In our series about betting strategies we take a good look at one of the most interesting and most profitable options in sports betting, i.e. system bets (or yankee bets in the US/UK market). These types of multi bets have become an integral feature of nearly every betting site’s portfolio. And while they seem like a straightforward and tempting option on your bet slip once you choose several odds, the ways in which a system bet works are actually quite intricate. To help you understand the real value of your system or yankee bet, we have decided to give you a proper introduction into system betting. If you are interested in this topic, you can use our Livetipsportal systembet calculator too, to learn more about this.
What is a system bet?
System bets involve bets on multiple games at once, with higher potential of success and relatively minimal risks. Simply put, a system bet is a type of betting strategy wherein you only need a few of your selections to come through for you to win your stake. Normally, a System Bet can range from 3 to 8 selections. However, this type of betting is a lot different to a classic accumulator or multibet. In a multibet slip, you’re required to get all your selections correctly. In system betting, the possibility of landing a win are very high as only a part of your picks are needed to profit from your stake. However, you cannot get the same maximum net profit that you would get with an accumulator bet and you place stakes on several bet lines.
In essence, the main difference between system bets and accumulator bet is that you can win a system bet even do not get all your selections correctly. For instance, in a system bet, you win something even if only two of your three predictions turn out to be successful.
System bets have become more and more popular throughout the last years. The main reason for this is that, different to acca bets, you can also win when you don’t get every game/event/leg correct. This means the risk is a little lower than wagering on accumulator bets. To minimize their losses and limit the risk involved, bettors prefer to use system bets with (very) risky games. In this case, you can get some games wrong but still make profit because of the high odds.
Examples for system bet types
In the following paragraph we want to give you some examples and show you how the betting concept of system bets works and how you can calculate your winnings. Since there are almost endless possibilities for system bets like 2 out of 3, 4 out of 5, 7 out of 10, we focused on only 2 of the most well-established systems.
2 out of 3 System Bet
Essentially, you will need to select the three events that you would like to stake on. As an example, let’s pick three games from the Premier League:
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal
Liverpool vs Manchester City
Brentford vs Chelsea
If you’re going with 1×2 market and you are backing Arsenal to win at odds 2.2, Manchester United at odds 2.3, and Chelsea at odds 1.9, the system gives you all the possible 2-bet combinations, and three betting series are displayed on the bet slip as shown here :
Bet 1: Arsenal Win (2.2) and Manchester United Win (2.3)
Bet 2: Arsenal Win (2.2) and Chelsea Win (1.9)
Bet 3: Manchester United Win (2.3) and Chelsea Win (1.9)
As you can see here, you have more outcomes in which you win, but you never get the same accumulated odds that a three-way acca would get you. However, say the matches have been played, and both Arsenal and Manchester United won but Chelsea lost, you will still earn something depending on the amount you staked. In an acca bet, your whole stake would be lost.
How to secure your stake using systems:
Let’s take another example from the German Bundesliga: If you place your bets on wins of Eintracht Frankfurt (Odd 2.0), Hertha BSC (Odd 2.10) and 1899 Hoffenheim (Odd 1.90) the following pairs come up:
Bet 1: Win Frankfurt (2.0) and Win Werder Bremen (2.10)
Bet 2: Win Frankfurt (2.0) and Win 1899 Hoffenheim (1.90)
Bet 3: Win Werder Bremen (2.10) and Win 1899 Hoffenheim (1.90)
Let’s say that Frankfurt and Hertha BSC win but 1899 Hoffenheim draws. That brings us to the following outcome:
Bet 1: Win Frankfurt (2.0) and Win Werder Bremen (2.10) -> won
Bet 2: Win Frankfurt (2.0) and Win 1899 Hoffenheim (1.90) -> lost
Bet 3: Win Hertha BSC (2.10) and Win 1899 Hoffenheim (1.90) -> lost
If we had a 10 Euro stake on each bet (i.e. a total of 30€) our winnings would be 42 Euro (10 x 2.1 x 2.0) and our net win would be 12€ (42 Euro minus 30 Euro).
2 out of 4 system bet
This is another example of a common system betting strategy. In this case it is most profitable to bet on high risk games. You can bet on total underdogs and still, with a little bit of luck, make good money. You bet on Wins of Freiburg (Odd 3.60), Werder Bremen (Odd 3.30), FC Schalke (Odd 2.25) und Hamburger SV (Odd 3.15). These are your System Bets:
Bet 1: Win Freiburg (3.60) and Win Bremen (3.30)
Bet 2: Win Freiburg (3.60) and Win Schalke (2.25)
Bet 3: Win Freiburg (3.60) and Win Hamburg (3.15)
Bet 4: Win Bremen (3.30) and Win Schalke (2.25)
Bet 5: Win Bremen (3.30) and Win Hamburg (3.15)
Bet 6: Win Hamburg (3.15) and Win Schalke (2.25)
A stake of 10 Euro on each bet would mean a 60 Euro overall stake. If Freiburg and Bremen both win, you win your two-bet acca bet 1, which would yield 108.90 Euro (10 x 3.6 x 3.3). If Schalke takes home the 3 points as well you would win Bet 1, Bet 2 and Bet 4 and your winnings would be 274.05 Euro (10 x 3.6 x 3.3 + 10 x 3.6 x 2.25 + 10 x 3.3 x 2.25).
2 out of 4 system bets really pay off when you bet on underdogs at high odds and get a little lucky with those games.
Advantages of System bets
Like every betting strategy, System bets comes with certain risks and benefits. We’ve compiled a list of some of the benefits associated with using system bets:
- A reasonably high chance of winning
- Minimal risk involved
- Variety of betting options to utilize
- You’re guaranteed a return with only two correct predictions in any 2 out of X scenario.
- More flexible betting options with multiple strategies
Disadvantages of System bets
With system bets, you’re more likely to earn some money, no matter how small. However, beyond the profit, there are a few downsides we should let you know about. Below are some of the disadvantages of system bets:
- Sometimes, a big wagering budget is required
- A bit complex for new bettors. If you are new to sports betting we recommend our solo prediction bets for a start.
- Bonus funds can’t be used to wager in most cases
Can you make money with system bets?
On the one hand, since you minimize your risk, your chances of winning increase a lot. On the other hand this strategy is only lucrative if the quotas are high and the stake is good enough. But with a little bit of fortune and a good guess of underdog wins you can rake in some good cash.
Another possibility is to add a “banker” to your system bet. That means you select one bet in your multi as a must win. Usually you opt for the one outcome that you are very certain will happen. This “bank” or “banker” shortens your system bet and turns a “2 out of 4”-bet into a “2 out of 3”-bet. The advantage is that you can enhance your overall odds in your system bet. The disadvantage is, that if your banker bet loses, your entire system bet is lost. As usual, higher odds come with a greater risk of loss.
Which sports are best for system bets?
System-bets are well-established at every sport – there is no real restriction. Nevertheless, system bets are especially interesting with football bets where the underdog often takes the win. If you take a look at the German Bundesliga there are many teams on the same level and sometimes the supposed underdogs can cause an upset.
What else do you need to know?
If you’re just starting out you betting journey as an inexperienced punter, we understand that you might find the whole concept of system bets a bit hard to comprehend.
However, there are ways to navigate these challenges so that you can land big wins. System bet calculators can be quite useful in helping you decide how much return you’re likely to earn from your stake. With this, you gain insight into whether your bet slip is worth the stake(s).
In addition, if you’re looking to test your knowledge of other sports asides football, using system bet allows you to combine as many sports as you want into a single slip thereby increasing your chance of winning.
In fact, for advanced bettors, a system bet enables you to rejig your betting exploits with a variety of strategies. With this, you can mix and match various markets, depending on the sport and the games available. This will in turn help you strategize more intelligently.