What is a Yankee?

Betting sites are awash with different bet types that allow punters to wager on a number of different events across the sportsbook.

For those looking for a more exotic bet and who might be tempted by accumulator bets, bet builders or a number of other bets with multiple legs, a Yankee bet could be what they are after.

It can be a bit confusing with all the different terms thrown around so here is a guide to the Yankee bet, explaining how a Yankee bet works and how to place one.

A Yankee bet is a form of accumulator or bet builder. In simple terms, it is one bet that includes a number of smaller wagers known as legs.

A Yankee bet is a wager that includes 11 bets involving four selections, broken down as such: six doubles, four trebles and one four-fold accumulator.

It is a popular choice among bettors, especially those looking for different ways to bet on horse racing.

A Yankee bet works when a punter makes four selections on betting apps or desktop site and creates combinations to craft 11 individual bets.

Using a Yankee, the four selections will create six double bets, four treble bets and one fourfold bet.

It is not like an accumulator in that each of the 11 bets operates on its own, so if one selection loses then other combinations could still come in. However, you need to wager the same amount on each of the 11 legs, so if a £1 stake is placed on each leg then the total bet will be £11.

An example of a Yankee Bet would be to bet on four horses across four races:

Here are the 11 combinations this horse racing Yankee would create, including each payout based on a £1 stake on each leg:

Doubles

1.      Horse A (2/1) + B (Evs) to win = £6

2.      Horse A (2/1) + C (3/1) to win = £12

3.      Horse A (2/1) + D (6/1) to win = £21

4.      Horse B (Evs) + D (6/1) to win = £14

5.      Horse B (Evs) + C (3/1) to win = £8

6.      Horse C (3/1) + D (6/1) to win = £28

Trebles

7.      Horse A (2/1), B (Evs) + C (3/1) to win = £24

8.      Horse A (2/1), B (Evs) + D (6/1) to win = £42

9.      Horse A (2/1), C (3/1) + D (6/1) to win = £84

10.  Horse B (Evs), C (3/1) and D (6/1) to win = £56

Fourfold

11.  Horse A, B C and D win = £168

Total return if all 11 bets win = £463

To work out a Yankee, you have to multiply each individual price within each bet, then once you’ve done it for all 11 selections, add it together to get your odds. You’ll find there are various Yankee bet calculators that can help you work out your returns.

There are various types of multiple bets available on established and new betting sites that feature combinations of doubles, trebles and more, such as Lucky 15s, Heinz and Canadians.

The Yankee is similar to a Lucky 15, although the latter features singles and a Yankee does not.

A Yankee bet features fewer bets than the other well-known multiple types and, therefore, may suit a bettor with a smaller bankroll.

The biggest advantage of a Yankee is the potential for a profit on your original stake even if two of your selections lose. In that regard, it offers greater flexibility than an accumulator, which requires all your bets to win to return a profit.

The Yankee bet is most commonly found in horse racing, but can also be used in other sports, such as football.

Given you’ll need four selections to make up a Yankee, you’ll need to spend a bit more time than usual researching each of your potential bets.

If you are going for three short-priced selections, you may want to consider the fourth leg of the Yankee being a slightly bigger price to give you a better chance of a return on your doubles should two of the legs lose.

Always use a Yankee bet calculator to work our your returns and how much you’ll need to stake to secure the potential profit you are after.

Finally, remember that you stand to lose 11 times more on a Yankee than you would a four-fold accumulator so have a staking plan in mind.

Customers must ensure they follow responsible gambling practices from the second they sign up for a bookmaker online. Even if you’re knowledgeable about horse racing any bet can still lose.

Betting is not a way to make money online and should only ever be considered a form of entertainment. Set budgets and always remain in control.

The same applies whether you’re using betting sites, casino sites, slot sites, poker sites or any other form of gambling. It’s particularly important not to get carried away by free bet offers or casino offers, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.

Whether you think you know how to bet on horses or not, you may want to take advantage of the responsible gambling tools offered by bookmakers to stay in control, such as deposit limits and self-exclusion options.

Should you wish to seek help for gambling-related issues, there are multiple charities and healthcare providers who offer support and information:

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.