Trixie and Yankee bets: how many bets and what is the stake?
A Trixie is 4 bets (3 doubles, 1 treble). A Yankee is 11 bets (6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 fourfold). Total stake = unit stake x number of bets, so a KES 20 unit costs KES 80 on a Trixie and KES 220 on a Yankee.
What a Trixie and a Yankee are
Both are full-cover bets: you pick a few selections and the bet is split into every double, treble and larger combination of them. Each combination is a separate bet with its own odds, found by the same multiplication used in the guide on calculating accumulator odds and payout.
A Trixie uses 3 selections. A Yankee uses 4. Neither includes single bets, so the smallest bet inside them is a double. Some operators use other names for the same structures, so count the bets listed on the slip rather than trusting the name.
How the bets are counted
A combination of k selections out of n is one bet. The number of different groups of k that can be drawn from n selections is written C(n, k). The total number of bets is the sum of C(n, k) for every k from 2 up to n.
For three selections: C(3, 2) = 3 doubles and C(3, 3) = 1 treble, so 3 + 1 = 4 bets. For four selections: C(4, 2) = 6 doubles, C(4, 3) = 4 trebles and C(4, 4) = 1 fourfold, so 6 + 4 + 1 = 11 bets.
| Selections | Doubles | Trebles | Fourfolds | Fivefolds | Sixfolds | Total bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 (Trixie) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 (Yankee) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 26 |
| 6 | 15 | 20 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 57 |
Adding single bets adds n more bets: 3 selections with singles make 7, and 4 selections with singles make 15. Because the count grows quickly, one more selection roughly doubles the number of bets and the total stake with it.
Finding the total stake
The stake you choose is the unit stake, and it is placed on every bet. The slip then shows a larger total. It is the total that leaves your balance, so it is the figure to compare with a budget.
| Unit stake | Trixie (4 bets) | Yankee (11 bets) |
|---|---|---|
| KES 20 | KES 80 | KES 220 |
| KES 50 | KES 200 | KES 550 |
| KES 100 | KES 400 | KES 1,100 |
To go the other way, divide your ceiling by the number of bets. A KES 500 ceiling on a Yankee allows a unit stake of at most 500 ÷ 11 = KES 45.45, which is KES 45 once rounded down to whole shillings. The session budget planner turns a monthly ceiling into per-bet figures of this kind.
Illustrative example: a Trixie
Illustrative example
Three invented selections at decimal odds A = 1.80, B = 2.50 and C = 2.00, with a unit stake of KES 20. Total stake = 20 × 4 = KES 80.
| Bet | Working | Odds | Return if it wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double A + B | 1.80 × 2.50 | 4.50 | KES 90 |
| Double A + C | 1.80 × 2.00 | 3.60 | KES 72 |
| Double B + C | 2.50 × 2.00 | 5.00 | KES 100 |
| Treble A + B + C | 1.80 × 2.50 × 2.00 | 9.00 | KES 180 |
The return of each bet is KES 20 times its odds. What you actually receive depends on how many selections win:
| Winners | Bets that win | Total return | Result after KES 80 stake |
|---|---|---|---|
| A, B and C | 3 doubles and the treble | KES 442 | +KES 362 |
| A and B only | double A + B | KES 90 | +KES 10 |
| B and C only | double B + C | KES 100 | +KES 20 |
| A and C only | double A + C | KES 72 | −KES 8 |
| Any one winner or none | none | KES 0 | −KES 80 |
The all-winners row is 90 + 72 + 100 + 180 = KES 442. Notice the A and C row: two selections won and the result is still a loss, because the one double that paid was priced low.
Illustrative example: a Yankee
Illustrative example
Add a fourth invented selection D at 1.50 to the three above, with a unit stake of KES 20. Total stake = 20 × 11 = KES 220.
| Group | Bets and odds | Sum of odds |
|---|---|---|
| 6 doubles | AB 4.50, AC 3.60, AD 2.70, BC 5.00, BD 3.75, CD 3.00 | 22.55 |
| 4 trebles | ABC 9.00, ABD 6.75, ACD 5.40, BCD 7.50 | 28.65 |
| 1 fourfold | ABCD 13.50 | 13.50 |
All four winning pays 20 × (22.55 + 28.65 + 13.50) = 20 × 64.70 = KES 1,294, a result of KES 1,294 − KES 220 = +KES 1,074. If A, B and C win and D loses, the bets still alive are doubles AB, AC, BC and treble ABC: 20 × (4.50 + 3.60 + 5.00 + 9.00) = 20 × 22.10 = KES 442, a result of +KES 222.
Two winners leave one double alive. A and D winning returns 20 × 2.70 = KES 54, a result of −KES 166. B and C winning returns 20 × 5.00 = KES 100, a result of −KES 120. One winner or none returns KES 0 and the full KES 220 is lost.
Compared with one accumulator
A single fourfold accumulator on the same four selections pays at 13.50. Put the same KES 220 on it and the all-winners return is 220 × 13.50 = KES 2,970, more than the Yankee's KES 1,294. Its return if only three win is KES 0, against KES 442 for the Yankee.
The Yankee does not remove risk; it spreads the same stake over combinations and pays a smaller top return for more partial returns. The chance that any particular set of selections wins comes from multiplying their probabilities, as set out in the chance of winning an accumulator.
What the combination does to the margin
Each leg's price carries the bookmaker's margin, and every bet in a Trixie or Yankee multiplies several prices together. The margin therefore compounds in every line, which why accumulators carry more margin explains in full. Splitting a stake over 11 bets does not reduce the average cost per shilling; it spreads it. The average result of the whole slip is the sum of the average results of its lines, so a slip of lines that each cost money still costs money in total.
The KES 20 floor and combination bets
Section 71(1) of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 says a player in an online gambling activity shall not bet an amount of less than twenty shillings in a competition. The minimum online stake entry sets out the section. The Act does not say whether each line of a Trixie or Yankee is a separate bet for this purpose, and this guide does not state a rule where the Act is silent. The operator's displayed terms say what unit stake they accept.
Before you place one
- Count the bets on the slip and confirm that unit stake × bets equals the total shown.
- Write down the total stake first, and check it against the ceiling in your betting budget and limits.
- Work out the return for two winners, not only for all winners, because that is the most common partial outcome.
Gambling is addictive. Play responsibly.
Questions and answers
How many bets are in a Yankee?
Eleven. With four selections there are 6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 fourfold, and 6 + 4 + 1 = 11. A Yankee has no single bets.
How many bets are in a Trixie?
Four. With three selections there are 3 doubles and 1 treble, and 3 + 1 = 4. A Trixie has no single bets.
How many selections must win for a Yankee to return anything?
At least two, because the smallest bet in a Yankee is a double. If only one selection wins, every double, treble and fourfold contains a loser and returns nothing.
Can I win less than my total stake and still have two winners?
Yes. With two winners only one double pays, and that double may return less than the whole stake across all the bets. In the Trixie example, selections A and C winning returns KES 72 against KES 80 staked.
How is the number of bets worked out for other selection counts?
For each size k from 2 up to n, count the groups of k selections you can pick from n, then add the counts. Five selections give 10 + 10 + 5 + 1 = 26 bets and six give 15 + 20 + 15 + 6 + 1 = 57 bets.
Does the KES 20 online minimum apply to each line of a Trixie or Yankee?
Section 71(1) of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 says a player in an online gambling activity shall not bet an amount of less than twenty shillings in a competition. The section does not say how the lines of a combination bet are counted, so check the operator's displayed terms for the minimum that applies to the unit stake.
Sources
- Gambling Control Act, 2025 (No. 14 of 2025), s.71(1), accessed 2026-10-13