Online Bet Calculator Guide

Do you ever wish you knew how much a bet would pay out before actually placing it? Do you regularly place multiple and accumulator bets, and aren’t sure whether placing a "system" wager might be more profitable than a straight acca? Maybe you enjoy placing each-way bets on the horses and want an easier way to calculate your payout? A betting calculator allows you to work out all of the above for free, and they're a cinch to use. This guide will take you through the basics and outline the key system bets to consider.

How to Use a Free Bet Calculator

The premise behind a free bet calculator is simple: it helps you gauge your potential payout for a range of different wager types. From doubles and trixies to yankees, canadians, goliaths and more, a betting odds calculator identifies which bet type is the most profitable for your selections.

Let’s say you've picked out four selections that you want to bring together in a single bet. You could place a straightforward four-fold accumulator, where all legs need to be successful for your wager to win, or you could opt instead for a system bet—either a yankee or a lucky 15—which mitigates your risk while capping your maximum possible payout. The bet calculator will tell you how much you could win from each bet type to a flat stake, and with system bets it will even show you how much you will land if, for instance, only two selections are successful.

This is a key weapon in the armory of the bettor, as it will enable you to calculate how to effectively manage your bankroll if you are not completely confident in one or more of your wager’s legs. Remember, most bet calculators can be switched to and from American odds to decimals and fractions, if you are more familiar with one or the other.

What Kind of Betting Calculators Are There?

There are really basic sports betting calculators available online, as well as those that go into more complex detail. At the very least, the bet calculator you choose should have various bet types incorporated into it, as well as the ability to switch between American and fractional odds.

Some calculators offer a handy comparison guide that shows how much you can win for each bet type, without needing to re-enter your odds each time. Horse racing bettors would do well to seek out a specific horse bet calculator, as these help you determine each-way returns for horses that place, and understand how each system bet could benefit your betting. Advanced bet calculators even incorporate staking plans, such as Kelly and Martingale, into their offerings, and enable the user to add commission charges from betting exchanges to their calculations.

How Is a Trixie Bet Calculated?

A trixie is a bet made up of three selections, and you can place four bets on every possible outcome— namely, three doubles and a treble. So, if you backed the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins, you would get a payout if just two of them won. And if all three were to prevail, you’d land quite the handsome prize.

How Does a Lucky 15 Bet Work?

A lucky 15 is a four-selection wager made up of 15 individual bets on four singles, six doubles, four trebles and a four-fold accumulator. So if you backed the Eagles, Falcons, Dolphins and Ravens to win, you would only need one of them to be successful to get a payout.