Is round robin better than a straight parlay?

Round robins offer more insurance but require more stake. A 3-leg straight parlay costs $10 and all must win. A 3-pick round robin with 2-way parlays costs $30 (3 parlays at $10 each) but you can profit even if one leg loses. The tradeoff is higher total stake for lower variance.

Round Robin Calculator | Multi-Parlay Bet Builder

🎯 Round Robin Calculator

Enter your selections and stake per parlay. The calculator will generate all possible parlay combinations based on your chosen parlay size.

Stake Per Parlay ($)

Odds Format

Parlay Size (legs per parlay)

Your Selections

Toggle each selection as Win or Lose to see different profit scenarios.

Total Parlays

C(3,2)

Total Stake Required

$30.00

All parlays combined

Winning Parlays

Based on toggle states

Total Payout

$109.32

Sum of winning parlays

Net Profit/Loss

$79.32

Payout minus total stake

ROI

264.4%

Return on investment

Parlay Breakdown

Combination Formula

C(n, k) = n! / (k!(n-k)!)

C(3, 2) = 3! / (2! × 1!)

= 3 parlays

⚡ Quick Examples

3-Pick, 2-Way

3 selections × $10 = 3 parlays, $30 total

4-Pick, 2-Way

4 selections × $10 = 6 parlays, $60 total

4-Pick, 3-Way

4 selections × $10 = 4 parlays, $40 total

5-Pick, 2-Way

5 selections × $10 = 10 parlays, $100 total

📖 How Round Robin Betting Works

Round Robin Definition: A round robin bet creates all possible parlay combinations of a specific size from your selections. Instead of one all-or-nothing parlay, you get multiple smaller parlays with built-in insurance—you can still profit even if one or more selections lose.

Unlike a straight parlay where all selections must win, round robins distribute your risk across multiple smaller parlays. According to the American Gaming Association's sports betting glossary, round robins are a popular way to create parlay combinations with reduced variance.

Selections	2-Way Parlays	3-Way Parlays	4-Way Parlays	5-Way Parlays
3 picks	3 parlays	1 parlay	—	—
4 picks	6 parlays	4 parlays	1 parlay	—
5 picks	10 parlays	10 parlays	5 parlays	1 parlay
6 picks	15 parlays	20 parlays	15 parlays	6 parlays
7 picks	21 parlays	35 parlays	35 parlays	21 parlays
8 picks	28 parlays	56 parlays	70 parlays	56 parlays

Total Stake Warning: Round robins require significantly more stake than a single parlay. A 5-pick round robin with 2-way parlays requires 10× the stake of a straight parlay. Always calculate your total stake before placing a round robin bet. Use our bankroll management guide to ensure responsible betting.

Understanding Round Robin Bets: Complete Guide

A round robin is a type of wager that creates all possible parlay combinations of a certain size from your selections. The name comes from round-robin tournaments where each competitor plays every other competitor—similarly, in a round robin bet, each selection is paired with every other selection in parlay form.

The key advantage of round robins is risk distribution. If you have three selections at -110 each and put them in a straight 3-leg parlay, all three must win or you lose everything. With a 3-pick, 2-way round robin, you create three separate 2-leg parlays. If two of three selections win, you still collect on one winning parlay—potentially recovering some or all of your stake.

The Mathematics Behind Round Robin Combinations

Round robin combinations follow the mathematical combination formula from combinatorics (Khan Academy):

C(n, k) = n! / (k! × (n-k)!)

Where n is the number of selections and k is the parlay size. For example, with 5 selections and 2-way parlays: C(5,2) = 5! / (2! × 3!) = 120 / (2 × 6) = 10 parlays. Understanding this formula helps you anticipate how your total stake scales with more selections.

Round Robin vs. Straight Parlay: A Mathematical Comparison

To illustrate the tradeoff, consider 4 selections all at 2.00 decimal odds (-100 American):

Straight 4-leg parlay: $10 stake → $160 payout if all win, $0 if any loses
4-pick, 2-way round robin: $60 stake (6 parlays at $10) → $240 total payout if all win, but partial payouts if 2 or 3 win

The round robin costs 6× more but provides insurance. If 3 of 4 selections win, you'd receive 3 winning parlays at $40 each = $120, netting $60 profit on your $60 stake. The straight parlay would pay $0 because one leg lost. This risk reduction comes at the cost of lower maximum profit and higher total stake. For more on parlay mathematics, see our parlay calculator.

When to Use Round Robins

Round robins make sense in several scenarios:

Confidence in multiple picks: When you like several selections but aren't certain all will win, round robins let you profit from partial success
Risk-averse betting: If you prefer lower variance over maximum upside, round robins smooth out returns
Correlated events: When your picks may be correlated (e.g., same game props), round robins can help manage that correlation
Entertainment value: Having multiple "chances to win" can make watching events more engaging

However, understand that round robins don't change the mathematical expectation. Each individual parlay still has the same house edge. You're paying for reduced variance, not improved odds. For expected value analysis, use our expected value calculator.

Common Round Robin Bet Types

Different regions use different terminology for round robin combinations. In the UK, standardized round robin types include:

Trixie: 4 bets from 3 selections (3 doubles, 1 treble)
Patent: 7 bets from 3 selections (3 singles, 3 doubles, 1 treble)
Yankee: 11 bets from 4 selections (6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 fourfold)
Lucky 15: 15 bets from 4 selections (4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 fourfold)

These are "full cover" bets that include parlays of multiple sizes plus singles. Our system bet calculator handles these UK-style combinations. The round robin calculator on this page focuses on single-size parlay combinations, which is the standard in US sportsbooks.

Calculating Break-Even Scenarios

A key question with round robins is: "How many selections need to win to break even?" This depends on the parlay size and odds. For 2-way round robins with standard -110 odds, you typically need at least 2 winning selections to have any winning parlays. The exact break-even point requires calculating which specific combinations win.

Use the toggle feature in this calculator to experiment with different win/loss scenarios. You'll notice that with evenly priced selections, losing just one pick significantly impacts total return, but you often still recover a portion of your stake—unlike straight parlays where one loss means total loss.

For deeper analysis of break-even thresholds, see our break-even win rate calculator and variance and expected value guide.

Educational Disclaimer: This calculator is for educational purposes only. Round robin betting requires significant stake and still carries house edge on each parlay. Never bet more than you can afford to lose. For help with gambling problems, visit BeGambleAware or the National Council on Problem Gambling. See our responsible gambling resources. 18+ Only.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a round robin bet?

A round robin bet creates all possible parlay combinations of a certain size from your selections. For example, a 3-pick round robin with 2-way parlays creates three separate 2-team parlays. If any parlay wins, you profit—unlike a straight 3-leg parlay where all three must win. Round robins provide insurance against one or more selections losing.

How many parlays are in a round robin?

The number of parlays follows the combination formula C(n,k). For 2-way parlays: 3 picks = 3 parlays, 4 picks = 6, 5 picks = 10, 6 picks = 15. For 3-way parlays: 4 picks = 4 parlays, 5 picks = 10, 6 picks = 20. The formula is n! / (k!(n-k)!) where n is selections and k is parlay size.

Is a round robin better than a straight parlay?

Round robins offer more insurance but require more stake. A 3-leg straight parlay costs $10 and all must win. A 3-pick, 2-way round robin costs $30 (3 parlays at $10 each) but you can profit even if one leg loses. The tradeoff is higher total stake for lower variance. Neither is objectively "better"—it depends on your risk tolerance and bankroll.

How is round robin payout calculated?

Each parlay is calculated separately by multiplying the decimal odds of its legs, then multiplying by stake. Winning parlays are summed for total payout. If a 6-parlay round robin at $10 each has 4 winners with payouts of $25, $28, $22, and $30, total return is $105. Net profit is $105 minus the $60 total stake = $45.

What happens if a selection pushes in a round robin?

When a selection pushes (ties), any parlay containing it is recalculated. A 2-way parlay with one push becomes a straight bet at the remaining leg's odds. A 3-way parlay with one push becomes a 2-way parlay. The stake remains but pays out at reduced combined odds. Check your sportsbook's specific rules as push handling can vary.

How many selections do I need for a round robin?

For 2-way parlays, you need at least 3 selections. For 3-way parlays, at least 4. For 4-way parlays, at least 5. Most sportsbooks allow up to 8-10 selections, though more selections means exponentially more parlays. With 8 picks doing 2-way parlays, you'd have 28 separate bets—expensive but heavily diversified.

Round Robin Bet Calculator