Bet? Meaning, Types & Tips (2025)

If you fancy the flexibility and challenge of accumulator bets, the system bet may be for you. The advantage here is that system bets entail a relatively lower degree of risk compared to accas. In this article, we tell you what is a system bet, the types of system bets, advantages and disadvantages, and the various strategies to turn a decent profit.

Getting Started with System Bets

A system bet shares certain attributes with accas, but with more flexibility on offer. For example, unlike an acca, you don’t need all your bets (events/selections/games) to turn up to register handsome winnings. However, many consider system bets more advanced, and hence appropriate only for seasoned and serious bettors of sports betting in India.

What Is A System Bet?

Suppose you want to wager on three top cricket tournaments at the best cricket betting sites. There are three ways you can approach this: singles, accumulators (or accas), and system bets.

If you go for singles bets for all three matches, you only win on the individual odds on each match. Therefore, if just one of those bets is right and the others aren’t, you only win money on that one wager (and lose your stake on the two wrong bets).

Now, with an accumulator (sometimes called a parlay), you will want all your three bets to turn up correctly. Here, the odds on those three bets are multiplied. If all three wagers come up the way you predicted, you win massively (your stake x multiplied odds). However, for you to win, all three predictions have to be correct. Any one fails, and you lose the entire bet (doesn’t matter if the other two came up right).

READ: Here’s how you can make the best cricket prediction in the world.

As you go through this article, you will find that we have explained in detail:

• The workings of a system bet
• Easy system bet examples
• Pros and cons of placing a system bet
• Actionable strategies you can use

All of this is bound by just one objective – to help you decide if you want to go for a system bet and how to make a profit with it.

System Bet Workings, Explained

Basics

With system bets, you have to bet on a minimum of three matches. When that happens, the odds are multiplied together (like in a regular acca), resulting in increased profits if the selections turn up as predicted.

However, the most important difference between a system bet and a standard accumulator is that in the former, you can turn a decent profit even if all bets don’t win. This makes system bets comparatively less volatile than accas.

System Bet Example

Let’s consider the following example from Parimatch. The first game is from the IPL and the other two from the Caribbean Premier League.

• Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians (CSK to win @2.01)
• Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders (GAW to win @ 2.14)
• Barbados Royals vs St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (BR to win @2.14)

(Source: Parimatch)

Now, we assume all three matches have been played out, and the results are:

• CSK vs MI (MI wins)
• GAW vs TKR (GAW wins)
• BR vs SKNP (BR wins)

Situation 1: You placed three singles

In this case, you’d have lost your first bet (CSK vs MI) but won the other two (GAW vs TKR, BR vs SKNP). Let’s take a nominal stake of ₹100 on each (only for the sake of illustrating). So, you’d have won ₹114 on Guyana Amazon Warriors (+ ₹100 stake returned) and another ₹114 on Barbados Royals (+₹100 stake returned). But you would’ve lost the ₹100 stake on the CSK vs MI game.

Therefore, overall profit = ₹128

Situation 2: You placed an acca

You’d have lost all of your ₹300 stake here, despite winning two bets out of three. That’s what accas are all about; you need all the selections to turn up correct for your bet to win.

Situation 3: You placed a system bet

You’d place three bets here in the 2/3 system, meaning two of the three predictions were correct. In this example your bets would be:

• Bet A: CSK win + GAW win = 2.01 x 2.14 = 4.3014
• Bet B: CSK win + BR win = 2.01 x 2.14 = 4.3014
• Bet C: GAW win + BR win = 2.14 x 2.14 = 4.5796

Now, suppose you placed a ₹100 stake on each bet. In the event that CSK loses, only Bet C will win. That will generate a return of ₹457.96. Minus your ₹300 stake, and your overall profit is ₹157.96.

This is more than what you’d have won by placing three singles.

Let's consider a Situation 4 where all three selections win

Situation 4.1: You placed a system bet

Situation 4.2: You placed a system bet

As you can see from the example above, by placing three single bets, you’d make ₹689.24 less what you would have with a system bet.

Types of System Bets

The number of events or matches you’re wagering on indicates the number of combinations. So, suppose you are betting on four matches. In that case, you can bet doubles, triples, or a four-fold. Likewise, if you’re betting on eight, you can bet doubles triples, four-, five-, six-, seven-, or an eight-fold.

2/3 System Bet

• The basic premise of a 2/3 system bet — often referred to as ‘doubles on a three-match’ bet – is that at least two of the three bets will be correct. This is precisely the situation we described in the example above.
• A 2/3 system bet can increase your profit while keeping the risk in check (and lower than a standard acca).

PRO TIP: For this system bet type, always look to place bets on odds above 2.00. Otherwise, it could get a little challenging to cover the stake or make more than singles bets.

2/4 System Bet

• Here, you’re betting on four matches. Any two bets come up right, and you win.
• A 2/4 system bet consists of six bets.
• Of course, you’d profit the most should two of the higher odds win.

NOTE: Just like 2/3 and 2/4, there can be multiple combinations depending on the number of selections and the number of bets that need to win for you to register a profit.

Trixie

• Here, you must bet on three separate matches/events.
• The Trixie comprises four bets: 3 Doubles + 1 Treble.
• If all the bets win, you will get a staggering profit, considering all odds are multiplied.

Let’s take the same example we used above:

• Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians (CSK to win @2.01)
• Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders (GAW to win @ 2.14)
• Barbados Royals vs St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (BR to win @2.14)

Here, a Trixie will look like:

• Bet 1: CSK win + GAW win = 2.01 x 2.14 = 4.3014
• Bet 2: GAW win + BR win = 2.14 x 2.14 = 4.5796
• Bet 3: CSK win + BR win = 2.01 x 2.14 = 4.3014
• Bet 4: CSK win + GAW win + BR win = 2.01 x 2.14 x 2.14 = 9.204996

Patent

• This is similar to a Trixie, except for that a Patent bet also includes the singles.
• Much like a Trixie, a Patent is also a three-selection bet. Meaning, you have to choose three separate matches.
• A Patent system bet consists of seven wagers: 3 Singles + 3 Doubles + 1 Treble.

If we were to take the same example again. A Patent would look like:

• Bet 1: CSK win = 2.01
• Bet 2: GAW win = 2.14
• Bet 3: BR win = 2.14
• Bet 4: CSK win + GAW win = 4.3014
• Bet 5: CSK win + BR win = 4.3014
• Bet 6: GAW win + BR win = 4.5796
• Bet 7: CSK win + GAW win + BR win = 9.204996

Yankee

• Yankee is a four-selection bet; you bet on four distinct matches/events.
• It comprises 11 bets: 6 Doubles + 4 Trebles + 1 Four-fold.
• If you understand the Trixie, you’ll find it easy to wrap your head around the Yankee.

Canadian

• Also called ‘Super Yankee’, a Canadian bet is like an upgrade on the Yankee. Here, you bet on five events.
• This system bet comprises 26 bets: 10 Doubles + 10 Trebles + 5 Four-folds + 1 Five-fold.
• The advantage of the Canadian bet is that you can start making returns from only two correct predictions. It might not be a big profit, but you’ll get back some money.

Heinz

• This one is named after Heinz’s “57 varieties” marketing slogan.
• The Heinz system bet comprises 57 bets on six events: 15 Doubles + 20 Trebles + 15 Four-folds + 6 Five-folds + 1 Six-fold.
• Your stake gets multiplied by 57. So, a ₹10 stake on a Heinz will result in a total stake of ₹570.
• Choose a Heinz bet only if you are an experienced bettor with specific in-depth knowledge about the sport (market) in question.

Super Heinz

• Think of this as an upgrade over Heinz. A Super Heinz requires seven picks (selections), which results in as many as 120 bets.
• The 120 bets are: 21 Doubles + 35 Trebles + 35 Four-folds + 21 Five-folds + 7 Six-folds + 1 Seven-fold.
• The stake gets multiplied by 120 here. So, a ₹10 per-unit stake becomes ₹1200.

Goliath

• The Goliath requires eight distinct selections (events/matches) and comprises a staggering 247 bets.
• The bet combinations are: 28 Doubles + 56 Trebles + 70 Four-folds + 56 Five-folds + 28 Six-folds + 8 Seven-folds + 1 Eight-fold.
• The per-unit stake is multiplied by 247. Therefore, a ₹2 per-unit stake totals ₹494.
• Strictly for experienced bettors, considering the outlay is enormous.

TRIVIA: It is a massive bet named after the Biblical story of Goliath’s battle with David

Lucky 63

• Includes 63 bets across six different selections.
• The combinations are: 6 Singles + 15 Doubles + 20 Trebles + 15 Four-folds + 6 Five-folds + 1 Six-fold.
• One winning selection will lock in some return, while all six winning selections will pay out handsomely.

Alphabet

• This system bet borrows its name from the number of letters in the English alphabet, i.e., 26.
• It comprises 26 bets across six different selections.
• This includes 2 Patents (14 bets) + 1 Yankee (11 bets) + 1 Six-fold.
• The stake is multiplied by 26. So, a ₹10 unit stake will total ₹260.

Please note that some of these system bets like the Yankee, Canadian (Super Yankee), Heinz, Super Heinz, Goliath, Lucky 63, and Alphabet involve a sizeable outlay. That’s because, with each of these, the per-unit stake will be multiplied by the number of bet combinations. Hence, we recommend using them only if you are a seasoned punter with accurate knowledge of the sport/market.

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