How does a Parlay work?

• Progressive Parlay Calculator
• How Does A Progressive Parlay Work
• Progressive Parlay Calculator Rules
• Progressive Parlay Calculator Cheat
• Progressive Parlay Calculator Estimate
• Progressive Parlay Calculator Solver

Select as few as two or as many as fifteen teams and combine them in one wager. All selections must win for your parlay to be successful. You can combine spreads, totals and moneylines.

• With our parlay calculator, you can select how you want your odds displayed. We use American style (-500), but you can choose Fractional (1/5) or Decimal (1.20). Under Odds Type, pick your odds style. Input your first wager in the Bet #1 slot.
• A progressive parlay is defined as a parlay that offers the bettor the ability to win as long as a certain threshold of games is picked correctly on a ticket. For instance, if you bet a four-team.

What are the advantages?

The benefit of the parlay is that it gives a much higher payoff than if you were to place each bet individually since it’s harder to win all your selections.

Conditions:

One of the biggest promos is the Progressive Parlay, where players can win $50,000 or more with just a $5 bet. Another popular deal is Favorite Teams, which offers players a free 1/2 point on every game their selected favorite NFL team plays. As with any progressive game, at some point the jackpot becomes large enough to sway the odds in the player's favor. This page will examine these 'target points' on some new slots by Ainsworth with mystery jackpots. I also have a page on the same subject about WMS mystery progressive slots.

• If there is a tie or no action, the parlay reverts to the next lowest number for pay-off, for example: if you select 4 teams and one of those ties, it becomes a 3 team parlay. A tie and win on a 2 team parlay pays out as a straight bet.
• You cannot combine ‘connected’, ‘dependent’ or ‘correlated’ events in the same parlay.

Payout Table:

The odds quoted in the pay-off table below only hold true if all selections in the parlay are at the standard price of -110 (football and basketball spreads and totals).
Variations in the prices will cause variations in the pay-offs.

Calculating a Parlay:

If the odds in the parlay are not all -110 then the (true) parlay odds are calculated according to the different prices. This is done by multiplying the prices of the selections together, but remembering to include the stake amount. Let's assume you place a $10 parlay on 2 selections, with odds of -180 and +250. The calculation to work out your return is as follows:

First of all, convert the odds into decimal format (just use our decimal format option to view your odds):

With ‘favorite’ prices (denoted by a – (minus) sign):

100/180 = 0.556 and add 1 (to include the stake) = 1.556

With ‘underdog’ prices (denoted by a + (plus) sign):

250/100 = 2.5 and add 1 (to include the stake) = 3.5

Then, to find your total potential return, multiply these odds together and with the stake: 1.556 x 3.5 x $10 = $54.46

Progressive Parlays

A Progressive Parlay is very similar to a normal parlay but, in exchange for not getting as big a payout for picking a perfect combination, you are getting insurance for those occasions when one or more of the teams in your parlay loses.

These can be between 4 and 12 teams but you can onlychoose point spreads (no totals or moneylines). In these parlays you can lose games and still win the bet because the payouts are lower.

4 - 6 teams... you can afford ONE team to lose/push
7 - 9 teams... you can afford TWO teams to lose/push
10 - 12 teams... you can afford THREE teams to lose/push

The Progressive Parlay Payout Table

Below the table in American Odds:

Please note that Progressive Parlays also differ from regular parlays in the following ways:

• Progressive parlays are not available for MLB, NHL or money-line wagers in football or basketball.
• In a Progressive Parlay, a push or a tie is considered a loss for that selection. However, if a selection has no-action (due to postponement or cancelation), the bet will revert to the next lowest progressive parlay for payoff, except in the case of a 4 team progressive parlay where it results in a no-action on the whole parlay.

Round Robin Parlays

How a Round Robin Parlay works:

Make between 3 and 6 selections and wager on some or all of the possible parlay combinations in one go. Each of the parlays comprising the Round Robin is a separate wager.

You can combine spreads, money lines, totals and different sports in Round Robin parlay bets.

Example:

A three-team Round Robin bet for $10 placed two-ways would consist of all the two-team parlays that can be made from the three teams selected. Taking the Colts, the Eagles and the Giants (all to cover the spread) two-ways, you would be creating three separate two-team parlays and the total cost of the bet would be $30:

With the above example in mind, you also have the option to place a three-way Round Robin side bet to increase your potential payout (a three-team parlay including all three teams). If you wish, you may risk a lower amount on this 3-way bet, as it may be harder to win:

With the selection of 4, 5 or 6 teams, further combinations are possible:

To place a Round Robin Parlay please follow these steps:

1. Log-in to your account
2. Choose the sport type on which you wish to bet
3. Add your selection(s) to your betting ticket by clicking/tapping on your selected odds/prices on the betting card
4. As soon as you have made at least three selections Round Robin Parlay will appear on the Parlay tab visible at the top of the betting ticket.
5. Choose the required parlay combinations (2, 3, 4, 5 and/or 6-way) and the amount you would like to wager on each group of combinations.
6. Review your selection(s) again before clicking/tapping PLACE BET.

The table above illustrates the possible number of combinations for the different sizes of Round Robin. It is not obligatory to choose all combinations.

Furthermore, it is possible to vary the amount risked on each group of combinations. For example, if you are making a 4 team Round Robin with 2-way and 3-way combos, you may wish to bet a higher amount on the 2-way combos which are easier to hit and a lower amount on the 3-way combos in which it would be harder to be successful.

The total value wagered and total potential payout will be displayed on the summary on the lower right hand side of the window. Once you have submitted your wager, a range of Bet IDs will be provided. Please make a careful note of the range for wager tracking purposes. (Please note: Bet IDs within the range may not necessarily be sequential).

All Sport Parlay Wager

The All SportParlay Card (also known as a Cross Sport Parlay Card) offers the opportunity to place a parlay bet on a variety of different sport-types including US and non-US sports. Log in to your account and click on PARLAY CARDS > All Sport Parlay Card to display all the lines we're currently listing for use between sport types.

Alternatively, you may also be able to parlay events which do not appear together in the same parlay card. For example, bet soccer and baseball in the same parlay. Or parlay the 1st half lines of an NFL game with a boxing match.

To do this, simply add to the betting ticket the line of one of the events you would like to parlay, let's say a boxing fight, from the BOXING + MMA section of the site, then go to theNFL area and add to the betting ticket the first half line you want, if they can be parlayed the system will show the option to do so in the betting ticket.

You will not be given the option to buy points on US football, basketball spreads or totals. The maximum bet allowed depends on the prices of the selections in the parlay. You can find out the maximum you can lay by clicking the max bet button. Events available on the All Sport Parlay Card may vary depending on the day and time.

Note: Management reserves the right to limit the maximum amount wagered prior to acceptance of any bet.
No parlay wagers can be accepted where individual wagers are 'connected', 'dependent' or 'correlated'. For further details, check 'correlated events'.

A parlay bet is a popular form of sports wagering most gamblers are familiar with. In case you’re not, this bet is rather easy to understand. A parlay is simply a combo bet where, rather than betting several teams individually, you group them into a single wager. Using this option, the payout is greater and the risk is less, but you need all teams selected to win.

To give an example, say you’re interested this week in betting Jets -4, Patriots +3, Dolphins +2.5 and Colts -7. If your bankroll is limited to just $100, using straight wagers you’d make four separate bets of $25 to win $22.73. If you we’re feeling both lucky and in the mood to gamble, you might instead bet them all together as a four team parlay. Under the parlay option, the stakes would be $100 to win at least $1,000. To win, you’ll need to go 4-0; if one or more games push while all others win, the payout is reduced, and with any other outcome, the bet is a loss.

What happens if there’s a push in a parlay? That bet will be taken out of the parlay and the payout will be reduced as if there were one fewer team in the parlay. So if you had a 4 team parlay and you got three picks cocrrect and the other was a push, you would be paid out the odds of a 3 team parlay.

Parlay bets can be very tempting as they can offer some big payouts. See a recent parlay Kevin made at 5Dimes.eu and cashed in on!

Are Parlays Sucker Bets?

There is a general misconception in sports betting that all parlays are sucker bets. This is simply because most sports bettors are not familiar with how they work, or how to bet them properly. In this article, I’ll address parlay betting strategies, but first let’s look at parlay odds and how they are calculated.

The parlay odds at most Las Vegas sportsbooks are:

Progressive Parlay Calculator

2 teams 2.6 to 1
3 teams 6-1
4 teams 10-1
5 teams 20-1
6 teams 40-1
7 teams 80-1
8 teams 150-1

Online the odds are similar, though some sites such as BetNow and MyBookie offer better odds starting with three teams and up. What’s important to note is that these are fixed odds based on a 50/50 wagering proposition. If a spread is listed at Home Team -7 / Road Team +7 this is 50/50 proposition. If, instead, the spread was Home Team -7 -105 / Road Team +7 -115, this is no longer a 50/50 proposition, and the payout will be calculated using a method bookmakers refer to as “true odds”. I’ll cover that later in this article, but first let’s take a moment to understand where fixed parlay odds are derived from.

Let’s say you decide for the next eight weeks you’re going to bet the Monday night football game, starting with a $1.00 bankroll and betting your entire bankroll each week until you go 8-0 or bust. The potential win is as follows:

Week 1: $1.00 to win $0.91: If win total profit = $0.91 (Bankroll =$1.91)
Week 2: $1.91 to win $1.74: If win total profit = $2.65 (Bankroll =$3.65)
Week 3: $3.65 to win $3.32: If win total profit = $5.97 (Bankroll =$6.97)
Week 4: $6.97 to win $6.34: If win total profit = $12.31 (Bankroll =$13.31)
Week 5: $13.31 to win $12.10: If win total profit = $24.41 (Bankroll =$25.41)
Week 6: $25.41 to win $23.10: If win total profit = $46.51 (Bankroll =$47.51)
Week 7: $47.51 to win $43.19: If win total profit = $89.70 (Bankroll =$90.70)
Week 8: $90.70 to win $82.45: If win total profit = $172.15 (Bankroll =$173.15)

The reason parlays are often sucker bets shows up in this middle column. Had you bet these in an 8 team parlay, you’d only get paid 150 to one. Essentially, a parlay is no different than betting all in each time, only parlays generally pay much worse. However, you’ll notice the odds are not poor until you get to four teams, where the sportsbook has a whopping 31.25% advantage. Two teams pay a smidgen worse than the manual parlay (all in each time) option, where three team parlays pay a smidgen better. Rarely ever is a 2 or 3 team parlay a true suckers bet.

How Does A Progressive Parlay Work

What Does a Parlay Pay?

As I mentioned earlier, fixed parlay odds vary greatly between online sportsbooks. Here is some info on which sites offer the best fixed parlay odds:

In general two team parlays pay +260, or $260 for every $100 bet. BetNow offers +264.5, and 5Dimes.eu offers +264, which is better than the +260 most betting sites offer.

3 team parlays pay 6/1 or $600 for every $100 bet. BetOnline.ag is the leader in the industry in 3 team parlay payouts.

This is the area where betting sites generally hurt the sports bettor, paying only 10 to 1, which gives them a 31.25% advantage. This can be avoided when betting at BetNow where the payout is +1228.3, or at 5Dimes where it is +1228.

Generally speaking, parlaying 5 teams or more teams is not a good idea; however, for sports gamblers looking for a lotto ticket, 5dimes.eu and Bookmaker.eu each offer up to 15 team parlays and have by far the best odds in the business on these.

Progressive Parlay Calculator Rules

How much does a 15 team parlay pay? A 15 team parlay will pay out over +16,000. I just tested this out and a $1 15 team NFL parlay at -110 odds will payout $16,306. Good luck hitting on that!

True Odds Parlays

1 Earlier, I mentioned fixed odds are only given when all selections are 50/50 propositions. If one side of a line requires a greater stake than the other to yield the same payout, this is not a 50/50 proposition, and the bookmaker will now use “true odds”. What’s important to note is that true odds doesn’t actually mean the “true odds” of winning. Rather, true odds pays the same as if you bet each team individually and rolled the profit forward each time, which is what I showed in the example of 8 all in bets starting with a $1.00 stake.

To calculate true odd parlays, each bet first needs to be converted into a multiplier. To do this, take what a winning ticket would return and divide it by the amount risked. For example, at -110 a $110 stake returns $210 ($110 stake + $100 win). Calculating the multiplier as return/risk here, we plug in 210/110, which means the multiplier is 1.91. If we did the same on -115, the multiplier is 215/115=1.87.

Let’s say you’re in the mood to gamble on an 8 team parlay, but the only out available to you is a bookmaker paying 150-1 fixed odds. A trick of the trade here is to include one bet that is priced differently than -110 in order to force the bookmaker to use true odds. So, let’s say you make 7 selections priced at the standard -110 pricing and one at -115. A true parlay calculates by multiplying each modifier together. The math is 1.91 * 1.91 * 1.91 * 1.91 * 1.91 * 1.91 * 1.91 * 1.87, which equals 173.41. This bet returns 173.41 times the stake, which includes the risk amount, so the bet is 1 to win 172.41. Notice this is significantly better than the fixed odds payout of 1 to win 150 on an 8 team parlay. In short, the trick of the trade when dealing with poor fixed odds is to simply add one team to the parlay that is priced differently than the standard -110.

As you can now see, if you know how to bet parlays properly, they are not always sucker bets. There are, however, a few reasons that parlays are generally not a good move. I’ll cover these, and then cover the times it does make sense.

Top Reasons to Avoid Parlays

1) Progressive betting systems are generally regarded as poor strategy for both bankroll management and bankroll growth. Professional bettors make wagers based on their quantified edge per game. While the math can work out, doing the math for proper bet sizing on a parlay is a lot of added work with little to no upside for most sports bettors.

2) Parlay bets have higher variance than straight bets. Here you’re getting the same odds, but your chance of hitting a dry spell is greatly increased. When the odds are the same it is most often better to go with the lower variance option, which in this case is straight wagers.

3) Line Shopping – Sports bettors maximize their profit by always shopping for the best price. For example, finding -4 when other sites are -4.5, and finding reduced vig options such as -104 instead of -110. When betting parlays, you’ll need to find the most favorable odds for each team at a single betting site. This scenario is rare, so generally you’ll end up with better odds by making straight wagers at multiple betting sites.

Parlays That Make the Most Sense:

Reduced Juice – BetOnline.ag offers 6.5 to one on three team parlays. This comes out better than betting sides at the -105 price standard reduced juice sports books offer. In sports such as NFL football where 50/50 wagering propositions are common, a sports bettor gets far superior odds by betting 3 team parlays at BetOnline.

Progressive Parlay Calculator Cheat

Correlated Parlays – If a bookmaker was offering betting lines on both “will it be cloudy today?” and “will it rain today?”, if allowed, you’d be much better off betting either both as no, or both as yes, in a parlay bet as opposed to straight wagers. While this is a simplified example, there are plenty of times when outcomes are correlated in sports betting. For example, a handicapper might determine that if one team covers the spread, the game is more likely to go over or under the posted total. Also, during the final week of the NFL season, a certain team winning or losing the day game might result in a previously important night game now having no meaning in the playoff race.

Progressive Parlay Calculator Estimate

Free Play Bonuses – Several online betting sites, for example BetNow, offer players free bets based on the size of their initial deposit. Free play bonuses are not the same as cash. The difference is that a bet made with cash returns both stake and win, where a bet made with a free play returns only win. Parlays allow you the chance to use the same free play more than once, because a parlay really is only a wager that continues to place stake+win on the next selection. Remember, fixed odd three team parlays pay a little better than true odds. So when using free plays to bet 3 team parlays, you’re getting slightly better odds, and also a chance to apply that free play stake to three different bets. This is common knowledge that 3 team parlays are a great use of free play bonuses.

Circumventing Betting Limits – I’ll warn you upfront that betting sites do not take kindly to this, and it might get you banned. The basic idea here is, say you find a parlay with monster value in a small market with low betting limits. Let’s say a woman’s field hockey line opens at +150 when it should be +100. Here making ten unique two-team parlays, using the +150 bet with a random -110 each time might be advantageous, as on average you’ll get down 5 times the max bet. At -110 juice the expected ROI is less, but to get the maximum amount down on line of significant value, it might make sense. While personally I rarely use this strategy online, I do attempt to get away with it in Las Vegas from time to time. This takes a little bit of acting, such as starting to walk away from the cage and then saying wait, also give me… Know this: It is a trick of the trade advantage players use that is not for novice bettors.

This concludes our article on parlay betting. As a final tip: if you enjoy using parlays as a lottery ticket, www.Bovada.lv runs a $10,000 weekly parlay jackpot during football season, which is an added bonus on top of what a $5 stake pays on a 10 team parlay win. To learn more, see the promo section at www.Bovada.lv. If nothing else, this article gives you some great conversation material next time someone in the sports bar says, parlays are for suckers. Hopefully, it ends up being much more than that, adding extra winnings to your bankroll. Either way, we wish you the best of luck.

Progressive Parlay Calculator Solver

Other Advanced Sports Betting Strategy Articles:
» Teaser Betting Strategy
» Prop Betting Strategy
» How To Get Max Value When Betting