3/5 System Bet Explained in Simple Terms

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Lina Almans

Upd 10 days ago

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3/5 system bet

What is a 3/5 System Bet?

A 3/5 system bet is a bet where you select 5 events, and you win if any 3 of them are correct.
Instead of one big accumulator, the stake is split into multiple 3-leg parlays.

Very simple example 👇

You choose 5 matches: A, B, C, D, and E.

A 3/5 system automatically creates all possible 3-match combinations:

  • A + B + C
  • A + B + D
  • A + B + E
  • A + C + D
  • A + C + E
  • A + D + E
  • B + C + D
  • B + C + E
  • B + D + E
  • C + D + E

👉 That’s 10 separate bets in total.

A 3/5 system bet basically means: “I don’t know exactly which three will win, but I believe at least three of the five will.”

3/5 System Bet in Action

Scenario 1: Big Win 

In this scenario, all five selections come from different basketball matches, and every pick wins, resulting in all 10 possible trebles winning.

The selections are:

  • Lakers to win vs Warriors (odds 1.8)
  • Nets to win vs Heat (odds 2.2)
  • Bucks to win vs Celtics (odds 1.6)
  • Suns to win vs Clippers (odds 2.0)
  • Jazz to win vs Nuggets (odds 1.9)
#TrebleOddsResult
1Lakers, Nets, Bucks1.8 x 2.2 x 1.6 = 6.336Won
2Lakers, Nets, Suns1.8 x 2.2 x 2.0 = 7.92Won
3Lakers, Nets, Jazz1.8 x 2.2 x 1.9 = 7.524Won
4Lakers, Bucks, Suns1.8 x 1.6 x 2.0 = 5.76Won
5Lakers, Bucks, Jazz1.8 x 1.6 x 1.9 = 5.472Won
6Lakers, Suns, Jazz1.8 x 2.0 x 1.9 = 6.84Won
7Nets, Bucks, Suns2.2 x 1.6 x 2.0 = 7.04Won
8Nets, Bucks, Jazz2.2 x 1.6 x 1.9 = 6.688Won
9Nets, Suns, Jazz2.2 x 2.0 x 1.9 = 8.36Won
10Bucks, Suns, Jazz1.6 x 2.0 x 1.9 = 6.08Won

If you bet $100 on the system, each treble gets $10 of your stake ($100/10=$10). To calculate your return, use this formula:

Return = Stake x (1/10) x (Sum of odds of all trebles)

This would give you a $680.2 return and a profit of $580.2 ($680.2-$100). 


Scenario 2: Small Loss 

The five selections are from different basketball matches:

  • Lakers to win vs Warriors (odds 1.8)
  • Nets to win vs Heat (odds 2.2)
  • Bucks to win vs Celtics (odds 1.6)
  • Suns to win vs Clippers (odds 2.0)
  • Jazz to win vs Nuggets (odds 1.9)

In this scenario, the Nets and Jazz selections lose, while the other three picks win.

#TrebleOddsResult
1Lakers, Nets, Bucks1.8 x 2.2 x 1.6 = 6.336Lost
2Lakers, Nets, Suns1.8 x 2.2 x 2.0 = 7.92Lost
3Lakers, Nets, Jazz1.8 x 2.2 x 1.9 = 7.524Lost
4Lakers, Bucks, Suns1.8 x 1.6 x 2.0 = 5.76Won
5Lakers, Bucks, Jazz1.8 x 1.6 x 1.9 = 5.472Lost
6Lakers, Suns, Jazz1.8 x 2.0 x 1.9 = 6.84Lost
7Nets, Bucks, Suns2.2 x 1.6 x 2.0 = 7.04Lost
8Nets, Bucks, Jazz2.2 x 1.6 x 1.9 = 6.688Lost
9Nets, Suns, Jazz2.2 x 2.0 x 1.9 = 8.36Lost
10Bucks, Suns, Jazz1.6 x 2.0 x 1.9 = 6.08Lost

The table shows that you had bad luck with your system bet. Only the Lakers, Bucks, and Suns won their games. Nine trebles lost and only one treble won.

So, we only get $57.6 as a return: ($10 x 5.76), which is a loss of $42.4 ($100-$57.6).

The formula is simple, but the calculation is a nightmare. Showing the full calculation here would be overkill.

There’s an easier way to calculate the payout. Just use System Bet Calculator!

Pros and Cons of a 3/5 System Bet

Pros

You can still receive a payout if 1 or 2 selections lose, although profit depends on the odds.
Risk is lower than with a single parlay when not all picks win.
You can combine any sports or markets, provided they meet the bookmaker’s minimum odds rules.
Cons

The bet is harder to follow because it is split into 10 separate trebles instead of one parlay.
The total stake is higher, since each treble requires its own portion of the stake.
Even if all 5 selections win, the payout is lower than a single five-fold parlay.

More you might find interesting:

Author avatar

Lina Almans

| Analyst

Bookmaker & Casino Reviewer | Gambling Analyst | Former Professional Capper | Covers Betting Theory | Since 2020

All articles by this author.

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