A round robin turns a list of picks into every possible smaller parlay. Four picks "by 2s" makes six 2-leg parlays.
You don't need every pick to win to get paid. Each parlay that wins pays out on its own, so a round robin can still return money when one or two picks miss.
The trade-off: you stake on every combination, so the total stake adds up fast, and you win less than a single big parlay if everything hits.
How it works
A round robin is really a bundle of parlay bets placed at once. You choose your picks and a size, like "by 2s" or "by 3s", and the sportsbook builds every combination. Your stake applies to each parlay, not to the round robin as a whole.
That's the most common mistake: a $10 round robin is rarely a $10 bet. Four picks by 2s is six parlays, so $10 each costs $60.
| Picks | By 2s | By 3s |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 bets | 1 bet |
| 4 | 6 bets | 4 bets |
| 5 | 10 bets | 10 bets |
| 6 | 15 bets | 20 bets |
Round robins don't change the maths of your picks. If each pick has negative expected value, combining them in different ways won't fix that. What they do change is how often you cash. Missing one pick no longer loses everything, but you need enough picks to win to cover the total stake. Use the round robin calculator to see every outcome before you bet.
Examples
- Example 1
Picks A, B, C, D by 2s: AB, AC, AD, BC, BD, CD. Six bets.
- Example 2
Three picks at -110, by 2s, $10 per parlay: three parlays for $30 in total. If all three win, you get back $109.34, a profit of $79.34.
- Example 3
Same round robin, but only two of the three picks win: one parlay pays $36.45 and the other two lose. You get $36.45 back on $30 staked, a profit of $6.45.
- Example 4
Five picks by 3s makes 10 parlays. At $5 each, the round robin costs $50.
Common questions
How much does a round robin cost?
Your stake times the number of parlays it creates. Four picks by 2s is six parlays, so $10 per parlay costs $60.
Can you lose money on a round robin even if most picks win?
Yes. If the winning parlays return less than your total stake, you lose money overall. It depends on the odds and how many picks win.
Is a round robin a good bet?
It's neither good nor bad on its own. It spreads your stake across more parlays, so it pays more often but less when everything wins.