Canadian Bet (Super Yankee) Explained: What It Is and How Does It Work?

A Canadian bet, also called a Super Yankee, is a type of multiple bet that mixes 26 bets into five picks. It's a favourite among horse racing fans who want to boost their chances of a win without going all-in on a single outcome.

The term's origin is rooted in folklore. It is rumoured that a U.S. soldier stationed in the UK once used a 26-bet system to successfully outsmart the bookmakers with a modest stake, resulting in a significant payout. This is said to be how the name "Super Yankee" came to be. Why is it more often called a Canadian? No one really knows, but the name stuck.

Let's explore how a Canadian bet works, its key benefits and drawbacks, and answers to frequently asked questions.

What Is a Canadian Bet?

A Canadian bet is a wager comprising 26 bets in five events, including ten doubles, ten trebles, five four-folds, and one five-fold. This type of bet is a great way to cover multiple selections and increase your potential winnings.

As a rule of thumb, to receive a return in Canadian, at least two selections must be successful. As you place trebles, four-folds, and five-fold bets, your odds can increase in high increments if you get more than two winners. So you can see significant increases in your profits when more than two horses break the finish line first. 

If you think of Canadian bets as stand-up comedy, you can increase your chance of success by telling 26 jokes instead of one. By choosing joke topics carefully, and with a bit of luck getting the crowd on your side, you could get all 26 jokes and punchlines to sink in and hit the jackpot!

How Does a Canadian Bet Work Best in Practice

To begin with, let us examine the total cost of the bet slip. Imagine, for instance, that you would like to place a £2 bet on each horse in a Canadian bet. Here's a breakdown of pricing: 

Canadian bets comprise 26 individual bets, ten doubles, ten trebles, five four-folds, and one five-fold bet. The total cost of the Canadian bet is £52 because each bet costs £2 (26 x £2 = £52).

Next, let's look at the potential payouts:

You can calculate a Canadian bet's potential winnings by adding the odds for each selection. Using the following Canadian bet calculator, if you make five selections at odds of 1/1 (2.00) with a stake of £2, the potential winnings for each choice are calculated as follows.

Doubles:

• Double 1 (Horses 1 and 2): 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £8
• Double 2 (Horses 1 and 3): 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £8
• Double 3 (Horses 1 and 4): 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £8
• Double 4 (Horses 1 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £8
• Double 5 (Horses 2 and 2): 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £8
• Double 6 (Horses 2 and 4): 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £8
• Double 7 (Horses 2 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £8
• Double 8 (Horses 3 and 4): 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £8
• Double 9 (Horses 3 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £8
• Double 10 (Horses 4 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £8

Trebles:

• Treble 1 (Horses 1, 2 and 3): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £16
• Treble 2 ( Horses 1, 2 and 4): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £16
• Treble 3 ( Horses 1, 2 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £16
• Treble 4 ( Horses 1, 3 and 4): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £16
• Treble 5 ( Horses 1, 3 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £16
• Treble 6 ( Horses 1, 4 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £16
• Treble 7 ( Horses 2, 3 and 4): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £16
• Treble 8 ( Horses 2, 3 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £16
• Treble 9 ( Horses 2, 4 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £16
• Treble 10 ( Horses 3, 4 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £16

Four-folds:

• Four-fold 1 (Horses 1, 2, 3 and 4): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £32
• Four-fold 2 (Horses 1, 2, 3 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £32
• Four-fold 3 (Horses 1, 2, 4 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £32
• Four-fold 4 (Horses 1, 3, 4 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £32
• Four-fold 5 (Horses 2, 3, 4 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £32

Five-fold bet: 

• Five-fold (Horses 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5): 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x 2.00 x £2 = £64

For the Canadian bet, the highest potential payout would be the sum of the payouts for each double, treble, four-fold selections and five-fold. In this example, the maximum payout would be £464 (10x£8 + 10x£16 + 5x£32 + £64). Using this bet, you would receive £412 profit in your account (£464 payout minus £52 stake = £412 yield).

Just so you know, this is only an example, and your odds and payouts may vary depending on your selections and the odds the bookmaker offers.

Advantages of Canadian Bet

• Potential for Higher Returns: With 26 bets included in a Canadian bet, there is potential for big wins. Taking the correct picks can lead to large payouts.
• Diversification: You can diversify your betting portfolio by placing multiple bets on horses. In this way, you have numerous chances to win, which can reduce the impact of losses.
• Excitement: Placing a Canadian bet adds an extra layer of excitement to horse racing. With 26 chances to win, you can keep your excitement high throughout race day.

Drawbacks of Canadian Bet

• Risk: Increasing the number of betting options increases the risk of losing. The more bets you place, the higher the likelihood that at least one will be incorrect.
• Cost: Canadian bets can be expensive. It can be difficult for some bettors to justify the price, especially if they're not used to placing high-stakes bets.
• Required Knowledge: To place a successful Canadian bet, you must understand horse racing and the horses involved. It can be challenging for those who are inexperienced in the sport or need access to up-to-date information and knowledge of how to analyse them.

The 4-Step Guide to Placing a Canadian bet

1. Pick your sportsbook: Locate a trustworthy online sportsbook that offers Canadian betting options and sign-up or log in. You can also look at our recommended Canadian betting sites list to find the ideal bookie.
2. Decide which bets you wish to place: Choose five races, horses, or teams that you would like to bet on. Consider the odds, performance, and other relevant information before deciding.
3. Determine your wager: Decide on the amount you want to wager on each selection.
4. Place the bet: Find the bet slip on the bookmaker's website and select the "Canadian" option. Fill in your five selections and the amount you want to bet. Estimate the potential returns using our Canadian bet calculator, then place your wager.

On These Bookies, You Can Place a Super Yankee Bet

Horse racing betting is a big market in the UK, with plenty of British bookmakers offering betting opportunities. It isn't easy to specify which bookmaker would be the best for each type of bet, but we can say with 100% certainty that the five sites below are great options for playing Super Yankee bets.

Learn More About Horse Racing Betting

Want to learn more about horse racing betting and the different betting types often related to horse racing? We at Bojoko have written a comprehensive article presenting the best horse racing betting sites. We also offer betting guides for the following popular bet types: 

• Trixie bet
• Patent bet
• Yankee bet

Canadian Bet / Super Yankee Explained / FAQ

Article by:

Teemu Mattila

With a career starting in 2015, Teemu has an extensive background in content writing, collaborating with global companies in Finnish and English. Since 2022, he has been working with Bojoko, focusing on sports betting and casino content, combining his passion for sports and the iGaming industry.

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