Trixie bet explained - guide & tips
A trixie bet involves combining three different selections, but how does a trixie bet work? In this article, we explore this form of betting and how you can use this strategy on a variety of different sports and betting markets, plus the benefits and potential downsides.
How does a trixie bet work
A trixie bet is a way to combine multiple selections and place bets on different combinations of three selections. Unlike an acca bet where all the selections must win, you will still get some return from a trixie bet if only two of the three selections win.
It is split into four separate lines, usually all placed with equal stakes.
These bets are used a lot in a variety of sports. Horse racing is a popular sport where people use trixie bets, such as three picks of horses for a day of racing at Aintree.
A trixie bet can be used to combine the odds and provide a bigger potential win, so people will often use a trixie if they are looking to combine selections with relatively small odds to try and boost them for potentially higher wins.
Technically, the trixie bet consists of three doubles which includes each of the combinations of the three selections, as well as one treble that features all the selections to win. If you get two out of three selections right, then you will still receive some returns.
Trixie bet example
A regular trixie bet example can help you to understand exactly what one entails. In our example, we will back three horses in a trixie bet at odds of 2/1 each for the sake of simplicity.
To work out the winnings you need to separate each line of the bet. The trixie bet is made of three doubles. You can work out the potential winnings by converting the fractional odds to a decimal and then multiplying them. If you start with a €1 bet on each line and two of the three selections come in, you can work out the return by multiplying your two winning selection’s odds. If both are 2/1 your return would be €9.
If all three win, you can multiply all three odds as decimals to work out your return on the treble line, as well as the return on all of the doubles.
Each-way trixie bets
Knowing how to place a trixie bet extends to the each-way trixie bets that are also popular for certain types of events.
If you place this bet each way, then you will be staking double the number of bets, which means double the stake. It can be used for horses and other events such as golf that have each-way markets.
If you think a horse will finish strongly but you aren’t sure it is going to win, then you still have a chance of winning something with an each-way bet. The odds will be more complex to work out, as you will need to check what the bookies pay out each way and include the odds in your calculations. This is often 1/5 of the odds.
Fortunately, you are often told the specific potential returns of a bet before you place it, so the calculations don’t have to be too complex. A lot of people who use each-way trixie betting do so if they have picked some outsiders with longer odds.
Trixie vs patent
A patent bet includes more lines than a trixie. In addition to including the same combination of the selections as doubles and as a single treble, it also includes every selection as a single. This means that there are seven lines altogether in a patent bet rather than just the four in a trixie.
If you are placing bets on longer odds outcomes then there is the potential that winning just one line could still be profitable, but before you decide to use a patent think about whether the odds on each line alone are worth betting on as singles.
How to place a trixie bet on LeoVegas
Placing a trixie bet on LeoVegas is straightforward:
- Navigate to the sports betting section and pick the event you want to bet on.
- Choose your three selections and add them to the bet slip. The selections must be from different events.
- Choose the trixie option in the bet slip and enter your stake per line of the bet.
- Place your bet and wait to see if your selections were correct by watching the event to see if you picked the right horses or the right teams.
Good to know
Trixie bets do have a lot going for them, especially for horse races. They can also be used to combine relatively low odds selections to boost the potential return. If all three of the selections win then all the lines win, which is the maximum you can get from a trixie bet.
Remember that even if you get two out of the three selections right, you will get some winnings, but it is not equivalent to two-thirds of the overall potential win. Just one out of the four lines will win in this scenario, which may still mean a profit depending on the odds of the selections.
You should always work out whether this is the best type of bet to place for your selections before taking the plunge. Consider the odds and what you may stand to win if only two out of the three selections happen. A lot of people use this kind of bet on a selection that is odds-against rather than odds-on.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now understand the concept of a trixie bet. It is a tool for those who want to bet on different combinations that can provide returns if you only get two out of the three selections right; however, for the biggest wins, you still need to match all three selections on the treble line.