What's inside an Alphabet
| Part | Selections | Bets | Made up of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patent | 1, 2 and 3 | 7 | 3 singles, 3 doubles and a treble |
| Patent | 4, 5 and 6 | 7 | 3 singles, 3 doubles and a treble |
| Yankee | 2, 3, 4 and 5 | 11 | 6 doubles, 4 trebles and a fourfold |
| Accumulator | All six | 1 | A sixfold |
| Total | 26 |
Selection order matters
Unlike a Lucky 63 or a Heinz, where every selection is treated the same, an Alphabet gives some positions far more bets than others:
| Position | Bets it's included in |
|---|---|
| Selection 1 | 5 of 26 |
| Selection 2 | 12 of 26 |
| Selection 3 | 12 of 26 |
| Selection 4 | 12 of 26 |
| Selection 5 | 12 of 26 |
| Selection 6 | 5 of 26 |
Selections 2 to 5 each appear in 12 bets, because they're in a Patent and the Yankee. Selections 1 and 6 only appear in their Patent and the sixfold, 5 bets each. That's why punters usually put their four strongest selections in the middle positions and their two speculative ones at either end. Enter your selections in the calculator in the order you'll place them.
Worked example: £1 Alphabet with four winners
Winners in positions 1, 2, 4 and 6, with positions 3 and 5 losing. The Patents each pay two singles and a double, and the Yankee pays its one double between selections 2 and 4:
| Selection | Odds | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2/1 | Won |
| 2 | 3/1 | Won |
| 3 | 5/2 | Lost |
| 4 | 4/1 | Won |
| 5 | 9/4 | Lost |
| 6 | 6/1 | Won |
| Part of the bet | Stake | Returns |
|---|---|---|
| 6 singles | £6.00 | £19.00 |
| 12 doubles | £12.00 | £67.00 |
| 6 trebles | £6.00 | £0.00 |
| 1 fourfold | £1.00 | £0.00 |
| 1 sixfold | £1.00 | £0.00 |
| Total | £26.00 | £86.00 |
Profit: £60.00
The same four winners in positions 2 to 5 would have landed far more of the Yankee's doubles and trebles, which is the order effect in practice. Try it in the calculator by moving the winners around.
Each way Alphabets
An each way Alphabet is 52 bets, with the place part settled as a second Alphabet at place odds. It costs £52 at £1 a bet, so smaller unit stakes are common.
Alphabet or Lucky 63?
Both use six selections and pay out from one winner. A Lucky 63 covers every combination, so it pays on any group of winners, but it costs 63 stakes. The Alphabet costs 26 and covers a chosen set of combinations, which rewards you for putting your selections in the right order.
Common questions
Why is it called an Alphabet?
Because it contains 26 bets, one for each letter of the alphabet.
How much does an Alphabet cost?
26 times your stake. A 50p Alphabet costs £13 and a £1 Alphabet costs £26. Each way doubles it to 52 bets.
Can I place an Alphabet online?
It's less common than a Yankee or Lucky 15. Some bookmakers offer it in shops only, and others not at all, so check before planning your selections around it. You can recreate it yourself by placing the two Patents, the Yankee and the sixfold as separate bets.
What happens if one selection is a non-runner?
It counts as odds of 1 in every bet that includes it. Its single in the Patent returns the stake, and the doubles, trebles and larger bets that include it drop down a level.