There are many different types of multiples bets offered by the best UK bookies. They all have much in common and essentially work in the same way. That means much of the information we could add to this feature about the somewhat unusual Flag bet has already been covered when we look at more simple multiples, such as the simplest accumulator of them all, the Double and also in our features on more complex bets, such as the huge Goliath.
Nonetheless, in this article, we will explain all you need to know about a Flag wager, with links to other articles covering some areas in greater detail. However, the key thing that makes a Flag different to some other similar wagering options is that it includes some Up-And-Down (UAD) bets. In fact, a Flag can be viewed as being identical to a Yankee but with the addition of six extra UAD wagers.
What Is a Flag Bet?
As just said, in essence, a Flag bet is a Yankee with six extra UADs. That means it takes four selections, or legs, and covers them in the same way that a Yankee would (six doubles, four trebles and the fourfold acca for 11 bets in total). However, a Flag consists of 23 separate bets, the extra 12 coming by means of six UAD wagers that each contains two bets.
If you understand what a UAD is already, then this should all make sense. However, UADs are not an especially common wager type so if you’re puzzled, fear not and we will explain more. For the full lowdown, we suggest you check out our specific feature on them but the information in the section below should be more than enough for you to get to grips with a Flag bet.
Up-and-Down Bets
An Up-and-Down bet (UAD) is a bet that includes two separate bets, each with a stake of their own. As such, a £50 UAD costs £100 in total. Crucially, each of these two stakes and bets has two separate parts. For a UAD, two selections are needed, so for example, a football fan might opt to pick over 2.5 goals at evens in one game and under 2.5 goals in another, again at evens. UADs can be placed on most sports, markets and odds but this is just a simple example to illustrate how they work.
The first bet of the UAD is on over 2.5 goals and, if that wins, the stake carries over to the second part of the first bet, which in this case is the second game, where under 2.5 has been backed. Unlike a double, or other larger acca, where the stake and net win roll over onto the next selection, with a UAD it is just the stake. The net win is retained by the customer, irrespective of how the second portion of the wager plays out.
Known as “If Cash” or “Conditional Bet”
If the first part of the bet loses, there is no stake available to make the second part, hence why this type of bet is also sometimes known as “if cash” or a “conditional bet”. The second bet is essentially a mirror image of the first, so the first part is the second game, where under 2.5 goals has been backed. If that loses, that’s the end of the bet. However, should the game end 1-1 (or any score with under 2.5 goals) then the punter retains the initial stake but the net win from that part of the UAD’s second bet goes onto the other game.
This type of bet is called a Single Stakes About (SSA) wager, again something we look at in more detail in our feature on UAD bets. The “Single Stake” refers to the fact that the stake is the same for both parts of the bet. So whether you back a winner at 1/10 or 10/1 for the first part of the bet, only the stake carries over to the second portion.
Double Stakes About (DSA) UAD Bet
In contrast, you can opt to make a Double Stakes About (DSA) UAD bet. Here, as the name indicates, your stake is doubled for the second portion of the bet. This is only possible if your first winner is priced at odds of evens or above and means that less net win from the first bet is retained. If the second portion wins too, you’ll get a bigger pay-off but if it loses you won’t have the same buffer.
Indeed, if your winning first selection was at evens, there is no net win retained, as to double the stake you would have to carry forward the entire stake and net win. If the odds for the first bet were less than evens the stake cannot be doubled but the bet remains a DSA and the entire returns from the first portion of this bet go onto the second.
Bets Within a Flag Bet
When it comes to Flags and other similar wagers that add UADs to more common multiples (in this case a Yankee), the UADs themselves will always be SSA. So, what are the bets within a Flag? As already noted, a Flag is made up of the following:
- Six Doubles
- Four Trebles
- One Fourfold Acca
- 6 UADs = 12 Further Bets
Points one to three are fairly straightforward and if you are unsure about anything you should refer back to our Yankee guide. The 12 additional bets of the Flag take the six doubles and make further bets based on these.
To illustrate this further, imagine you have decided to make a Flag bet on the first four races of a race meeting you are attending. Let’s call the legs involved Race 1, Race 2, Race 3 and Race 4. The six doubles are as follows:
- 1 and 2
- 1 and 3
- 1 and 4
- 2 and 3
- 2 and 4
- 3 and 4
We can then view the 12 Up and Down bets as the following:
- 1 and 2 and its reverse, 2 and 1
- 1 and 3 and its reverse 3 and 1
- 1 and 4 and its reverse 4 and 1
- 2 and 3 and its reverse 3 and 2
- 2 and 4 and its reverse 4 and 2
- 3 and 4 and its reverse 4 and 3
These 12 further bets all have two parts, as with any UAD, and they also require their own stake (the 12 component bets, not both parts of each, because the second part is funded only if the first part wins, the stake essentially carrying over). So, whilst a £1 Yankee costs £11, a £1 Flag costs £23 in total.
Difference Between Flag & Yankee
Aside from the obvious difference that a Flag costs more than twice as much as a Yankee to place, the main difference is that with a Flag, a single winner will deliver a return. This is in contrast with a Yankee, where at least two of your four selections must win or the whole stake is lost to the deep pockets of the bookmaker.
If this is the main difference between the bet types, then perhaps a better idea would be to look at how a Yankee, a Flag and a Lucky 15 compare. A Lucky 15 is a full cover bet with singles, meaning it is identical to a Yankee but also includes four separate singles on each of the component legs.
Just like a Flag, if only one of your selections wins, you will get at least something back. What’s more, if you place a Lucky 15 you only have 15 stakes to cover, rather than 23 and many betting sites offer boosted odds for punters who only manage one winner in a Lucky 15. As far as we know, no such offers exist for those placing Flags.
Comparing Fourfold Acca, Yankee, Lucky 15 & Flag Bets
Ultimately, all three are similar in many ways and we would suggest playing around with them to see which you like. What proves the best will, of course, depend on how many of your selections win and what the odds of those were. However, let us for a moment imagine you make a racing bet similar to that detailed above, involving four horses and for the sake of simplicity, each horse is priced at odds of 2/1. The table below shows a range of possible bets and the net win you would make if all four won, as well as if one, two or three won. If none of your four picks wins, the returns are, of course, zero, no matter which bet type you opt for.
| Bet Type | 1 Fourfold Acca | Yankee | Lucky 15 | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Stake | £23 | £22.99 | £22.95 | £23 |
| Number of Bets | 1 | 11 | 15 | 23 |
| Net Win 4 Winners | £1,840 | £485 | £367 | £280 |
| Net Win 3 Winners | -£23 | £90 | £73 | £67 |
| Net Win 2 Winners | -£23 | -£4 | £0 (break even) | £4 |
| Net Win 1 Winner | -£23 | -£23 | -£18 | -£17 |
Note that the above does not include any offers which may be available for Lucky 15s (or other bets), such as bonuses for getting all four legs right or boosts where you managed just one winner. In addition, the stake may vary very slightly due to the number of bets each wager entails and winnings are rounded off to the nearest whole pound.
Single Winner: Flag
The results will, as said, vary depending on the outcome in each of your four races (or games, or whatever else you use for your bet). For example, if the single winner comes at odds of 8/1, the Lucky 15 still loses more than £9 but the Flag will actually yield a net win (of a cool £1!). If that sole winner was as big as 20/1, the difference between the two outcomes is almost £30, in favour of the Flag.
Four Winners: Fourfold Acca
However, the table above gives a pretty fair indication of how these four different approaches to a bet including four picks play out. And on that basis it is quite hard to make a compelling case for the use of a Flag bet. If you get all four picks right the fourfold acca is, of course, going to be the best bet. But how much confidence can you really have in landing four out of four bets?
Three Winners: Yankee
In truth, there is not a huge difference in your outcomes should you get three out of four on a Yankee, Lucky 15, or Flag. The Yankee will typically deliver a reasonably substantial win should you get three out of four (as ever, dependent on the odds of the winning picks). When it comes to a bet where you perhaps only manage two or three winners, the margins are far smaller, and so the Yankee may be the most appealing bet for many punters.
Pay Attention to What Bookmakers Offer
That said, our table above excludes the various offers that the best betting sites have in relation to Lucky 15s. For example, some bookies offer triple odds if you hit just one winner, which means that rather than losing £18 on a 2/1 winner, you would only lose £12.24, which is a better overall outcome than the equivalent Flag. In addition, some sites offer a bonus if you get all four picks right. Based on the table above, a typical 10% bonus would increase the Lucky 15 net win from £367 to more than £406, whilst if your site offered a 20% boost that net win would jump to over £445.
Given these promotions, many punters tend to favour a Lucky 15. However, understanding how a Flag works is still a good idea. Should you decide to opt for a very long-odds quartet of bets, the Flag may still work out as your best option. Although it won’t deliver as big a win should you get multiple selections correct, it could still be the best insurance when you only land one winner.