What is an Alphabet Bet? – An Explanation of Alphabet Betting
An Alphabet bet is a combination wager comprised of 26 different bets based on six unrelated selections. We’re going to explore exactly what is an Alphabet bet, so that you know everything about how they work.
How Does an Alphabet Bet Work?
There are 26 letters in the English alphabet and 26 wagers in an Alphabet bet on online betting sites, hence the name. Those 26 bets derive from six selections in six different events. The six selections have a bet breakdown as the following types of bets.
- Two Patent Bets (2 x 7 wagers = 14 bets)
- One Yankee (11 bets)
- One Six-Fold Acca (One bet)
As you can see, this combination of 14 wagers, plus 11 more and one sixfold accumulator bet, comes to 26 bets in total. We’re going to further show you what is an alphabet bet, by giving you an in-depth example of one.
Example of the Alphabet Bet Type
Alphabet bets are particularly popular on horse racing betting sites, as well as punters that like to bet on football. In this example, we’re going to look at an Alphabet bet comprised of six different football teams, that have been backed to win.
It’s a common but complicated bet type placed by supporters on a Saturday, as there is such a busy football schedule on that day. The teams in question are Arsenal, Everton, Manchester City, Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham.
If there’s a part of an Alphabet bet that is perhaps more confusing, it is the patent aspect. A patent is a bet with three selections, that covers every possible permutation between those picks. It’s comprised of three singles, three doubles and one treble.
There are two patents in an Alphabet. One is made up of the first three selections and the other is built around the last three selections. This means that the order that you enter your selections in this type of bet, is very important. That’s generally not the case with other types of combination bets.
So in our example Patent 1 is comprised of Arsenal, Everton and Manchester City. Patent 2 is made up of Newcastle, Tottenham and West Ham.
The Yankee is built around the second selection, through to the fifth. So in this example, that would be Everton, Manchester City, Newcastle and Tottenham. A Yankee features four selections, which create six doubles, four trebles and a four-fold acca, totalling eleven bets.
Finally there is the six-fold accumulator, which is the most straightforward part of the equation. All six selections come together to form one acca.
As you will have seen, with Alphabet betting the order that you enter your selections is extremely important and needs to be considered carefully. Get it right and it can be a very lucrative type of bet.
Pros & Cons of the Alphabet Bet Explained
No explanation of what is an Alphabet bet would be complete without a look at the pros and cons of this type of wager. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of this type of combination bet, as we see them.
Pros
- Two patents, a Yankee and an acca create much potential for profit
- Six selections divided into many types of bet
- Adds an extra element of interest when it comes to the results of your picks
- Get five or six right and you will really win big
Cons
- Two selections have to be excluded from your Yankee
- Lots of bets involved and can prove expensive if only one or two picks win
Alphabet Bet Calculator
There are 26 wagers in an Alphabet bet meaning that it would take a lot of time, to work out how much you could stand to win, if you were doing the calculations in your head.
It will save a lot of time and makes a lot more sense overall, to instead use a bet calculator. You will be able to see exactly how much you could win, or lose, very quickly and easily.
There are so many different possible combinations in an Alphabet, which are much dependent on the order that you enter your selections. Use our free bet calculator to explore your various options and work out your possible combinations.
Other Combination & System Bets with Six Selections
If you’ve got six selections in mind to bet on, then an Alphabet could be the perfect type of combination wager for you. There are however, different options that you can try, which also feature six selections. Let’s take a look at what’s available.
- Heinz – This bet gets its name from the fact that it features 57 wagers, which of course echoes the Heinz food brand’s famous ’57 varieties’ slogan. The 57 bets are comprised of 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-fold accumulator, six five-folds and one six-fold accumulator.
- Lucky 63 – This is the same bet as a Heinz, but with singles included. The six selections provide 63 separate wagers, comprised of six singles, 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, six five-folds and one six-fold accumulator.
Effective Alphabet Strategy as a Bet
By now you should have a good idea of what is an Alphabet bet and may be at a stage where you’re ready to place one for yourself. Here are some sports betting strategies that should help your profitability.
Include Bankers in the Middle
In an Alphabet, the second, third, fourth and fifth selections are not just involved in a patent, but also the Yankee and the six-fold betting accumulator. As these selections are part of a large number of the 26 bets that form the Alphabet, it can make sense to include at least a couple of selections that you consider to be bankers. Now, the banker bet is a selection in a multiple or combination wager, which you consider to have a high-percentage chance of winning. That may be reflected by short odds, so you may wish to balance that with the prices of your other selections.
Take a Chance on the Edges
When we talk about balancing the odds of your selections, that particularly applies to your first pick and the sixth. These two selections feature in the patent and the six-fold acca, but not in the Yankee. They are therefore not involved in as many bets as selections two through to five. With their being less reliance on these selections winning, in order to deliver an overall profit, this gives you the license to take a bit of a chance on your picks at either end of the Alphabet. If you have selections with big odds within your six picks, which are naturally rated as less likely to win, these are the ones that should be positioned first and last.
Which Bookies are Best for Alphabet Betting?
We hope that you enjoyed our guide to Alphabet bets. You should now feel confident about placing your own Alphabet and may be looking for a suitable bookmaker, with whom you can place your wager. As we mentioned earlier, Alphabets are particularly popular with fans of horse racing and football betting. For that reason, of all our recommended betting sites, we would point you in the direction of Quinnbet, who are particularly strong in these areas.
FAQs
How to place an Alphabet bet?
Are Alphabet bets worth it?
How many horses must win for an Alphabet bet to payout?
What other wagers make up Alphabet bets?
A writer and editor for some of the top names in the gambling industry for nearly 20 years, Dan also works as a freelance sports journalist for publications and websites such as ESPN, FourFourTwo and LiveScore.
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