Learn · UK betting
What Is a Patent Bet?
Try the Patent calculator3 selections — returns, each-way and Rule 4.
A Patent bet is a type of multiple bet built from 3 selections, combined into 7 separate bets: 3 singles, 3 doubles and 1 treble. Because it includes singles, a Patent can still produce a return even if only one of your three selections wins — unlike bets that rely purely on combinations. A £1 Patent costs £7.00 in total stake (£1 on each of the 7 bets), and the payout depends entirely on how many of the three selections win and at what odds.
How a Patent bet is structured
Every Patent is built from the same three selections, combined in every possible way: 3 singles, 3 doubles and 1 treble. The 7 bets are:
- 3 singles – one bet on each selection individually
- 3 doubles – every possible 2-selection combination
- 1 treble – all three selections together
This structure means a £1 Patent requires a £7.00 total stake, because you’re placing £1 on each of the 7 bets. If you want to understand how odds themselves work before going further, our guide on how betting odds work covers the basics of fractional and decimal pricing.
The Patent is one of several “system bets” that combine multiple selections into a set of smaller bets. If you’re comparing options, it sits alongside bets like the Trixie, Yankee and Lucky 15 — all covered in our guide to UK system bets.
Worked example: £1 Patent, three evens winners
Say you place a £1 Patent on three selections, and all three win at evens. Here’s how the £7.00 total stake breaks down and returns:
- 3 singles: £6.00
- 3 doubles: £12.00
- 1 treble: £8.00
Total return: £26.00, from a total stake of £7.00 — a profit of £19.00.
Compare that with a £1 Trixie on the same three evens winners, which only includes the doubles and treble (no singles): total stake £4.00, total return £20.00, profit £16.00. The Patent costs £3.00 more to place and yields £3.00 more profit; its total return is £6.00 higher because the three winning singles return £6.00.
What happens with longer odds and partial winners
The real value of a Patent’s structure shows up when selections don’t all win, or when they’re priced at longer odds. Take a £1 Patent on three selections priced at 5/1, 3/1 and 2/1.
| Outcome | Total stake | Total return | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| All three win | £7.00 | £139.00 | £132.00 |
| Two win (5/1 and 3/1) | £7.00 | £34.00 | £27.00 |
| Only the 5/1 selection wins | £7.00 | £6.00 | −£1.00 |
When all three selections win, the breakdown is 3 singles £13.00, 3 doubles £54.00 and 1 treble £72.00, for a total return of £139.00 from a £7.00 stake — a profit of £132.00. The doubles and treble do the heavy lifting here, because combining odds multiplies the potential return.
Assuming the 5/1 and 3/1 selections win and the 2/1 selection loses, the two winning singles return £10.00 total and the one winning double returns £24.00; the treble returns £0.00, giving £34.00.
When only the 5/1 selection wins, every double and treble loses, but that one single still returns £6.00 from the £7.00 staked — an overall loss of £1.00, but far better than losing the full stake, which is what would happen with an accumulator or a Trixie in the same scenario. This “safety net” quality is similar in spirit to how an each-way bet protects against a selection not quite winning outright.
Each-way Patents
You can also place a Patent each-way, which doubles the bet count to 14: 7 bets on the selections to win, and 7 equivalent bets on them to place. A £1 each-way Patent therefore costs £14.00 in total stake.
For the same 5/1, 3/1 and 2/1 selections with 1/4 each-way place terms, if all three win, the breakdown is 6 singles £18.50, 6 doubles £63.94 and 2 trebles £77.91, for a total return of £160.34 from the £14.00 stake — a profit of £146.34. Each-way Patents can be used in horse racing, where each-way terms (place odds and number of places) can meaningfully affect returns even when a selection doesn’t win outright.
Patent vs other multiples
The Patent sits in a family of multiple and system bets, each with a different balance of cost and coverage:
- A parlay or accumulator needs every selection to win for full payout; if one selection loses there is no fallback, though void or pushed legs may be removed.
- A Trixie covers doubles and a treble but no singles, so one winner alone returns nothing.
- A Yankee extends the same idea to 4 selections and 11 bets.
- A round robin and other system bets offer further variations on how many selections need to win for a return.
If you want to see exactly how your own selections and odds would play out across all 7 bets, our Patent bet calculator does the full breakdown instantly, including each-way terms.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the total stake includes all 7 bets. A “£1 Patent” costs £7.00 to place, not £1.00 — a frequent source of confusion for first-time bettors.
- Assuming one winner guarantees a profit. As shown above, one winning selection can still result in an overall loss once the full £7.00 stake is accounted for.
- Confusing a Patent with a Trixie. The extra 3 singles in a Patent change the cost, the risk profile and the potential return compared with a Trixie’s 4 bets.
- Not checking each-way terms before placing an each-way Patent. Since it doubles the bet count to 14, each-way terms (place odds and number of places) directly affect the final return.
- Mixing up odds formats. Fractional odds like 5/1 and 3/1 need to be applied correctly across every single, double and treble — small errors compound quickly across 7 bets.
Patent bets can be a useful way to combine three selections while keeping some return potential if not all of them win, but the total stake and the way returns swing between outcomes are worth understanding fully before you place one. Always gamble responsibly, and only bet what you can afford to lose (18+).