Yankee Bet Explained
Last updated: by Leon Marshal
A Yankee bet is a type of wager in betting that consists of 11 bets on four different selections.
Best Bookies for Yankee Bets
Below is a table with the best of online bookmakers where punters can play the Yankee bet.
| Bookmaker | Welcome Bonus | Highlights | Rating | Visit Bookmaker | T&C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betfred | £50 | Markets: 98, Bet Types: 41, Odds Levels: 93.75% | 5.0 out of 5 | www.betfred.com | Full T&Cs apply. New customers only. Register with BETFRED50. Deposit £10+ via Debit Card and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. T&Cs apply. |
| BetTarget | Get £10 | Markets: 98, Bet Types: 41, Odds Levels: 93.75% | 4.9 out of 5 | www.bettarget.com | Full T&Cs Apply! New customers only. Max one £10 free bet. Qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater. Paid as bonus token with min 4/5 odds req. Skrill, Neteller, & PayPal not eligible. |
| bet365 | Get £30 | Markets: 101, Bet Types: 39, Odds Levels: 93.75% | 4.8 out of 5 | www.bet365.com | Full T&Cs Apply! For new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. 18+ Begambleaware.org |
What is a Yankee Bet?
A Yankee bet is a type of system bet that combines 11 wagers across four events. All the selections are of equal value. The bet consists of six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold accumulator. As with most combination wagers, the Yankee bet is common in horse racing betting. However, it can work for various other sports.
- Six Doubles: – Bets on every possible combination of two selections from the four.
- Four Trebles: – Bets on every possible combination of three selections from the four.
- One Four-Fold Accumulator: – A single bet that all four selections will win.
A Yankee bet is designed to cover multiple selections. Your stake gets some form of a return even when only half of your selections pan out. As such, it’s an ideal choice when you want to put money on several events but are not sure all of them can win.
When you place a Yankee bet, your total stake would be the cost of a single wager multiplied by the number of bets (11). Thus, if you are planning to bet £2 on a selection, then a Yankee would cost £22 (£2×11).
How Does a Yankee Bet Work?
First, you have to know that the bet requires four selections. Therefore, you should have several events from which to choose.
So, in four selections named A, B, C, D, a Yankee bet would look like this:
- Doubles – A+B, A+C, A+D, B+C, B+D, C+D
- Trebles – A+B+C, A+B+D, A+C+D, B+C+D
- Fourfold – A+B+C+D
Some punters confuse a Yankee with a Lucky 15 bet. Although they are both combination wagers that apply to four selections, they differ slightly. A Lucky 15 contains single bets. It has all the 11 wagers in the system plus another four, which represent a single bet for each selection.
How to Win With a Yankee Bet?
The Yankee bet requires at least two selections to win to generate any return. Of course, the more winning combinations you land, the better the payout. If the selection doesn’t have great odds, then a win-only Yankee bet is recommended. However, for picks with longer odds, an each-way bet would be more suitable.
Punters should know that even though two winners will bring a return, it will most likely be less than your whole stake, so you need three of four to really see some profit. On the other hand, the system has 11 winning combinations, so there is more chance of success than a simple acca.
Yankee Bets in Horse Racing
Horse racing betting is where this system has a huge presence. So, how do you bet a Yankee in this market?
Let’s say you want to punt on four races in a meet. Whispering Death, The Entertainer, Harry the Giant and Pebbles are the four selections. If you are to get any payout, you need two winners. Note that a non-runner won’t affect the rest of the bets. For example, if a winning double includes a non-runner, then you would be paid the value of the single.
An Example of a Yankee Bet
To further explain a Yankee bet for horse racing, now it’s time to see how it would work in a real-life bet.
From the selected horses (mentioned above), we choose to bet £5, which means the stake is £55. Our chosen winners are Whispering Death at 2/5, The Entertainer at 8/15, Harry the Giant at 1/4 and Pebbles at 5/2.
- So, if only two are victorious (Whispering Death & the Entertainer) then we have a winning double. The payout from this selection would be 5 x 1.40 (2/5) x 1.53 (8/15) = £10.73. Since your bet was £55, then this return is a loss.
- However, if in the above scenario if Pebbles also won, then that would mean higher returns. You would have three doubles and a treble. So, the payout would be 10.73 + 5 x 1.40 (2/5) x 3.50 (5/2) + 5 x 1.53 (8/15) x 3.50 (5/2) = £62.07 plus the treble, 5 x 1.40 (2/5) x 1.53 (8/15) x 3.50 (5/2) = £37.57 giving you a total of £99.64.
- If all the selections turned out as predicted, then the return would be £264.38, which is a significant profit. As you can see, the math is quite comprehensive. We suggest using a Yankee bet calculator to make it easier.
Our Conclusion to Yankee Betting
If you came to this guide wondering “what is a Yankee bet?”, you should be more than familiar with it now. The basics to remember is that you can apply the system across four selections. With six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold accumulator, the bet allows you to spread your risk efficiently.
They’re most popular in horse racing betting, but it is not exclusive. You can use the bet on various other sports from football to ice hockey to cricket. However, learn to identify markets that would benefit from its usage.
FAQs to Yankee Bet Online
How much does a Yankee bet cost?
A Yankee wager contains 11 bets of equal value. So, whatever you plan to spend on one bet applies to all the others. The cost of your entire stake is 11 times the price of one bet. Consequently, a £1 wager on a selection comes to an £11 Yankee. Due to the potentially high cost of a Yankee bet, take the time to evaluate your budget before placing it. Remember that your stake influences the payout.
How many bets are in a Yankee?
A Yankee bet contains 11 wagers in total. You get your picks from four different selections. A Yankee consists of six doubles, a quartet of trebles and one fourfold. It is a system wager that allows you to hedge your bets on different events. Due to the number of bets in a Yankee, it is suitable when playing markets with short-priced odds. A Yankee doesn't include singles but rather focuses on spreading your staking power on several multiples. Note that in each-way Yankee bets, you have twice the number of bets. Therefore, the bet would have 22 picks.
Is a Yankee a good bet?
A Yankee bet can be a lucrative way to wager on several sports. One reason because it diversifies your risk. When you want to bet on more than one selection, you have to minimise the risk as much as possible. In some system bets, if one pick loses, so does your entire stake. However, with a Yankee bet, you only need at least two selections to succeed to generate a return. For this reason, a Yankee is a suitable wager if you have a good feeling about several winners. It is also worth considering if the odds for single wagers are short and thereby will result in a small payout. The bet multiplies your odds.
What is an each-way Yankee bet?
In an each-way Yankee, every wager is an each-way bet, meaning that you have a stake unit on a selection to win and another to place. So, you have a total of 22 bets because you have two picks for each one. For this reason, the money you spend on an each-way Yankee is double that of a straight one. If a single bet is £1, then the entire bet slip will cost you £22 (2(11 x 1). In an each-way bet, if any of the four selections finish in place positions, then you can expect a payout. However, not all sports or online bookmakers offer each-way betting. Therefore, punters should find the most suitable markets and websites for the best value. Click here for a more detailed description of the types of Yankee bets.
What is a Yankee combination?
In a combination bet, you place separate stakes on multiple picks. Even if one selection loses, the bet still pays out. With Yankee bets, the combination is for 11 wagers that make up six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold. See our example on how to win using Yankee combinations.