Canadian Betting Explained

How It Works

With 26 different combinations to calculate, this can be a betting strategy that can be confusing. Thankfully, we have our Canadian betting calculator to make life easier as you look to turn your picks into profits.

If you were to use that calculator, you might well have a betting slip that looks as follows:

As mentioned before, if any two selections are winners, then you will see a return on your betting slip. Whether you see enough to cover your additional outlay depends on the odds on offer and how many winners you have.

For example, if you used £1 stakes on your Canadian - £1 x 26 = £26 and Horse A B won at odds of 1/1 and 2/1, respectively, this would only return £6 at the end of the day. An overall loss of £20 for your efforts.

However, if Horse C was first past the post at odds of 3/1. Not only would three doubles be ticked off (AB, AC, BC), but a treble of ABC would also be declared a winner. Quickly turning that £26 stake into winnings of £50 and a profit of £24.

With this bet favouring those who decide to go for a mixture of favourites and outsiders, wins for Horse D and Horse E could also turn this into a profitable excursion. Odds of 4/1 and 5/1 being converted into winnings would also convert £26 into £30 and a profit of £4.

Therefore, it is not necessarily how many of the 26 bets you win but what combinations you can tick off. However, if we look at this positively, we can determine how much all five winning horses would be worth if they were the same odds.

Examples

If we take the mid-point of the five horses above and say that all of them are instead priced at odds of 3/1, here is what the winnings would look like depending on whether 2,3,4 or 5 horses finish first in the race.

As we can see, it only needs three winning horses to move out of the red and into the black. What is a £10 loss for just one winner less has quickly become £86 profit by the time you have landed your third winner of the day.

As with all combination bets that are placed, it all depends on the odds involved. For example, if we were to bet on football instead of horses and put a Canadian bet on five favourites who are each priced at odds of 1/2, the winning table would look as follows:

In this example, we can see that the needle towards profitability has moved towards four wins instead of three. Even if three favourites recorded routine wins at odds of 1/2 each, it would still mean a loss of £15.87 by the night's end.

Instead, the threshold for this Canadian to break even and more is a fourth winner. Although any profit should be celebrated, seeing an additional £6.06 return to your back pocket or betting account is a lot of effort.

Of course, there is a huge caveat here, and it highlights how vital the odds of your selections are. If this same Canadian had an underdog also placed upon the coupon, and they pulled off an upset, then the threshold for victory could be lower.

To experiment with different outcomes, use this link for a bet calculator preloaded with the above example.

Reasons for making a Canadian Bet

Now that we have explained a Canadian bet, here are three reasons why you would place one:

• Multiple Betting Options – Instead of opting for a five-fold Parlay, you can use the same five selections and utilise another 25 bets to go alongside it. Due to the number of additional combinations, this is a popular choice with experienced punters.
• Offers More Lifelines – Once again, the Parlay is not the best option if you are looking for some security for your five-fold. If one leg loses, it is all over. However, this is not the case when it comes to the Canadian.
• Maximise Your Returns – With the 26 bets being made, the potential to see your winnings grow is not all that far away. A small stake can be multiplied many times if all five selections come good.

The Canadian is undoubtedly a popular choice of bet within the betting community. Still, like all betting types, the benefits and potential drawbacks must be highlighted; therefore, we will now look at the two most prominent points in each category.

Pros & Cons

How To Place A Canadian Bet with Bet365

1. Select the relevant sport you want to bet on. For this example, we have selected horse racing.

2. Then, select the five horse racing outcomes for your betting slip. Once they are selected, the bet will first be set up as a five-fold accumulator. Press the ‘Show More Multiples’ arrow to unlock all the other available bets.

3. Then select the Canadian (or Super Yankee) option before adding your stake amount. Now, you are ready to place your Canadian bet.

Conclusion

If you are not an experienced punter, the Canadian is arguably a bet to use further down the line. However, with the right amount of research and preparation, it can also be a bet that many soon become comfortable with.

Like all combination bets, the increased stake required is always a serious factor to consider. Although it allows an element of diversification across sports or markets, it should align with your appetite and aptitude for risk.