Patent

A Patent bet is basically a safety net for punters who fancy three selections but don’t want to risk losing everything if one lets them down. It’s seven bets rolled into one – three singles, three doubles, and one treble covering every possible combination from your three picks – sounds complicated but I promise to break it down below.

The beauty of a Patent is that you only need one winner to get something back.

Unlike a straight treble where all three need to come in, or even a Trixie bet that needs at least two winners, the Patent includes those single bets that guarantee a return if just one selection obliges. Course, that return might not cover your total outlay, but at least you’re not walking away completely empty-handed.

Let’s say you put together a Patent with £1 per bet – that’s £7 total stake for the seven different wagers. Pick three horses at decent odds like 3/1, 4/1, and 5/1, and if just the 3/1 shot wins, you get £4 back from that single bet. Not exactly profit, but better than losing the lot.

Where it gets interesting is when two or more of your selections come in. Two winners gives you two singles plus one double, which can easily put you into profit depending on the odds.

All three up and you’re laughing – seven winning bets including that treble which can pay out handsomely if you’ve picked decent prices.

Horse racing punters love Patents because they offer that insurance whilst still providing the potential for big returns. You might fancy three horses running at different meetings throughout the day, knowing that even if two have off days, the third could still salvage something from the wreckage.

Football Patents work well too, especially when you’re picking matches across different leagues or competitions. Maybe a Premier League banker, a Championship punt, and something from Europe. The single bets mean you’re not relying on everything going perfectly to see any return.

Some parts of the country call Patent bets “Twists” for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, but it’s the same thing.

The maths can get a bit mental depending on your selections’ odds. Start with three evens shots and even one winner gives you a decent return. Go for three longshots at 10/1 each and one winner might not even cover your stake, but if two or three come in, you’re looking at seriously good money.

Each-way Patents are popular in horse racing, especially in competitive handicaps where you fancy a few outsiders to run well without necessarily winning. Doubles your stake obviously, but gives you twice the chances of a return through the place parts of the bet.

The key with Patent betting is finding that sweet spot between odds and probability. Too short and your returns are modest even with multiple winners. Too long and single winners leave you out of pocket despite technically winning.

Most experienced Patent bettors aim for selections between 2/1 and 6/1. Long enough to generate proper returns when multiples click, short enough that single winners don’t feel completely pointless.

Non-runners can complicate things slightly. If one of your three selections doesn’t run, you effectively end up with a smaller bet on the remaining two selections. Not the end of the world, but worth understanding how it affects your potential returns.

Smart punters sometimes use Patents strategically when they’ve got strong opinions on three separate events but aren’t completely confident about any single one.

Rather than backing them individually or hoping for an unlikely treble, the Patent gives you multiple ways to win whilst providing that crucial insurance of the singles. It’s the sort of bet that rewards you for getting things mostly right, even if you don’t nail everything perfectly.