Ian JohnWhat are Full Cover Bets? We learn more about these flexible betting options at bet365!
When new punters start betting, particularly on horse racing, they often begin with the simplest types of bets.
These are usually straightforward “To Win” bets or “Each Way” bets, where punters may feel their chosen horse has a chance of finishing in one of the paying places even if it doesn’t win the race.
These bets are ideal for beginners as they are affordable, easy to understand, and offer a reasonable chance of a return.
The potential for decent winnings increases if you manage to pick a long-shot winner or an outsider who places in an Each Way bet.
However, punters don’t take long to explore other types of bets. One of the most popular options beyond simple bets is the accumulator (also known as a parlay bet in North America).
This is a single-line bet where several selections are made, and all must win to succeed.
Winnings from each selection accumulate as the bet progresses. This can offer a much bigger payout from a relatively small stake.
The downside of accumulators is that they are notoriously hard to win, even with just three or four selections. If just one selection loses, the entire bet is lost.
Some accumulator bets can have ten or more selections, making it even harder for them to win consistently.
Fortunately, there’s an alternative: Full Cover Bets. These types of bets allow you to place multiple selections without needing all of them to win to see a return.
This article will cover the different types of Full Cover Bets, what they include, and how to calculate your total stake and potential returns.
You can place Full Cover Bets with major bookmakers like Bet365. Be sure to check out the latest Bet365 New Player Offer before signing up.
Min deposit requirement. Free bets are paid as bet credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credit stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.
What is a Full Cover Bet?
All Full Cover Bets consists of multiple selections (typically between three and eight), covering all possible multiple bets that can be made with those selections. The more selections you make, the more potential combinations of doubles, trebles, and accumulators you will need to cover, with each combination requiring its own “line” or individual bet.
Essentially, Full Cover Bets are not just one bet but rather a collection of bets covering all possible permutations based on the number of selections you choose.
Types of Full Cover Bets
There are several types of Full Cover Bets available, each with its own number of lines (or individual bets). Here are the most common types:
– Trixie: Three selections – 4 bets (three doubles and a treble)
– Yankee: Four selections – 11 bets (six doubles, four trebles, and a four-fold)
– Canadian (also known as a Super Yankee): Five selections – 26 bets (ten doubles, ten trebles, five four-folds, and a five-fold)
– Heinz: Six selections – 57 bets (15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, six five-folds, and one six-fold)
– Super Heinz: Seven selections – 120 bets (21 doubles, 35 trebles, 35 four-folds, 21 five-folds, seven six-folds, and one seven-fold)
– Goliath: Eight selections – 247 bets (28 doubles, 56 trebles, 70 four-folds, 56 five-folds, 28 six-folds, eight seven-folds, and one eight-fold)
Always remember to gamble responsibly.
Check out bet365’s Safer Gambling page for more details.
Calculating Your Stake
To calculate your stake for all Full Cover Bets, you need to multiply your unit stake by the number of lines in the bet.
For instance, if your unit stake is £0.50 and you place a Heinz Full Cover Bet (which consists of 57 lines), your total stake would be:
57 lines × £0.50 = £28.50
In this case, placing a 50p Heinz Bet would cost you £28.50 in total. To make a profit, your returns would need to exceed this amount.
Calculating Winnings
Once you’ve placed your bet, calculating potential winnings depends on the odds of each selection and how many of your selections win.
Let’s use an example where you place a 50p Heinz Bet (with 57 lines, costing £28.50) on the following six selections.
They are running in the fictional Fawlty Towers Classic meeting at Newton Abbot on the English Riviera. The selections and their odds are shown below (odds in parentheses):
- Race 1. Waldorf Salad (1/2)
- Race 2. Basil the Rat (Evens)
- Race 3. I Know Nothing (2/1)
- Race 4. Proposition from Wittgenstein (4/1)
- Race 5. I’m A Doctor and I want my Sausages (6/1)
- Race 6. Dragonfly (10/1)
To guarantee a return on any of the full cover bets, at least two of your selections must win. The bet is lost if only one or none of your selections win.
The amount you receive back from a winning bet depends on the number of horses that win and their odds.
For instance, if Waldorf Salad and Basil the Rat win, you’d get a return on the double bet. However, this return may be relatively small (£1.50 on a 50p stake), leaving you with a £27 loss.
On the other hand, if I’m A Doctor and I want my Sausages and Dragonfly win, which have higher odds (6/1 and 10/1), a £0.50 double would return £38.50, giving you a £10 profit.
The more selections that win and the higher their odds, the greater your return. If you land three winners, then that tends to generate a higher return than two and so forth.
Are Full Cover Bets Worth Considering?
Full Cover Bets can offer value if you’re skilled at picking winners, particularly those with longer odds. Like any form of betting, success largely depends on your ability to make accurate selections.
Full Cover Bets provide flexibility since only some of your selections need to win for you to see a return. If you’re a punter who consistently picks multiple strong selections, these bets can provide a safer way to stake your money compared to an accumulator, where one wrong pick wipes out the entire bet.
However, you’ll need to consider the cost of covering multiple lines, as your total stake can quickly add up.
Options on the bet365 Bet Slip
What is appealing to customers is that with these types of bets at bet365, you do not have to cover every combination if you do not wish to do so.
On the bet365 bet slip, if you make selections for a full cover bet, then the different options for that bet are all listed separately.
For example, if you placed the Heinz bet listed above with bet365, then you would be able to bet on all the following options individually:
- 15 Doubles,
- 20 Trebles,
- 15 Four-folds,
- Six Five-folds,
- One Six-fold accumulator
So you could break down the Heinz full cover bet so that you only back the 15 potential doubles that could win, or the 20 trebles, or even just the six Five-folds.
Or you can combine some of the selections. So you could cover the 15 Doubles and 20 Trebles, but leave the four-folds, five-folds and six-fold acca out of your wager.
It is this additional flexibility available with bet365 that makes the site such a great option for punters that like to have more choice when making their wagers!
Always remember to gamble responsibly.
Check out bet365’s Safer Gambling page for more details.
Updated on 6th September 2024
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