A round robin is one of the most misunderstood bet types in sports betting. It sounds complicated, but the concept is simple: instead of putting all your picks into a single parlay, a round robin creates every possible parlay combination. One loss doesn’t kill everything.
What is a Round Robin?
A round robin takes your selections and creates all possible parlay combinations of a chosen size. If you have 4 picks and choose 2-leg parlays, the round robin builds every unique 2-pick combination.
Example: 4 Picks, 2-Leg Parlays
Picks: A, B, C, D
The round robin creates 6 parlays:
A + B
A + C
A + D
B + C
B + D
C + D
If you bet $10 per parlay, your total investment is $60. If pick C loses, you still have three winning parlays (A+B, A+D, B+D) and only three losers (A+C, B+C, C+D).
Compare that to a 4-leg parlay where pick C losing means you lose everything.
Try the round-robin-calculator→
How Many Combinations?
The number of parlays depends on how many picks you have and what parlay size you choose:
| Picks | 2-Leg Parlays | 3-Leg Parlays | 4-Leg Parlays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 1 | - |
| 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| 5 | 10 | 10 | 5 |
| 6 | 15 | 20 | 15 |
| 7 | 21 | 35 | 35 |
| 8 | 28 | 56 | 70 |
The number of combinations grows quickly. An 8-pick round robin with 3-leg parlays is 56 individual bets. At $10 each, that’s $560 in total wagers.
Round Robin vs. Single Parlay
| Single Parlay | Round Robin | |
|---|---|---|
| Upside | Maximum payout | Moderate payout |
| Downside | One loss kills it all | Partial losses, partial wins |
| Total risk | Low (one bet) | Higher (many bets) |
| Hit rate | Very low | Higher |
| Vig impact | Vig compounds once | Vig compounds across each combo |
The key tradeoff: round robins survive individual losses but cost more upfront and still compound the vig across each combination.
When Round Robins Make Sense
You’re Confident in Most but Not All Picks
If you have 5 picks and you’re very confident in 4 of them but the 5th is a flier, a round robin protects you. If the flier loses, the parlays without it still cash.
You Want Parlay Upside Without All-or-Nothing Risk
A round robin gives you parlay-like payouts with more survivability. Going 3-for-4 on a round robin is profitable. Going 3-for-4 on a straight parlay is a loss.
Small Unit Plays with Multiple Correlated Legs
If you have several bets in the same game that you think are correlated (team wins, game goes over, star player has a big game), a round robin captures value from partial correlation without requiring all legs to hit.
When to Avoid Round Robins
The Math Isn’t Better
Round robins don’t change the expected value. If each individual bet is -EV, the round robin is also -EV. The vig still compounds in each parlay combination.
Total Cost Surprise
Bettors often underestimate the total outlay. An 8-pick round robin with 2-leg parlays at $10 each is 28 bets = $280 total risk. At 3-leg parlays, it’s 56 bets = $560. Make sure you know the total before placing the bet.
You Could Just Bet Each Pick Straight
If you like 5 picks, the simplest approach is 5 individual straight bets. No vig compounding, no complexity, and if 3 out of 5 win, you’re clearly profitable. Round robins add excitement but not mathematical edge.
Key Takeaways
Round robins create every possible parlay combination from your selections
They protect against individual losses — going 3/4 is profitable instead of a total loss
The total cost can be surprisingly high as combinations multiply
Round robins don’t improve EV — they reduce variance compared to a single all-in parlay
Consider straight bets as the simpler, lower-vig alternative
