What is a Patent Bet?

A patent bet is not as daunting as it may seem if you’re reading about them for the first time. Patents are one of the most efficient ways of maximising your odds when betting on horse racing, football and plenty of other sports.

In this guide we’re going to answer the basic questions around what is a patent bet, and explain how to calculate patents. Of course, we’ll also point you in the direction of Paddy’s patent bet calculator, which can do the complicated stuff for you!

What is a patent bet?

A patent bet is a collaboration of seven bets blended into one. Using three selections, the patent creates:

• 3x single bets
• 3x double bets
• 1x triple bet

The seven combined bets carry each other to create potentially huge odds and therefore a larger winning potential. What’s great about patents is one leg can fail and you still earn a return, unlike accas.

How does a patent bet work?

A patent bet works by generating seven possible outcomes from three bets. Your odds are therefore greatly boosted and your profit potential can greatly increase. Here’s an example of a patent bet in practice:

You plan to bet on horse racing from Sandown. Looking at three upcoming races, you want to back:

1. Horse A to win the first race at odds of 3.00
2. Horse B to win the second race at odds of 2.00
3. Horse C to win the third race at odds of 5.00

With a patent, you create seven combinations:

1. A win
2. B win
3. C win
4. A and B win
5. A and C win
6. B and C win
7. A, B and C win

Each bet is its own individual entity, which means you place a stake on each one. So, if you want to place a £1 patent your overall stake is actually £7 (to cover all legs).

These legs work apart from each other. So, if one of the three horses you back doesn’t win, then you still earn a payout on three of the seven legs.

For many bettors this system works better than accumulators, where one failed leg totally kills the whole bet. 

Patent bet calculator

Learning how to work out a patent bet is easy, but the hard part is doing the maths. In fact, it’s a bit of a brain melter if you don’t have a calculator to hand. That’s why most people use the Paddy Power patent bet calculator to get a quick answer to their musings over whether a bet is worth it.

Still, if you want to do it the long way then who are we to stop you! Here’s the traditional way a patent bet is calculated. We’ll use decimal odds for this example:

Your three patent picks are:

1. Horse A @ 3.00
2. Horse B @ 2.00
3. Horse C @ 5.00

This means the individual odds on your seven legs are:

1. A Single: 3.00
2. B Single: 2.00
3. C Single: 5.00
4. A+B Double: 6.00 
5. A+C Double: 15.00
6. B+C Double: 10.00 
7. A+B+C Treble: 30.00

Your overall odds are therefore: 71.00. Wager £1 on this patent and you would win £64 in profit (remember, your overall stake is £7).

Best sports for patent bets

The sheer range of horse racing odds available to punters these days makes patents ideal for betting on the horses. You can effectively supercharge your win potential on three single selections and nail much higher profits should they win. What’s more, there’s an element of insurance with a patent because you still get a return if just two of your three picks win.

Aside from horse racing, here are some spots where patent bets can prove valuable:

Football – Using a patent bet on football isn’t common but it can work well for punters. Rather than an accumulator, use the patent to structure seven wagers on three outcomes in the football betting odds. If one fails, the other two can still pay out.

Tennis – Like accas, patents are ideal when you bet on tennis. You can back heavy favourites in the early rounds of tournaments and get more bang for your buck. There’s also the back-up of being paid out if one player lets you down.

Darts – Like tennis and horse racing, betting on darts can be an ideal place for a patent because of the individual nature of the sport.

Greyhounds – Just like horse racing, betting on greyhounds using patent bets is very straightforward. Bettors use patents here to squeeze greater value from their night at the dogs!

Paddy Power patent bet guide

Now you know how it all works, it’s time to understand how to place a patent bet. At Paddy Power you can quickly choose to make a patent once you’ve made enough selections to your bet slip.

Here’s an example of a patent bet in action, looking at a weekend round of Premier League games:

1. Brighton to beat Aston Villa @ 6/4
2. Arsenal to beat Bournemouth @ 4/9
3. Everton and Luton to draw @ 14/5

You can see on the right side of the sportsbook the bet slip provides a ‘Patent’ option. Click on the arrow and enter your stake in the box. Your odds and potential profit will be automatically calculated. Of course, you need to remember that what you enter as your stake will be multiplied by seven, to cover all seven bets within the patent.

Once you’re happy with the structure of your wager and your selections, hit Place Bet to complete the process.

Remember, with patents you still earn a payout if one selection wins (1x single) and if two selections win (2x singles, 1x double). The only way to win all seven legs is for all three bets to win.

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