What Is A Patent Bet?

A Patent bet is similar to a Trixie bet in that it is a combination of bets.  However, instead of four combinations like a Trixie bet, the Patent bet is a combination of seven bets. It can be used in various sports but is most commonly used in horse racing.

The combination of seven bets offers huge potential to earn big returns from higher odds. Another bonus with a Patent bet is that if one selection doesn’t win, you can still earn money and the bet isn’t dead in the water like it would be with an accumulator.

During this article you’ll find out how a Patent bet works, how to place one, how winnings are calculated and the pros & cons of a Patent bet. 

Introduction To The Patent Bet

A Patent bet is a combination of the following:

• 3 Single Bets
• 3 Double bets
• 1 Treble Bet

The combination involved in a Patent bet offers great potential of returns and adds an extra bit of security to this bet type.

Of the seven combinations, even one selection winning would provide returns. However, a single leg of your Patent bet winning is likely to be less than your total stake for the whole bet depending on the odds you use.

How Does A Patent Bet Work?

Let’s look at a real example - You’ve decided to take half a day off work and go to the night meeting at Chelmsford Races.  There’s three horses that you are quietly confident have a good chance. You decide a bit of diversity is best so opt for a Patent bet:

• Horse A to win the 5.35pm odds of 6.0 (5/1)

• Horse B to win the 6.10pm at odds of 4.0 (3/1)

• Horse C to win the 6.40pm at odds of 7.0 (6/1)

By choosing a Patent, you’re essentially placing seven individual bet combinations:

1. Horse A to win
2. Horse B to win
3. Horse C to win
4. Horses A & B to win
5. Horses A & C to win
6. Horses B & C to win
7. Horses A, B & C to win

Each bet within a Patent works independently so whilst having all three win would be amazing, all is not lost if it didn’t happen.  

Because each entity within the bet is individual, your stake is multiplied by seven.  So placing a £1 Patent bet would cost you £7 in total as you are betting on three singles, three doubles and a treble.

How To Place A Patent Bet Online

Following on from our example, - you’ve picked the three horses you fancy to have a chance at Chelmsford and want to place a Patent bet with Bet365.

Your first pick is Lewis Barnes in the 5.35pm race at odds of 7.0 (6/1). Next up is Union Island in the 6.10pm at odds of 4.0 (3/1) and finally Crest Of Esteem in the 6.40pm race at odds of 9.0 (8/1).

You first need to add each selection to your bet slip now so all three selections are in your bet slip display .

This will give you the bet slip below:

The bet slip won’t initially display all of the options but if you click on the more multiples option (highlighted) you will then see the Patent option (again, highlighted). Then enter the stake you want to use here (remember it multiplies by seven) and click on Place Bet.

The bookies bet slips may differ from each other cosmetically but the option will still be available to you.

Calculate Patent Bet Winnings

Your Patent bet is a combination of seven separate bets and only one leg has to win for you to get any returns.  This is because unlike a Trixie bet, singles are included.

Back to your flutter at Chelmsford, Lewis Barnes at odds of 7.0 (6/1), Union Island at odds of 4.0 (3/1) & Crest of Esteem at odds of 9.0 (8/1).

Returns for Singles

• Lewis Barnes: £10 x 7 = £70 return        
• Union Island: £10 x 4 = £40 return        
• Crest of Esteem: £10 x 9 = £90 return

Winnings for Doubles

Double 1: Lewis Barnes & Union Island

• Stake x (Lewis Barnes odds) x (Union Island odds) = Returns        
• £10 x 7 x 4 = £280 Return        
• Singles returns of £70 + £40 + Double returns of £280 = £390

Double 2: Lewis Barnes & Crest of Esteem

• Stake x (Lewis Barnes odds) x (Crest of Esteem odds) = Returns

• £10 x 7 x 9 = £630 Return

• Singles returns of £70 + £90 + Double returns of £630 = £790

Double 3: Union Island & Crest of Esteem

• Stake x (Union Island odds) x (Crest of Esteem odds) = Returns         
• £10 x 4 x 9 = £360 Return        
• Singles returns of £40 + £90 + Double returns of £360 = £490

Winnings for the Treble

• Stake x (Lewis Barnes odds) x (Union Island odds) x (Crest of Esteem odds) = Returns        
• £10 x 7 x 4 x 9 = £2520 Returns

Total Winnings (if all 3 horses win)

• Singles 1, 2 & 3 + Double 1 + Double 2 + Double 3 + Treble = Returns

• £70 + £40 + £90 + £280 + £630 + £360 + £2520 = £3990 Returns (less £70 stake) = £3920 profit

Please remember that if any of the selections come in, you will always need to deduct the original stake of £70 from the returns to work out your profit.

So that’s how you calculate potential returns from Patent bets.  Placing a Patent bet is a lot easier than working out your returns. You can make life a bit easier by using a Patent calculator that a lot of bookmakers supply.  AceOdds.com also provide a host of calculators including a Patent Bet Calculator to help you check all the permutations that might happen.

When Should You Use A Patent Bet?

Patent bets can be used effectively as part of your betting strategy. Here’s some things you might want to think about when deciding if a Patent bet is the right way to go:

Protection

• If you have high confidence on three of your selections then a Patent is a good idea as nothing is guaranteed and you have a safety net in place if one or two of your choices don’t succeed.

Enhance Your Chances

• Thanks to the structure of the Patent bet, you can increase your chances of success. Because of the bet including singles, doubles & a treble, you can still win money if only one selection wins.

High Odds

• Patents can be very rewarding when the selected odds are medium to high. Winners can return huge sums from singles and doubles. Even more so if you manage to land a treble and all seven selections combine to give you a big payout.

Risk Mitigation

• Having single bets integrated into the patent bet helps to reduce you risk as even with one winner you will make a profit or reduce your overall loss on the bet. It also provides you with a balanced method of betting on multiples with the potential of a big payout.

An Edge to Uncertainty

• Sometimes there are horse races that are very competitive in terms of winning chances so you might be unsure about the outcome.  Using a Patent spreads your chances of a result.  

Strategy Diversity

• If you want to enhance your knowledge and try new betting strategies, a Patent bet will give you a chance to learn while you grow your confidence in using bet multiples. 

Budget

• Because a Patent bet requires higher stakes than a single bet, always ensure you stick to your budget.  It might provide opportunities for higher returns and reduces risk but it’s still possible you could lose your entire stake.

Advantages & Disadvantages Of Patent Bets

Trixie bets are a popular type of bet in sport and in particular, in horse racing.  Let’s have a look at the main advantages and disadvantages of using them.

Advantages

• One Winner Needed: The Patent bet offers a big advantage over traditional bets as you will still get returns if only one of your selections wins.

• Bigger Profit Potential: Due to the seven bet combinations, you have more opportunities to win.  Two winners will combine to pay two singles and a double and earn a decent return.

• Manages Risk: It lets you target higher returns while offering that layer of protection if all of your choices don’t win.

• Ease of Betting: Placing Patent bets is relatively straight forward. The calculations are not as straight forward but there are plenty of online calculators available to assist you.

• Competitive fields: When there’s no obvious favourite, the outcome can be unpredictable. The Patent bet allows you to spread your chances across three horses.

Disadvantages

• Cost: Because the Patent bet multiplies your stake by seven, it is more expensive than doing single, double or Trixie bets.

• Potential Low Returns: It’s possible to make a net loss if only one of your selections wins. More value is on offer if two or all of your selections win.

• Less Risk Equals Less Profit: Because you are reducing your risk of losses with a Patent bet, it’s likely to return less profit than if you did a normal accumulator.

• Complexity: Can be a bit daunting for newer bettors due to the combination of bets involved.

What Sports Can I Do Patent Bets On?

The vast amount of horse races these days means that racing is the go to sport for Patent bets.  The odds are so varied that the potential for higher returns is better than other sports. However, Patent bets aren’t limited to just horse racing.

Tennis – Using Patent bets in Tennis means you can back favourites in the earlier tournament rounds and get more value.

Darts – Similar to Tennis, the individual nature of darts tournaments make using a Patent bet ideal.

Greyhounds – Very similar to horse racing in terms of risk and reward.  There are also quite a lot of markets to go at.

Football – Punters do use Patent bets in football but it’s not a common practice. Doing them on football enhances your chances of a result as you don’t need them all to win.

Mistakes To Avoid When Placing A Patent Bet

Using Patent bets can be a good betting strategy but it’s important to avoid common mistakes:

• Stakes – Don’t forget your stake is multiplied by seven to cover each combination so ensure you can afford it.

• Bet Structure – Make sure you understand how the bet is made up before you place it.  Three singles, three doubles and one treble.

• Odds Selections – The Patent bet does offer a level of risk mitigation but it’s important to think about the odds you are using. Selecting low odds could result in a loss.

• Calculate Returns – We have covered off how to manually calculate potential returns from a Patent bet. However, it’s not straight forward and you should consider using one of the many free Patent Bet Calculators available online to understand what you might get back from all variations.

• Check Your Bets – Before you place your bets, always check the bet slip to make sure everything is correct. Mistakes can be costly.

Summary

You’ll now understand how a Patent bet combines risk and reward, making it a good and flexible option for punters.  It has the potential to offer protection with high returns.  However, for those with lower budgets, there can be a downside in that the costs are higher and the returns can be low if only one selection wins.

As the Patent bet is structured with three singles, three doubles and one treble, it can be very advantageous if a bettor is confident about three selections.  Budget permitting, it can provide a great opportunity to reduce losses and return fantastic profits.