8 bets · 9 selections
Union Jack bet calculator: eight trebles from a nine-selection grid
A Union Jack arranges nine selections in a three-by-three grid and backs eight trebles: the three rows, the three columns and the two diagonals. The pattern of lines traces the flag, which is where the name comes from.
How a Union Jack is made up
A Union Jack covers eight trebles formed by the rows, columns and diagonals of a three-by-three grid. That comes to 8 separate bets, so a £1 Union Jack costs £8.00 rather than £1 — and £16.00 if you place it each way.
| Line type | Number of bets | Share of the bet |
|---|---|---|
| trebles | 8 | 100.0% |
| Total | 8 | 100% |
A worked Union Jack example
Take nine selections between evens and 3/1, staked at £1.00 a line with every selection winning. The figures below come from the same calculation the tool above runs.
- Unit stake
- £1.00
- Total stake
- £8.00
- Returns
- £149.38
- Profit
- +£141.38
| Selection | Fractional | Decimal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3/2 | 2.50 |
| 2 | 2/1 | 3.00 |
| 3 | 1/1 | 2.00 |
| 4 | 3/1 | 4.00 |
| 5 | 3/2 | 2.50 |
| 6 | 2/1 | 3.00 |
| 7 | 1/1 | 2.00 |
| 8 | 5/2 | 3.50 |
| 9 | 3/2 | 2.50 |
When a Union Jack is the right bet
The Union Jack is the most structurally unusual bet in the British multiples family. Rather than covering every possible combination, it covers eight specific trebles determined by where you place each selection in the grid. That makes position matter in a way it does not for any other bet.
The grid has an important property: the four corners and the centre appear in more lines than the edges. The centre selection sits in four of the eight trebles — one row, one column and both diagonals — while each edge selection appears in only two. If you have a strong fancy, putting it in the centre roughly doubles its influence on the bet compared with an edge position.
That is the strategic content of the bet, and it is genuinely the only decision you get to make beyond the selections themselves. Placing your most confident selection at the centre and your next strongest at the corners concentrates the bet around what you actually rate. Placing them at random wastes the structure entirely.
Settlement is otherwise conventional. Eight units of stake buys eight trebles, each of which needs all three of its selections to win. Non-runners reduce the affected lines from trebles to doubles, and the calculator lets you set the grid position of each selection so the eight lines are formed correctly.
One consequence of the grid structure is that three winners are not automatically enough. They have to form a complete row, column or diagonal, so three winners scattered across the grid return nothing at all while three in a line pay a full treble. That is unlike every other bet in the British repertoire, where winners count regardless of where they sit, and it is the detail most likely to produce an unexpectedly empty settlement.
What it does well
- Only eight units for nine selections
- Grid position lets you weight your strongest fancy
- Distinctive structure with a genuine strategic choice
What it costs you
- Each line is a treble, so all three must win
- Edge positions contribute to only two lines
- Not offered by every bookmaker
Union Jack questions
How many bets are in a Union Jack?
Eight trebles — three rows, three columns and two diagonals of a three-by-three grid of nine selections. A £1 Union Jack costs £8.
Does the position of each selection matter in a Union Jack?
Yes, and it is the main decision in the bet. The centre selection appears in four of the eight trebles, the corners in three each, and the edges in only two. Placing your strongest fancy in the centre maximises its effect.
How many winners does a Union Jack need?
At least three, and they must form a complete line — a full row, column or diagonal. Three winners scattered across the grid without forming a line return nothing.
Can a Union Jack be placed each way?
Yes, giving 16 bets in total. The place half settles the same eight lines on place terms at whatever fraction the race pays.
What happens to a Union Jack with a non-runner?
The withdrawn selection settles at odds of 1.00, so each treble containing it becomes a double on the other two selections in that line.