What is a Yankee Bet?

A Yankee is a system bet on 4 selections consisting of 11 bets: 6 doubles, 4 trebles, and 1 fourfold accumulator. No singles are included, which means you need at least 2 of your 4 selections to win for any return.

The Yankee is one of the most popular system bets in UK betting, widely used in horse racing and football. It offers the combination-bet upside of a Lucky 15 at a lower total stake cost, in exchange for the loss of singles coverage.

Yankee vs Lucky 15

The key difference is singles. A Yankee has 11 bets; a Lucky 15 has 15 bets (adding 4 singles). With a Yankee, one winner — however big the price — returns nothing. With a Lucky 15, any single winner generates at least a partial return. The Yankee costs less but demands a minimum of 2 winners.

If you are highly confident in at least two of your four selections, the Yankee's lower cost is an advantage. If any of the four feels uncertain, the Lucky 15's singles coverage may justify the extra four bets.

How to Use the Yankee Calculator

Enter your unit stake (total cost = 11 x unit stake; a £2 Yankee costs £22)
Enter the odds for all 4 selections in any format
Mark which selections won
Read your total return broken down by doubles, trebles, and fourfold

The 11 Bets Explained

From 4 selections (A, B, C, D):

6 Doubles: AB, AC, AD, BC, BD, CD

4 Trebles: ABC, ABD, ACD, BCD

1 Fourfold: ABCD

The number of combinations follows C(4,2)=6, C(4,3)=4, C(4,4)=1.

The Maths: A Yankee Example

£2 unit stake Yankee, total cost £22. Four selections at decimal odds 3.0, 4.0, 3.5, and 5.0. All four win.

Doubles: (3x4=12), (3x3.5=10.5), (3x5=15), (4x3.5=14), (4x5=20), (3.5x5=17.5)
Sum of doubles x £2: (12+10.5+15+14+20+17.5) x 2 = 89 x 2 = £178
Trebles: (3x4x3.5=42), (3x4x5=60), (3x3.5x5=52.5), (4x3.5x5=70)
Sum of trebles x £2: (42+60+52.5+70) x 2 = 224.5 x 2 = £449
Fourfold: 3x4x3.5x5 = 210 → £2 x 210 = £420
Total return: £178 + £449 + £420 = £1,047 from £22 staked

If only selections A and B win (3.0 and 4.0): Only double AB pays — £2 x 12 = £24. A small profit (£2) from £22 total stake.

Tips and Strategies

Focus on odds of 2/1 or above. At very short prices, the doubles and trebles barely compound meaningfully over 11 bets, making the Yankee less efficient.
Upgrade to a Lucky 15 if one selection feels vulnerable. The four extra singles cost 4 additional unit stakes but provide a full safety net for any single winner.
Each-way Yankees work well in horse racing. An each-way Yankee doubles the bets to 22 — covering all 11 combinations for win and place — and can produce meaningful returns if two or three selections place rather than win.
The Yankee is ideal for Saturday afternoon racing. Four selections from different afternoon races on a single card, without the full commitment of a Lucky 15, is the classic Yankee scenario.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bets is a Yankee? 11 bets: 6 doubles, 4 trebles, and 1 fourfold from 4 selections. No singles.

How many winners do I need for a return? At least 2. With exactly 2 winners, only the double covering those two selections pays. With 3 winners, the relevant doubles and a treble pay. All 4 winners activates all 11 bets.

What is the difference between a Yankee and a Lucky 15? A Lucky 15 adds 4 singles to the Yankee's 11 bets (15 bets total). With a Lucky 15, one winner still returns something. With a Yankee, you need at least 2 winners for any return.

What is a Super Yankee (Canadian)? A Super Yankee, also called a Canadian, is the 5-selection equivalent: 26 bets covering all doubles, trebles, fourfolds, and 1 fivefold — but no singles. The 5-selection equivalent with singles is the Lucky 31.

Is a Yankee suitable for football betting? Yes. Four football match result selections combined into a Yankee is a popular alternative to a four-fold accumulator — you still collect from 2 correct predictions rather than needing all four to win.