Calculators
Round robin calculator: what a round robin costs and pays
A round robin bet is a set of parlays built from the same picks. Choose teams and parlay size below to see the number of parlays, total cost and payout.
North American round robin a set of parlays: 6 parlays of 2 teams. Not the UK “Round Robin” bet.
3 of 6 parlays pay · profit +$42.36
3 of 4 teams win: 3 of 6 parlays pay, returning $72.36 on $30.00 staked. That is +$42.36 profit. Tap Win / Loss / Push on each team to try other results.
| Teams win | Parlays pay | Return | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 of 4 | 0 of 6 | $0.00 | −$30.00 |
| 1 of 4 | 0 of 6 | $0.00 | −$30.00 |
| 2 of 4 | 1 of 6 | $17.18 – $27.50 | −$12.82 – −$2.50 |
| 3 of 4 | 3 of 6 | $57.98 – $72.36 | +$27.98 – +$42.36 |
| 4 of 4 | 6 of 6 | $131.85 | +$101.85 |
A range means it depends on which teams win: longer odds pay more.
How it is calculated
Number of parlays = sum of C(teams, size)C(4, 2) = 6 = 6
Risk = parlays × stake per parlay6 × $5.00 = $30.00
Each parlay pays stake × product of its decimal oddsa push counts as 1.00; one loss and that parlay pays 0
Decimal odds usedA 1.91, B 2.20, C 1.80, D 2.50
Return now = sum over parlays that pay$72.36
One round robin in three numbers
Parlays from your picks
6 parlays4 teams by twos make 6 two-team parlays. Every pair of teams is one separate parlay.
Total cost
$30.00Each parlay costs $5.00. You pay for all parlays at once, when you place the round robin.
Maximum payout
$109.34Only if every team wins. Each leg here is −110, so each parlay pays 3.64 times its stake.
How many won and what it pays
| Results | Parlays that win | Payout | Against $30.00 cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| All teams win | All 6 | $109.34 | Profit |
| One team loses | Half | $54.67 | Profit |
| Half the teams lose | One | $18.22 | Loss |
| More than half lose | None | Nothing | Whole cost lost |
Example: 4 teams, each at −110 (1.91), $5.00 per parlay, $30.00 in total.
Cost and payout of each parlay
Total cost = number of parlays × stake per parlay. One parlay pays stake × decimal odds of each leg.
Example: 6 × $5.00 = $30.00. Each pair: 1.91 × 1.91 ≈ 3.64 (decimal odds shown rounded).
One big parlay vs round robin
One four-team parlay
- One bet at $5.00; the round robin costs $30.00, so stakes differ
- Odds 13.28, pays $66.42
- Pays only if every team wins
- One loss and the whole stake is gone
Round robin by twos
- 6 parlays, total cost $30.00
- All win: pays $109.34
- One loss: still pays $54.67
- Half lose: pays $18.22, less than the cost
- Every parlay carries the margin
Words on a round robin slip
- Leg
- One pick inside a parlay, for example one team to win.
- Parlay
- One bet that joins several legs. It pays only if every leg wins. More in What is a parlay?
- By twos
- The size of each parlay in the round robin: every parlay has two legs.
- Unit
- The stake on each single parlay. The round robin costs one unit per parlay.
Questions
What is a round robin bet?
A round robin is a set of smaller parlays built from the same picks. With 4 teams by twos you get 6 two-team parlays, each a separate bet with its own stake.
How many parlays are in a round robin?
It depends on the number of teams and the parlay size. Every possible group of that size is one parlay. The calculator above counts them: 4 teams by twos give 6.
Is a round robin better than one parlay?
Neither is better. A round robin can still pay when one pick loses, but it costs more, and every parlay carries the margin. On average, both cost money over many bets.
Can a round robin lose money when some picks win?
Yes. In the example, if half the teams lose, one parlay wins and pays $18.22 – less than the $30.00 total cost.
How is a round robin payout calculated?
Each winning parlay pays its stake times the decimal odds of its legs multiplied. Add up all winning parlays. For a single price, use the bet payout calculator.