If you enjoy placing bold parlays but hate seeing a poor leg ruin everything that you have built on your ticket, then full cover system bets might just be for you. The name of this betting strategy was inspired by the well-known motto of H.J. Heinz Co., which said “57 Varieties”.
Unlike a conventional bet where you either win everything or lose everything, a Heinz bet allows you to spread your money into numerous combinations.
What Is a Heinz Bet?
Heinz bet is made up of six selections and has full coverage of 57 bets in six unique events. Because this bet covers all combinations from two picks upward, you can cash out immediately if two picks win.
- Total Number of Picks: 6 unique legs (races, matches, and games).
- Number of Bets: Total of 57 bets that make up the whole bet slip.
- Exclusion of Singles: In a Heinz bet, there are no singles. One needs at least two winners for the bet to pay off.
- Total Stakes Multiplied by Units: Multiply the unit stakes by 57. With $2 units, the total stake becomes $114 (2 × 57).
57 Bets Breakdown
| Bet Combination Type | Number of Wagers | Legs Combined Per Bet | Minimum Winners to Cash |
| Two-Leg Parlays (Doubles) | 15 | Any 2 of your 6 picks | 2 winning selections |
| Three-Leg Parlays (Trebles) | 20 | Any 3 of your 6 picks | 3 winning selections |
| Four-Leg Parlays (Four-folds) | 15 | Any 4 of your 6 picks | 4 winning selections |
| Five-Leg Parlays (Five-folds) | 6 | Any 5 of your 6 picks | 5 winning selections |
| Six-Leg Parlay (Six-fold accumulator) | 1 | All 6 of your picks combined | All 6 winning selections |
| Total Wagers Combined | 57 | – | At least 2 winners |
How Payouts Scale by Number of Winners
The main attraction in placing Heinz bets lies in the way the payouts increase as more selections win:
- 0 to 1 Winner: No return. You lose your total investment completely.
- 2 Winners: 1 Double will be paid out. Unless both winners were longshots with poor odds, it will not cover the total 57 bets’ investment.
- 3 Winners: Will give you 3 doubles and 1 treble (a total of 4 winning bets). Based on your odds, this might just about cover your break-even point.
- 4 Winners: Will give you 6 doubles, 4 trebles, and 1 four-fold (a total of 11 winning bets), thus giving you a nice profit.
- 5 Winners: Will give you 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 four-folds, and 1 five-fold (a total of 26 winning bets).
- 6 Winners: All 57 bets win, giving you the highest possible payout.
Heinz Bet vs Traditional 6-Leg Parlay
| Betting Characteristic | Standard 6-Leg Parlay | 57-Bet Heinz System |
| Number of Bets | 1 single ticket | 57 combined wagers |
| Cost for $1 Unit Stake | $1.00 total | $57.00 total |
| Room for Error | Zero (1 loss busts the ticket) | Moderate (tolerates up to 4 failed legs) |
| Payout Potential | High multiplier on a single low wager | Compounding returns scaling with winning legs |
| Best Used For | Small recreational lottery-style bets | High-confidence sports picks and horse racing |
Pros and Cons of a Heinz Bet
Pros
- Natural Padding: One bad call doesn’t blow your bet out of the water.
- Cascade of Winning Wagers: Every extra win produces a series of winning combinations.
- Versatility Between Different Sports: Operates within horse racing, NFL money lines, soccer matches, and NBA point spreads.
Cons
- Expensive Bankroll: It requires multiplying your basic unit by 57 to cover this bet properly.
- Short Odds Disadvantage: Landing two low-odds bets doesn’t bring back your money.
- Lack of Singles Bets: If one long-shot bet wins alone, you win nothing.
Heinz vs Super Heinz vs Lucky 63
- Heinz: 6 selections, 57 bets (no singles).
- Lucky 63: 6 selections, 63 bets (consists of 6 singles along with 57 combinations, paying out on only one winning number).
- Super Heinz: 7 selections, 120 bets (involves all combinations from doubles to seven-folds).
Key Strategies for Betting a Heinz
- Be Careful with Your Total Outlay: Your total session outlay must be divided by 57 to calculate the size of your unit bet.
- No Favorites Allowed: Bet only selections priced at +100 (2.00) or higher, so as to guarantee that betting three or four legs results in positive profits.
- Use an Online Heinz Calculator: Manually calculating 57 complex wagers is no easy task. Use a bet calculator for your system bet.
- Never Force a Bad Wager: Each bad leg spoils 26 different parlay combinations. Only wager a Heinz when you are fully confident of your six selections.
Step-by-Step Guide to Placing a Heinz Bet Online
- Choose Six Independent Markets: Choose six independent markets either as match results, money lines, or horse races on the electronic bet slip.
- Do Not Choose Dependent/Correlated Markets: Make sure your choices are derived from different events to allow the bookmaker to accept multi-leg combination bets without any restrictions.
- Look for the Multiples/Systems Bet Selection: Scroll towards the bottom of the bet slip and click on the “Multiples” or “System Bets” selection option.
- Enter Your Base Unit Stake: Click on the area labeled “Heinz (x57)” and enter your stake per unit.
- Check the Total Liability on the Ticket: Ensure that the total liability shown on the ticket is equal to 57 times your unit stake.
