Round Robin

A round robin is a combination betting strategy that takes a group of three or more picks and automatically builds every possible parlay of a chosen size from them. Instead of placing one big parlay that needs all your picks to win, a round robin spreads your risk across several smaller parlays. That means you can still walk away with a return even if one or more of your picks loses, as long as enough of the individual parlays inside the round robin come through.

The most common version uses two-team parlays (also called “doubles”), but you can also build round robins from three-team parlays (“trebles”) or larger combos. The total number of bets created depends on how many picks you have and the parlay size you choose. Since a round robin is made up of multiple individual parlays, your total stake is the per-bet stake multiplied by the number of parlays it generates.

Example

Say you pick three teams and create a round robin of two-team parlays with a $10 stake per parlay:

• Selection A: Lakers moneyline at -130 (decimal odds 1.77)
• Selection B: Celtics -4.5 at -110 (decimal odds 1.91)
• Selection C: Warriors moneyline at +120 (decimal odds 2.20)

A three-pick round robin of doubles produces three separate parlays:

1. A + B (combined odds: 1.77 x 1.91 = 3.38, potential payout: $33.82)
2. A + C (combined odds: 1.77 x 2.20 = 3.89, potential payout: $38.94)
3. B + C (combined odds: 1.91 x 2.20 = 4.20, potential payout: $42.02)

Your total stake is $30 (three parlays at $10 each). If Selections A and B win but C loses, Parlay 1 pays out $33.82 while Parlays 2 and 3 lose. You collect $33.82 on a $30 total investment, netting a $3.82 profit despite one losing pick.

Key Points

• Built-in loss protection: Unlike a straight parlay, a round robin can still turn a profit even when one or more picks lose, because the winning parlays may offset the losers.
• Higher total stake: Since you’re placing multiple parlays, the total amount wagered is much higher than a single parlay. A round robin of six selections in doubles creates 15 separate bets.
• Flexible combination sizes: You can pick the parlay size within your round robin — doubles, trebles, or larger groups — based on how much risk you want and how many combinations you’d like to cover.
• Returns depend on which legs win: Your overall profit or loss hinges not just on how many picks win but on which specific picks win, since each parlay carries different combined odds.
• Useful for confident multi-pick scenarios: Round robins shine when you like several picks but want a cushion against one or two surprise losses rather than risking it all on a single big parlay.