Trixie Calculator

The Complete Guide to Trixie Bets

The Trixie is one of the most popular multiple bet types in British horse racing, and for good reason. It offers an excellent balance between risk and reward, requiring just three selections but providing four separate chances to win. For punters who fancy three runners across different races and want to combine them without the added expense of singles, the Trixie is the natural choice.

What is a Trixie Bet?

A Trixie consists of 4 bets from 3 selections:

• Double 1: Selection 1 and Selection 2
• Double 2: Selection 1 and Selection 3
• Double 3: Selection 2 and Selection 3
• Treble: Selection 1, Selection 2 and Selection 3

At £1 per unit, a Trixie costs £4 (or £8 each-way). You need at least two winners for a return, as the minimum payout comes from a winning double. If all three selections win, you collect on all three doubles and the treble, which can produce substantial returns even from relatively short-priced selections.

How Trixie Returns Are Calculated

Each bet within the Trixie is calculated independently. For a double, the return is your unit stake multiplied by the decimal odds of the first selection multiplied by the decimal odds of the second. For the treble, it is the unit stake multiplied by the decimal odds of all three selections. The total return is the sum of all winning bets, and your profit is that total minus your total stake.

For example, if you have three winners at 5/1, 3/1 and 8/1 at £1 stakes:

• Double 1 (5/1 × 3/1): £1 × 6.0 × 4.0 = £24.00
• Double 2 (5/1 × 8/1): £1 × 6.0 × 9.0 = £54.00
• Double 3 (3/1 × 8/1): £1 × 4.0 × 9.0 = £36.00
• Treble (5/1 × 3/1 × 8/1): £1 × 6.0 × 4.0 × 9.0 = £216.00
• Total return: £330.00 from a £4 stake, giving a profit of £326.00

Each-Way Trixie Bets

An each-way Trixie doubles the number of bets to 8, as each of the 4 bets has a win part and a place part. The place part uses reduced odds (typically a quarter or a fifth of the win odds). If a selection places but does not win, the place part of any bets involving that selection may still produce a return. This makes an each-way Trixie more forgiving, as a horse finishing in the places rather than winning can still contribute to your returns, albeit at reduced odds.

Void Selections

If one of your selections is void (for example, a non-runner), the bets involving that selection are settled as though it had odds of evens (decimal 1.0). In practice, this means a treble becomes a double, and any doubles involving the void selection become singles (which return just the stake if the other leg wins). This is the standard bookmaker treatment for void legs in multiple bets.

Trixie vs Patent: Which Should You Choose?

The key difference between a Trixie and a Patent is that a Patent includes 3 additional singles, making it 7 bets in total instead of 4. The Patent offers more protection because a single winner will produce some return, whereas a Trixie requires at least two winners. However, those extra singles cost money, and they dilute your returns when all three selections oblige.

As a general rule, choose a Trixie when you are confident in your selections and believe at least two of the three will win. Choose a Patent when you are less certain and want the safety net of singles. If you are backing longer-priced horses, a Trixie often makes more sense because the potential returns on the doubles and treble are already substantial, and the cost saving over a Patent means more profit at the end of the day.

When to Use a Trixie

Trixies work best in the following scenarios:

• Festival days. When you have strong fancies in three separate races at a big meeting like Cheltenham or Royal Ascot, a Trixie lets you combine them without over-committing on a treble alone.
• Mixed confidence. If you have three selections but acknowledge one might not quite get up, the doubles provide insurance. Two winners from three still produces a healthy return.
• Value prices. At bigger odds, the multiplication effect of doubles and trebles becomes significant. Three winners at 4/1 or better can produce outstanding returns from a modest stake.

The Trixie remains a cornerstone of the British punter's toolkit for good reason. It is simple enough to understand, flexible enough to produce returns even when one selection lets you down, and powerful enough to deliver life-changing payouts when all three land. Use this calculator to see exactly what your Trixie would return before you place your bets.