What is a Yankee Bet? 

A Yankee bet is not, as you might suspect, anything to do with betting on American sports. While you can use a Yankee to bet on US horse racing, NFL, etc, this bet type is more associated with UK and Irish racing.

It is a multiple bet that aims to supercharge your odds and, in doing so, deliver bigger payouts. In this guide, we’ll explain what is a Yankee bet and show you how to calculate your potential winnings.

You’ll also discover which sports Yankees are most commonly used on, and why!

What is a Yankee bet?

Ever wondered how many bets in a Yankee? Well, the answer is 11. A Yankee bet is a multiple bet where you combine 11 different wagers into one. You make four selections and create combinations between them to craft all of those individual bets.

Using four selections, a Yankee creates:

• 6x double bets
• 4x treble bets
• 1x fourfold bet

The fourfold is the one you really want to win but that requires all four selections coming good. If one or two selections lose then you can still win profit, but not as much.

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How does a Yankee bet work?

A Yankee bet works by creating 11 different possible outcomes from four selections. These outcomes are clumped together into a bigger wager. However, this is not like an accumulator. That’s because each of the 11 bets operates on its own. So, if one selection loses then your Yankee is not up in smoke because other combinations could still win.

Here’s an example of a Yankee bet in action, using horse racing odds. Your four selections over four different races are:

1. Alpha to win @ 4.00
2. Beta to win @ 3.00
3. Gamma to win @ 9.00
4. Delta to win @ 5.00

With a Yankee bet, you make 11 combinations:

1. Alpha + Beta Win 
2. Alpha + Gamma Win
3. Alpha + Delta Win
4. Beta + Gamma Win 
5. Beta + Delta Win 
6. Gamma + Delta Win
7. Alpha, Beta + Gamma Win
8. Alpha, Beta + Delta Win
9. Alpha, Gamma + Delta Win
10. Beta, Gamma + Delta Win
11. Alpha, Beta, Gamma + Delta Win

Remember, you need to wager the same amount on each of the 11 legs. So, if you place a £1 stake then your total bet will be £11.

Yankee bet calculator

Figuring out how to work out a Yankee bet isn’t easy due to there being 11 wagers to consider. That’s why most people use the Paddy Power Yankee bet calculator to do the maths for them.

However, if you want to do it by hand then grab a calculator because here’s how it’s done:

Your four picks are:

1. Alpha to win @ 4.00
2. Beta to win @ 3.00
3. Gamma to win @ 9.00
4. Delta to win @ 5.00

This means your 11 combinations are:

1. Alpha + Beta Double: 12.00 
2. Alpha + Gamma Double: 36.00
3. Alpha + Delta Double: 20.00
4. Beta + Gamma Double: 27.00 
5. Beta + Delta Double: 15.00 
6. Gamma + Delta Double: 35.00
7. Alpha, Beta + Gamma Treble: 108.00
8. Alpha, Beta + Delta Treble: 60.00
9. Alpha, Gamma + Delta Treble: 180.00
10. Beta, Gamma + Delta Treble: 135.00
11. Alpha, Beta, Gamma + Delta Fourfold: 540.00

To work out your Yankee, multiply each individual price within each bet. So, your first Double of Alpha (4.00) + Beta (3.00) carries odds of 12.00. Once you’ve done this for all 11 selections, add them together to get your odds.

Combined, this bet would generate £1,167.00 profit from a £1 stake (£11 total wagered, to cover all bets). Even if one horse fails to win you can still win big on three Doubles and a Treble. Two horses lose and you’ll still earn a payout on one Double, which is bigger in this example than your total stake.

Best sports for Yankee bets

Yankees can prove hugely profitable if you make shrewd decisions with your bets. However, their structures provide bettors with an opportunity to throw an outsider into the fray, in the hope of nailing a mega win. Here are some of the main sports where Yankees are used:

Horse racing – You can place a Yankee of all horse races and race meets in the UK and Ireland, as well as others around the world with the Paddy Power sportsbook. Yankees are ideal when you know what you want to bet on heading into a fixture, and want to take advantage of the higher-paying bet structure to back your selections to glory. You can also do an Each Way Yankee bet in horse racing, where your stake doubles to cover two outcomes.

Football – While most football betting fans stick with accas, more and more are understanding that betting a Yankee on football has its advantages. You can bet on dead-certs in the FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League, and squeeze more profit from games.

Snooker – You might not think it but snooker, and indeed any other individual tournament sport like tennis or darts, is ideal for Yankees. You can bet on individuals to win their early-round matches at short odds, and throw them into a Yankee to greatly boost your profit potential.

Paddy Power Yankee bet guide

So, Yankees are a little complicated but at least you now know how they work. Now it’s time to go through the steps to making your wager. Here’s how to place a Yankee bet:

• First, log in to your Paddy Power account and head over to the sportsbook
• Find the sport you want to bet on
• Make your selections. We’re using football in our example, as you can see above.
• Your four selections are added to the bet slip to the right of the screen. (If you’re betting on the Paddy Power app then open the pop-up bet slip at the bottom)
• Enter your stake into the Yankee box. If you choose £1 then you’ll see at the bottom at your total stake is £11. You’ll also see your potential returns.
• If you’re happy with your selections and your level of risk, hit Place Bet to complete the process.

Remember,Yankees still pay out even if just two selections win (1x double). If three selections win (3x doubles, 1x treble) then you earn even more money. The only way to win all 11 legs is for each of your four selections to win.

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