What is Round Robin Betting?
What is Round Robin Betting? – How to Place Round Robin Sports Bets
There are thousands of different ways to bet on sports and although most bet types are straightforward, some are a little more complex. Round robin bets are among the most complicated. Originally used in horse racing, this betting type is now available on most sports and allows you to combine multiple bets into a series of parlays. Sounds confusing? Don’t worry, we’ll explain what it is and how it works in this complete betting guide.
What is Round Robin Betting and How Does it Work?
The phrase round robin comes from the French word ruban, which means ribbon. Over the years, it’s come to mean a type of sports tournament where each team plays all other teams. However, at some point in history, it became used by bookmakers and online sportsbooks to describe a special type of multi-bet.
Multi-bets, also known as betting parlays and accumulators, combine multiple bets into one. For example, you could bet on three different teams to all win their upcoming matches. For your bet to payout, all three teams would need to win. You can find out more about these in our full sports betting guide. Parlay betting is fun because it increases the odds of your bet. However, this also increases the risk, as you’ll lose if any of your selections lose.
Round robins are a special type of multi-bet which combine parlay bets to lower the risk. For example, rather than betting on Teams A, B, C and D to all win, you can break this straight parlay into smaller combinations:
AB
AC
AD
BC
BD
CD
ABC
ABD
BCD
ACD
ABCD
When placing a round robin bet, you bet on each combination, known as a line. In this example, there are eleven lines, so if you bet $10 per line, the total bet would be $110. Unlike a traditional multi-bet, you don’t need all lines to win. Each line is independent of the other.
How is Round Robin Betting Different from Other Bets at Stake Sportsbook?
Round robins are very different to most other types of bets, as they allow you to combine multiple bet types and outcomes into one. Here are some popular bet types and Stake and the differences with round robin betting:
Moneylines – A moneyline bet is a single bet on the outcome of a match. The basic premise is that you pick the team you think is most likely to win. Some sports have three-way moneyline odds, with draws included. However, all moneyline bets are very simple, and you’re still only relying on a single result unlike a round-robin bet.
Spreads – The spread is a bet on the winning team, but with a points handicap or advantage added. It evens the odds between each team by balancing the score based on which is the favourite. Once again, it only focuses on a single match so betting on the spread is very different from round robins.
Totals – With this bet type, you’re not betting on which team will win the game. Instead, you’re predicting whether the total number of points or goals will be over or under a specific figure. Once again, the odds are usually even on both sides of the line, and there’s only a single game involved.
Props – Prop bets are bets that usually don’t affect the result of the match itself. This might be betting on a specific player to score a certain number of points, or for the game to be decided in overtime. You can add props to multi-bets and round robins, but standard props are just single bets.
Outrights – Not every bet has to be on the outcome of a game or the action happening within a single match. You can also bet on the results of the season with outright betting markets. Also known as futures, these can also be added to multi-bets.
Multi-bets – Multi-bets and same-game multibets or parlays are very similar to round robins in that they involve multiple bets. However, you lose your multi-bet if a single selection loses. With round robins, it’s still possible to win part of your bet.
How Do Round Robin Betting Work with Different Sports
Typically, Round robin bets are used on horse racing. However, they can also be placed on other sports too. Here are a few examples in different sports:
Round Robin Bet Examples:
49ers and Rams to win
Eagles and 49ers to win
Rams and Eagles to win
49ers, Rams and Eagles to win
Celtics-Nets Under 226 and Bulls-Bucks Over 225
Warriors-Lakers Over 227 and Celtics-Nets Under 226
Bulls-Bucks Over 225 and Warriors-Lakers Over 227
Celtics-Nets Under 226 and Bulls-Bucks Over 225 and Warriors-Lakers Over 227
Guardians -1.5 and Red Sox +1.5
Guardians -1.5 and Padres -1.5
Red Sox +1.5 and Padres -1.5
Guardians -1.5 and Red Sox +1.5 and Padres -1.5
Advantages of a Round Robin Bet
Lower risk – Compared to a regular parlay, there’s less risk involved in round robins bets as you’re spreading your selections over multiple bets.
More control – You have full control over your bet, including the teams you bet on and the bet types you make. The above examples included three teams, but you increase your combinations with each additional team.
High payout potential – Compared to single wager, round robins generally have far larger odds and the chance to win larger payouts if your bets land. However, the payout is lower than for a single parlay bet involving the same bets.
Multiple chances to win – Unlike a standard multi-bet, round robins feature more chances to win bets, even if one or several of your picks loses.
Betting Odds and Payouts
The betting odds for round robins work in the same way as traditional parlays and any other bet. Of course, the odds are multiplied when you make a multi-bet. Your total payout will also depend on which teams win. Let’s look at an example.
In this example, we’re betting on three teams to win their upcoming match, with $10 on each line. The teams are:
A -200
B +150
C -140
We calculate the payout for each multi-bet:
AB multi-bet
Potential payout of $37.50
BC multi-bet
Potential return of $42.75
CA multi-bet
Potential payout of $25.65
ABC multi-bet
Potential payout of $64.13
Then we need to look at the potential payouts for each result:
If all three teams win, total payout is $64.13 - $40 stake = $24.13 profit.
If Team A loses, total payout is $42.75 - $40 stake = $2.75 profit.
If Team B loses, total payout is $25.65 - $40 stake = $14.35 loss.
If Team C loses, total payout is $37.50 - $40 stake = $2.50 loss.
Round Robin Betting Tips and Strategy
Balance risk and reward – It may be tempting to go for larger line bets and increase your number of bets to try for a massive payout. However, round robin bets still come with risk and you need to be responsible when choosing your bet sizes.
Explore different bet types – You don’t just have to bet on a team to win, you can add spreads, totals and many other betting markets to your round robin. Find what works best for you.
Betting on favourites – The top teams are favourites for a reason, because they have a much higher chance of winning. Although the payouts may be lower, you can increase your chances of a win by picking the favoured option.
There are a multitude of betting types online. If you're looking for new betting options, check out more of our sports guides on teaser betting, treble bets, handicap betting, spread betting and many more.
Round Robin Terms and Slang
Round robins may have different names or terms depending on how many parlay combinations you add. These include:
Trixie – Four bets on a three-team parlay.
Patent – A Trixie with four additional single bets.
Yankee – Eleven bets on four different selections.
Lucky 15 – Fifteen bets on four selections.
Canadian – Twenty-six bets on five selections.
Heinz – Fifty-seven bets on six selections.
Sports Promotions, VIP Club and Responsible Gambling
Whatever you’re betting on at Stake, don’t forget to check out our sports betting promotions. We’ve got lots of offers to help make sports betting more exciting, and you can even join our VIP Club to earn regular rewards simply by placing bets on your favourite sports. Learn more about perks like VIP hosts, rakeback and reload bonuses on our VIP Club FAQs.
Just be sure to stay within your budget, and follow our responsible gambling guidelines to stay in control. If you need to take a break or are finding it hard to control your spending, please utilise our Stake Smart tools on your account, and manage your bankroll with our budget calculator.
