Patent Bet Calculator

A Patent bet is a full-cover combination wager placed on three selections, comprising seven individual bets in total. These seven bets cover every possible grouping of the three selections: three singles (one for each individual selection), three doubles (one for each possible pair of two selections), and one treble (combining all three selections together). The bet is named for its complete coverage — unlike partial combination bets such as the Trixie (which excludes singles), the Patent leaves no combination uncovered. Because singles are included, a Patent guarantees a return if even one of your three selections wins, making it one of the most forgiving full-cover bets available.

The Patent's seven-bet structure emerged from traditional British bookmaking conventions, where named combination bets have long offered a standardised way for bettors to place complex combination wagers with a single instruction. Walk into any UK high-street bookmaker and ask for a Patent at a certain unit stake and the counterstaff will immediately know you want seven bets on three selections. This accessibility and standardisation is one reason named combination bets like the Patent remain so popular decades into the digital era, when online calculators could theoretically allow bettors to construct any combination themselves.

The Patent is most commonly used in horse racing, where three selections across different races represent a common weekend or festival betting scenario. However, Patents are also placed on football matches, greyhound racing, golf tournaments, and other events where a bettor has identified three selections they wish to combine. The key practical distinction of the Patent compared to simply placing three singles is the inclusion of the doubles and treble, which multiply the returns dramatically when two or all three selections win. A bettor who places three singles individually would receive no benefit from the combination effects, whereas the Patent doubles and treble capture the full multiplied upside.

Calculating the total return from a Patent begins with identifying how many of your three selections won. Each winning outcome unlocks different bets within the seven-bet structure. If one selection wins, only that selection's single pays out — one of the seven bets returns. The return is simply your unit stake multiplied by the decimal odds of the winning selection. For example, a winning single at decimal odds of 4.0 with a £1 unit stake returns £4.00 (£3 profit plus the £1 stake). The remaining six bets (two singles on losing selections, three doubles, one treble) all lose.

If two of your three selections win, the returns become more interesting. Both winning singles pay out, and the one double combining the two winning selections also pays out — three bets paying from the seven total. The double return is your unit stake multiplied by the combined decimal odds of both winning selections. If your two winners were priced at 3.0 and 5.0, the double returns £1 × 3.0 × 5.0 = £15.00. Combined with the two singles returning £3.00 and £5.00 respectively, total gross return from two winners is £23.00 from £7 staked — a net profit of £16.00 in this example. All four remaining bets (the single on the losing selection, the two doubles involving the loser, and the treble) lose.

When all three selections win, all seven bets pay out simultaneously. The three singles return their individual odds. The three doubles each return the multiplied odds of their two component selections. The treble returns the product of all three selections' odds together. This cascading payout structure means a Patent on three well-priced selections where all three win can produce a return many times the total stake. At odds of 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0, the seven-bet return would be: singles (£3 + £4 + £5 = £12), doubles (£12 + £15 + £20 = £47), treble (£60) — total gross return of £119 from a £7 stake, a net profit of £112 from a single Patent at £1 per line.

The Patent and the Trixie are the two standard full-cover bets on three selections, differing only in whether singles are included. A Trixie covers three selections with four bets — three doubles and one treble — requiring at least two winning selections to return anything. A Patent extends the Trixie by adding three singles, bringing the total to seven bets and guaranteeing a return from just one winner. The additional three unit stakes (moving from four to seven) buy the insurance of singles coverage. Whether this insurance is worth the cost depends on how confident you are in each individual selection and how important it is to you not to lose everything if only one selection wins.

Compared to a Lucky 15, which covers four selections with fifteen bets, the Patent operates on fewer selections and fewer bets. The Lucky 15 is the natural upgrade when a bettor has a fourth confident selection to add. The Lucky 15's singles coverage works the same way as the Patent's — any single winner returns something — but the Lucky 15's doubles, trebles, and fourfold create compounding combination returns that grow substantially with each additional winner. For three-selection scenarios specifically, the Patent is the right instrument; if a fourth selection becomes available, the Lucky 15 is the next step.

The breakeven point between a Patent and three individual singles is worth considering. If you place three singles at £1 each (£3 total stake), you collect only on whichever individual selections win, with no combination multiplication. A Patent at £1 per line costs £7 — more than double the singles approach — but the doubles and treble create outsized returns when two or three selections win. If you expect at least two of your three selections to win most of the time, the Patent's combination element adds significant expected value over the cost of the additional bets. If you typically expect only one winner, the additional six bets above the single may not be worth the extra stake.

One of the most important practical features of the Patent is its ability to return something from just one winning selection. Because three of its seven bets are singles — one on each selection individually — the Patent produces a positive return from any single winner. However, whether that return covers the total stake depends on the odds of the winning selection. With a unit stake of £1 per line (£7 total staked), the winning single returns £1 × the decimal odds of the winner. A selection at evens (decimal odds 2.0) returns only £2 — less than the £7 staked. A selection at 8.0 (7/1) returns £8 — recovering the full stake and producing £1 profit. Generally, a single winner in a Patent at standard bookmaker odds will not recover the total stake, but it meaningfully reduces the loss compared to a Trixie or accumulator where one winner returns nothing.

The singles coverage is most valuable psychologically and in scenarios where your two losing selections were short-priced and your winner was a longer-priced selection. If your Patent has two favourites at odds of 1.5 and 1.8 (which both lose) and a 10.0 outsider that wins, the winning single returns £10 from your £7 total stake — a net profit of £3 from a scenario where two selections let you down. Without the singles (as in a Trixie), you would receive nothing from this outcome. The Patent's ability to salvage outsider wins is one reason it is particularly popular in horse racing, where unexpected results occur regularly and having singles coverage on a longshot is valuable.

Bookmakers occasionally run promotions on Patents where they offer enhanced returns for one-winner scenarios, similar to the Lucky 15 bonuses offered on four-selection bets. These promotions — sometimes advertised as 'double odds if one wins' or similar offers — can substantially improve the return from a single-winner Patent outcome, making the protection offered by the singles even more valuable. Always check your bookmaker's current Patent terms before placing, as these promotions can significantly shift the expected value calculation in favour of the Patent over a Trixie or simple treble on the same three selections.

The Patent is most strategically appropriate when you have three selections where you are genuinely confident about each individually but want to benefit from combination payouts if two or three of them win. It occupies the sweet spot between the risk-aversion of three separate singles and the risk-seeking nature of a standalone treble. If your risk tolerance is low and you cannot afford to lose your entire stake, the Patent's singles coverage provides a floor. If you are comfortable with some loss but want combination upside, the doubles and treble provide it. The Patent is effectively a three-selection version of a balanced portfolio.

In practice, Patents work best when there is meaningful variation in the odds of your three selections. Having one confident short-priced selection and one or two more speculative, higher-priced picks allows the Patent to function as intended — the confident selection's single provides some return in a bad scenario, while the longer-priced selections create significant combination value if they come in. A Patent on three selections all priced around evens produces relatively modest doubles and treble returns (2.0 × 2.0 × 2.0 = 8.0 for the treble), while a Patent involving one or two selections priced at 4.0, 5.0, or higher creates dramatically better combination value.

For race-day bettors at festivals like Cheltenham or Royal Ascot, the Patent is a classic approach to covering multiple races with combination upside while maintaining some insurance against bad luck. Selecting one strong nap, one solid each-way chance, and one value longer-shot in three different races and combining them in a Patent gives the best of both worlds — a return from any one winner, meaningful combination returns from two winners, and a substantial payout if all three land. The total stake of seven units keeps the investment modest and the risk proportionate, making the Patent one of the best all-around combination bets for three-selection scenarios at any bankroll level.