Trixie in Horse Betting- How Does it Work & How Much Costs?

Table of Contents

💬 How it Works
🤑 How to Win
💸 How to Calculate Winnings
✔️ Benefits
💰 Tips
❓ FAQs
🏇 More About Horse Racing

Horse racing betting has become part and parcel of the excitement at the track. A particular sports betting strategy punters should be aware of is the 'Trixie Betting' system, whereby a combination of bets can be placed. We'll be looking at the basics of a Trixie bet and possible ways to optimise your Trixie betting strategy.

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How Does a Trixie Bet Work?

When placing a Trixie bet, a punter aims to forecast the results of three distinct events, labeled as A, B, and C.

Unlike an accumulator, however, a Trixie doesn't require correct predictions for all 3 events to yield a payout. Instead, punters can also win by accurately predicting two out of the three events.

A Trixie bet encompasses three doubles and one treble bet, totaling four bets. Thus, a Trixie bet on events A, B, and C would include:

1 x Double on outcomes A and B coming true.

1 x Double on outcomes A and C coming true.

1 x Double on outcomes B and C coming true.

1 x Treble on all three outcomes A, B and C coming true.

How Much Does it Cost to Place?

You are essentially placing 4 separate bets that, when combined together, is called a Trixie. Therefore, a punter's unit stake is multiplied by 4 for each Trixie bet they place.

For example, a €5 Trixie on three horse races (A, B and C) will amount to a €20 (€5 x 4) total cost.

trixie betting

How Do I Win?

To win money from a Trixie bet, you need to correctly predict the outcome of at least 2 of 3 events.

Scenario 1: All or two of your three horses lose

Result: You lose your entire stake.

Scenario 2: Two of your horses win

Result: One of the doubles wins and you get a return. This return could potentially be bigger or smaller than your stake, depending on the odds of the horses you chose.

Scenario 3: All three of your horses win!

Result: Each of the three doubles wins, and you also win the treble. You are guaranteed a profit on your bet and a big payout could be coming your way!

How Do I Calculate My Winnings?

To calculate your winnings from a Trixie bet, I utilized a bet calculator or employ a bit of mathematics for a comprehensive understanding of the payout.

Firstly, if fractional odds are used, I converted them into decimal odds by dividing the numerator (the top number) by the denominator (the bottom number) and then added one. For instance, 3/1 becomes 4.0, while 9/4 becomes 3.25.

For a winning double, I multiplied the odds of the first selection by the odds of the second selection. For example, if you have a 2/1 and 3/1 winner, the calculation would be 3.0 x 4.0 = 12.0. If you place a €5 Trixie bet (total cost of €20), the return would be €5 x 12.0 = €60, resulting in a profit of €40.

For a winning treble, I multiplied the odds of the first selection by the odds of the second selection and then by the odds of the 3rd selection. For example, if you have a 2/1, 3/1, and 4/1 winner, the calculation would be 3.0 x 4.0 x 5.0 = 60.0. Using the same €5 Trixie bet (total cost of €20), the return would be €5 x 60.0 = €300, resulting in a profit of €280.

However, it's important to note that a winning treble naturally includes three winning doubles.

1 x Double on outcomes A (2/1) and B (3/1): €5 x 12.0 = €60

1 x Double on outcomes A (2/1) and C (4/1): €5 x 15.0 = €75

1 x Double on outcomes B (3/1) and C (4/1): €5 x 20.0 = €100

1 x Treble on all three outcomes A (2/1), B (3/1) and C (4/1): €5 x 60.0 = €300.

Total return: €535 (€60 + €75 + €100 + €300)

What Are the Benefits of Trixie Betting?

The insurance

It is hard not to feel hard done by when, for example, you get no money back on an accumulator on three horses and two of them win. However, Trixie betting provides some insurance in the sense that you only need to correctly predict two of three events to get money back (and often make a profit).

This can be a particularly wise strategy if the horses you are betting on have big odds.

Let's consider two such scenarios.

Scenario 1

Bob places a €5 accumulator on three horses. Horse A is 6/1, Horse B is 7/1 and Horse C is Evens.

Outcome: Horse A wins at 6/1, Horse B wins at 7/1, but Horse C loses at Evens.

Result: Bob loses his €5 stake. It doesn't matter that they picked 6/1 and 7/1 winners.

Scenario 2

Amy places a €5 Trixie (total cost €20) on three horses. Horse A is 6/1, Horse B is 7/1 and Horse C is Evens.

Outcome: Horse A wins at 6/1, Horse B wins at 7/1, but Horse C loses at Evens.

Result: Amy has a winning double on Horses A and B. The payout will work out at €5 x 56.0 (7.0 x 8.0) = €280 (profit of €260)

Summary

As is evident, Amy emerges the happier punter as she has made a €280 profit with her 6/1 and 7/1 winners, while Bob has lost €5 despite also picking 6/1 and 7/1 winners.

horse racing betting

Backing Favourites

Like all multiple bets, Trixies can make backing favourites a more exciting and lucrative enterprise.

While punters can only double their money, for instance, by betting on even-money shots, with a Trixie bet they can focus their stake on more lucrative multiples.

Scenario 1

Bob places three €5 single bets on three horses (A, B and C), all of which are Evens, for a total cost of €15.

Outcome: Horses A, B and C win their respective races.

Result: Bob gets a return of €10 off each bet for a total return of €30. His profit for the three bets is €15.

Scenario 2

Amy puts a €1 Trixie bet (total cost €4) on three horses (A, B and C), all of which are Evens.

Outcome: Horses A, B and C win their respective races.

Result: Amy gets a return of €20, which represents a profit of €16, despite risking losing only off a €4 wager compared to the €15 Bob risked.

1 x Double on horse A (Evens) and horse B (Evens): €1 x 4.0 = €4

1 x Double on horse A (Evens) and horse C (Evens): €1 x 4.0 = €4

1 x Double on horse B (Evens) and horse C (Evens): €1 x 4.0 = €4

1 x Treble on all three horses A (Evens), B (Evens) and C (Evens): €1 x 8.0 = €8

Total returns: €20 (€4 + €4 + €4 + €8)

What is the Risk of Trixie Betting?

Trixies, like all multiple betting types, can entice punters to pursue significant payouts, potentially leading to irresponsible gambling behavior. If the initial selection fails, punters may be tempted to place additional Trixie bets in pursuit of a substantial cash prize, which can result in substantial liabilities. Hence, it's crucial to bet within one's means.

Another perceived limitation of Trixies is that each bet must have the same stake, preventing the option to allocate a higher stake to a particular combination. An alternative approach is to place all Trixie bets (i.e., three doubles and one treble) on separate betslips. This allows bettors to stake more on selections they consider their best chances and less on those they perceive as less confident.

How Does a Trixie Bet Differ From Other Types of Bets?

The closest relative of a Trixie bet is the Patent bet. The key difference is that the Patent includes single bets on all 3 selections, meaning it includes a total of 7 bets: 3 singles, 3 doubles and a treble.

This means that you need to multiply your unit stake by seven. For example, a €5 Patent will cost a bettor €35.

Tips for Trixie Betting

It can often pay to use Trixies when your selections are big odds.
In this scenario, a winning double bet can pay handsome dividends. Plus, you also hold onto the chance of bagging the treble and all the gold!
It is also worth reading information from bookmakers on special offers they might have for Trixie bets on their site. Oftentimes they pay added bonuses for winning bets.