Last updated: April 2026
What is a Patent bet? 7 bets explained with examples and how to calculate returns
A Patent bet is 7 bets across 3 selections: 3 singles, 3 doubles, and 1 treble. It's the 3-selection full-cover bet that includes singles — which means even 1 winner gives you a return. A £1 Patent costs £7. If you've asked what is a Patent bet, the simplest explanation is: it's a Trixie with singles added on top. Those 3 extra bets cost £3 more but give you a safety net that the Trixie doesn't offer. This is the Patent bet explained in full — with patent betting explained through real worked examples, a step-by-step guide to how to work out a Patent bet, and an honest comparison with the Trixie.
Try the Patent Calculator → Work out your returns instantly with our free patent calculator.
How does a Patent bet work?
A Patent takes 3 selections and creates every possible combination — singles, doubles, and the treble:
| Bet Type | Combinations | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Singles | A, B, C | 3 |
| Doubles | AB, AC, BC | 3 |
| Treble | ABC | 1 |
| Total | 7 bets |
Every single pays out if that individual selection wins. Every double pays out if both selections in the pair win. The treble pays only if all 3 win. The 7 bets are independent — each settles on its own.
Because it includes singles, a Patent gives you a return from just 1 winner. Most bookmakers also offer a consolation bonus — typically 10% extra on the single's returns, or double/treble odds — if only 1 of your 3 selections wins.
Patent bet explained — worked examples
Horse racing example
Three selections across Saturday afternoon at Cheltenham:
| Selection | Horse | Odds | Race |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Midnight Gold | 5/1 (6.00) | 2:10 |
| B | Silver Bridge | 3/1 (4.00) | 2:50 |
| C | Dark Ranger | 7/2 (4.50) | 3:25 |
£2 Patent = £14 total stake
All 3 win
| Bet | Calculation | Returns |
|---|---|---|
| Single A | £2 × 6.00 | £12.00 |
| Single B | £2 × 4.00 | £8.00 |
| Single C | £2 × 4.50 | £9.00 |
| Double A+B | £2 × 6.00 × 4.00 | £48.00 |
| Double A+C | £2 × 6.00 × 4.50 | £54.00 |
| Double B+C | £2 × 4.00 × 4.50 | £36.00 |
| Treble A+B+C | £2 × 6.00 × 4.00 × 4.50 | £216.00 |
| Total | £383.00 |
Profit: £369.00. The treble produces £216 — more than half the total. But the singles and doubles add £167, which is significant. When all 3 win, the Patent pays well across every level.
2 of 3 win (A and B win, C loses)
Bets containing C lose — that's single C, doubles A+C and B+C, and the treble. What survives:
| Bet | Returns |
|---|---|
| Single A | £12.00 |
| Single B | £8.00 |
| Double A+B | £48.00 |
| Total | £68.00 |
Profit: £54.00. Two winners at 5/1 and 3/1 produces strong profit — the winning double does most of the work, but the two singles add £20 on top. Compare this to a Trixie at the same odds: the Trixie returns only the £48 double (profit £40 on an £8 stake). The Patent's singles added £20 for £6 extra cost — that's a good trade.
1 of 3 wins (only A wins)
Every double and the treble lose. Only one single survives:
| Bet | Returns |
|---|---|
| Single A (5/1) | £12.00 |
| Total | £12.00 |
Loss: £2.00. But with the consolation bonus (typically 10% extra = £1.20 bonus), your returns become £13.20, reducing the loss to £0.80. At odds of 7/1 or longer, a single winner with the consolation bonus covers the entire £14 outlay.
Now compare to the Trixie: 1 winner returns exactly £0.00 from a Trixie. The Patent's singles are the safety net — and at longer odds, they earn their keep.
1 of 3 wins — at short odds
Same structure but shorter football prices:
| Selection | Odds |
|---|---|
| A — Arsenal win | 6/5 (2.20) |
| B — Liverpool win | Evens (2.00) |
| C — City win | 4/7 (1.57) |
1 winner (selection A at 6/5): single returns £2 × 2.20 = £4.40. Loss: £9.60. The consolation bonus adds perhaps £0.44. You're still down £9.16. At short odds, the singles barely dent the £14 outlay — which is when a Trixie at £8 makes more sense.
How to calculate a Patent bet
Step by step
Whether you want to calculate Patent bet returns by hand or just understand the logic, here's the process:
Step 1 — Singles: for each winning selection, multiply your stake by the decimal odds.
Single return = stake × decimal odds
Step 2 — Doubles: for each winning pair, multiply the two decimal odds together, then by your stake.
Double return = stake × odds_A × odds_B
Step 3 — Treble: if all 3 win, multiply all three decimal odds together, then by your stake.
Treble return = stake × odds_A × odds_B × odds_C
Step 4 — Total: add all winning bets. Subtract the total stake (7 × unit stake) for profit.
Quick example
£1 Patent at 4/1 (5.00), 3/1 (4.00), 5/2 (3.50):
- Singles: £5 + £4 + £3.50 = £12.50
- Doubles: (5×4) + (5×3.5) + (4×3.5) = £20 + £17.50 + £14 = £51.50
- Treble: 5 × 4 × 3.5 = £70.00
Total: £134.00 | Profit: £127.00
Or skip the maths — our Patent calculator handles everything including each way Patents with place terms.
Patent vs Trixie — the full breakdown
This is the fundamental choice for 3-selection bets. Both use the same 3 selections. The Patent adds singles; the Trixie doesn't.
| Scenario | Patent (£1, £7) | Trixie (£1, £4) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All 3 win at 4/1 | +£127.00 profit | +£116.00 profit | Patent +£11 (from singles) |
| 2 win at 4/1 | +£29.00 profit | +£16.00 profit | Patent +£13 |
| 1 wins at 4/1 | -£2.00 loss | -£4.00 loss | Patent -£2, Trixie -£4 |
| 1 wins at 8/1 | +£2.00 profit | -£4.00 loss | Patent breaks even |
| 0 win | -£7.00 loss | -£4.00 loss | Trixie loses less |
The pattern: the Patent outperforms the Trixie whenever at least 1 selection wins at decent odds. The Trixie only "wins" the comparison when nothing comes in — because it costs less to lose.
The decision rule: if your average odds are 3/1 or above, the Patent is almost always better value. The singles earn their keep and the consolation bonus adds protection. Below 3/1, the singles return too little to justify the extra £3 — stick with the Trixie.
Patent vs Lucky 15
A Patent covers 3 selections (7 bets). A Lucky 15 covers 4 selections (15 bets). Both include singles. If you have a strong 4th pick, the Lucky 15 adds dramatically more combinations — 6 doubles instead of 3, 4 trebles instead of 1, and a four-fold. The cost doubles (£7 → £15) but the upside from 3-4 winners is much higher.
If you only have 3 selections you're confident in, the Patent keeps costs at £7 and avoids forcing a weaker 4th pick into the bet.
Each way Patent
An each way Patent doubles every bet — 7 becomes 14. A £1 each way Patent costs £14. The win portion settles as normal; the place portion uses place odds (typically 1/4 or 1/5 of the win odds).
Each way Patents are the bread and butter of horse racing betting. In a competitive 16-runner handicap paying 4 places at 1/4 odds, a selection at 10/1 has place odds of 5/2. Even if it finishes 3rd instead of winning, the place single, place doubles, and place treble all contribute. Our each way calculator handles the full calculation for any number of places and fractions.
Union Jack Patent
A Union Jack Patent arranges 9 selections in a 3×3 grid and creates 8 Patents along the rows, columns, and diagonals — 56 bets total (8 × 7). It's a niche format available at some bookmakers, primarily used for horse racing. The Union Jack Patent is expensive at 56 units per stake but covers 9 selections across 8 different Patent structures. A Union Jack Trixie uses the same grid but without singles — 32 bets total.
The maths — is a Patent worth it?
| Winners | At 2/1 (3.00) | At 4/1 (5.00) | At 8/1 (9.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -£7.00 | -£7.00 | -£7.00 |
| 1 | -£4.00 | -£2.00 | +£2.00 |
| 1 + bonus (10%) | -£3.70 | -£1.50 | +£2.90 |
| 2 | +£5.00 | +£29.00 | +£89.00 |
| 3 | +£47.00 | +£191.00 | +£1,439.00 |
Returns for a £1 Patent (£7 stake). Assumes all selections at the same odds.
At 2/1, you need 2 winners to profit. At 4/1, 1 winner with bonus nearly breaks even and 2 winners is a strong return. At 8/1, even 1 winner with bonus puts you in profit. The Patent's value scales with odds — the longer the prices, the more the singles and consolation bonus earn their keep.
For a complete guide to managing your overall betting spend, our horse racing guide covers how to choose bet types based on race type, field size, and odds range.
Frequently asked questions
Written by
David Burke
David is a gambling industry analyst and poker player based between London, Spain, and Malta. He has spent over a decade observing the European betting and casino landscape, with particular expertise in odds, probability, game strategy, and how the bookmaking industry works. At WiseStaker, David writes guides on bet types, game rules, and the mathematics behind gambling.
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