A UK round robin bet is made up of three selections and 10 individual bets, according to an explainer from The Independent. The pattern is three doubles, one treble and three single-stakes up-and-down bets, which have two bets each.
The UK round robin differs from the round robin bet in the US and Canada, which is made up of seven bets and is more like a Patent bet. The article notes that some online guides do not differentiate between the two, which can confuse punters.
The single-stakes up-and-down bets are what can make the round robin tricky to understand. Each contains two bets in one. If one selection wins, the original stake is used as an additional bet on the second selection. If both bets win, each of the original stakes is placed on the third selection. If the final selection loses, the bettor loses all of the original stakes but keeps the profits from the first two winning singles.
To place a round robin bet, a bettor chooses three selections from three different events, adds them to the bet slip and selects the multiple betting option. The stake is multiplied by 10 to cover each of the 10 individual bets. For horse racing, deciding to go each way will double the total stake.
The article states that a round robin is not a combination bet for beginners. It says the advantage is that a profit can be secured from just one winning selection, depending on the odds, even if the other two bets lose, while the disadvantage is the large stake required compared with an accumulator.