Union Jack Patent Calculator

Work out the returns on a Union Jack Patent: nine selections in a 3x3 grid with each of the eight lines played as a Patent.

A Union Jack Patent calculator works out the total return across nine selections arranged in a 3×3 grid, where each of the eight lines is played as its own Patent, giving fifty-six bets in all.

What Is a Union Jack Patent?

A Union Jack Patent combines nine selections in a three-by-three grid where each of the eight lines—three rows, three columns, and two diagonals—is played as a separate Patent. A Patent consists of three singles, three doubles and a treble, making seven bets per line. With eight lines, a Union Jack Patent contains fifty-six bets in total. The defining feature of this variant is that it includes singles on every line, so even a single winning selection already returns money across multiple lines it belongs to. This distinguishes it from the Union Jack Trebles, where one winner returns nothing, or the Trixie, where one winner produces a small return at best.

The three-by-three grid determines both the structure and the exposure. Each selection occupies a position—corner, edge, or centre—and this position dictates how many lines it belongs to. A corner selection belongs to three lines, an edge to two, and the centre to four. This positional weighting means the grid silently redistributes stakes based on selection position rather than spreading them evenly across all fifty-six bets.

How a Union Jack Patent Is Calculated

You lay out nine decimal prices in a 3×3 arrangement. The calculator identifies the eight lines—three rows, three columns, two diagonals. For each line, it computes all seven bets of a Patent: three singles on each selection, three doubles (each pair), and one treble. This is repeated across all eight lines, yielding 56 bets total. The total outlay is fifty-six times your unit stake.

When you mark selections as Win or Void, each line settles independently as a Patent would. All three winning on a line returns its full treble plus singles and doubles; two winners pay the doubles and two singles; one pays three singles; any loss ends that line. Your total return is the sum across all eight lines. The key insight: because each selection appears in multiple lines, repeated bets on the same selection are baked into the structure. Selections at key positions—especially the centre—receive multiple bets simply by existing in multiple lines. This weights your coverage toward those positions without requiring separate staking.

What the Calculator Shows You

Enter nine decimal odds and a unit stake, then mark each selection as Win, Loss or Void. The calculator returns two headline figures. Total return is the sum of all payouts across all fifty-six bets if those results happen—the full amount you receive. Total profit deducts your total outlay to show the net gain. Beyond these, the calculator can show you line-by-line returns, revealing which lines contributed to the total and which lost, so you can see how your winners aligned with the grid structure.

The calculator also handles voids. A voided selection (one that does not run or is cancelled) is removed from every line it belongs to and that line shrinks to a two-selection bet. Marking a selection as Void rather than Lost is important: a loss ends every line it touches, but a void reduces the lines it appears in to their remaining selections, so you still collect returns from them.

Worked Example

Imagine a Union Jack Patent on nine Serie A selections, each backed at a €0.25 unit stake. The grid is:

• Row 1: Lazio to win at 1.70, Fiorentina to win at 1.50, Bologna to win at 2.20
• Row 2: Torino to win at 1.40, Udinese to win at 2.00, Sassuolo to win at 1.80
• Row 3: Empoli to win at 2.60, Verona to win at 1.90, Cagliari to win at 1.60

With nine selections, each belonging to multiple lines, the total outlay is 56 × €0.25 = €14.00. If all nine selections win, every line’s treble lands, along with all singles and doubles across all eight lines. The calculator sums all payouts and returns €46.22, leaving a profit of €46.22 − €14.00 = €32.22. Notice how the €0.25 unit stake compounds across the grid through the multiples on each line; the final return reflects success across all eight lines simultaneously, not just the individual line odds.

The Eight Union Jack Lines and Their Combined Treble Odds

The Union Jack Patent derives its eight lines from the grid structure. Each line—row, column or diagonal—has a treble combining its three selections. The table below shows the combined odds for each line’s treble:

Each line also contains three singles and three doubles, so all seven bets on each line settle independently. Notice how the treble odds range from 5.04 to 11.44: the diagonals and some columns offer longer odds because they sometimes pair weaker or stronger selections in unexpected combinations. This variation between lines is part of the interest in the Union Jack; not all lines will be equally attractive, and a grid that looks promising overall might have one or two weak lines that dampen the overall return potential.

What the Seven Bets on Each Line Are

Each of the eight Union Jack Patent lines contains seven bets: three singles, three doubles, and one treble. The table below breaks down the 56 total bets:

Three singles on each line mean a single winner triggers multiple payouts depending on position. Three doubles mean any pair of winners pays twice. This structure creates redundancy: a single result can trigger returns across multiple lines, and two results across many multiples. This is why a Union Jack Patent is forgiving of partial results—unlike a straight treble where two winners pay nothing, here two winners pay multiple times.

The Quirk of Repeated Singles on the Centre Selection

Because each selection appears in multiple lines, each selection’s single is backed more than once. The centre selection sits in four lines—its own row, its own column, and both diagonals—so a Union Jack Patent contains four separate singles on it. A corner selection appears in three lines and thus carries three singles. An edge selection appears in two lines and carries two singles. A winning centre selection therefore returns four single payouts, while a winning corner returns three and a winning edge returns two. This quirk means the grid silently decides how much of your money rides on each individual result based on position, not evenly across all fifty-six bets. If the centre selection is weak, you are exposed to its loss across four lines and multiple bets. If it is solid, the extra exposure works in your favour. Many bettors place extra care choosing their centre selection: a strong selection there bounces wins across four lines at once, while a poor choice sabotages the whole bet from within.

When a Union Jack Patent Makes Sense

A Union Jack Patent suits bettors who want coverage across multiple lines without playing them individually. The core advantage over a trebles or trixie variant is that singles generate returns even with a single winner—not break-even or small losses. A selection need not be a long-term value bet; it just needs solid enough backing in singles. The grid also forces diversification: you need nine selections, so you cannot overload with your strongest picks; you fill the grid with selections you genuinely trust.

Management is the key challenge. A Union Jack Patent has eight interdependent lines, so grid structure matters. A voided selection at the centre removes itself from four lines at once, significantly reducing return potential. A void at a corner affects only three lines. Understand your grid before placing it, especially when monitoring mid-match. A high-variance system like this rewards discipline: build on selections you genuinely like, accept partial wins pay poorly, and use it as part of a portfolio approach where occasional big wins offset smaller losses elsewhere.

Common Mistakes

Not realising each selection’s single is repeated once per line it appears in is a common oversight. Setting a unit stake without multiplying by fifty-six is another. Expecting one winner to cover the outlay is a frequent misstep; it will not, though it will return something. Putting a shaky selection at the centre, where four singles and four lines depend on it, is a structural mistake that sabotages the bet from within.

The Four Union Jack Variants

The Union Jack Patent is one of four variants, each playing the same 3×3 grid differently.

The trebles variant plays only the treble from each line, so a single winner returns nothing. The trixie adds doubles to trebles, so two winners can pay a double. The patent adds singles, so one winner pays a single, making it the first variant where a single result produces a return. The round robin extends it to all 10 possible two-selection combinations, raising the cost and the win-return potential further. The patent occupies a middle ground: more expensive than a trixie, cheaper than a round robin, but with the crucial advantage that singles are included.