There is nothing more confusing than hitting three legs of a 4-team parlay, only to have the fourth game end in a tie (Push) or get cancelled (Void). Many bettors panic, thinking their entire ticket is ruined.
Good news: It isn’t.
However, calculating the new payout isn’t as simple as just removing the leg. Things get even more complex in Horse Racing or Golf betting, where “Dead Heats” (ties for position) or “Rule 4 Deductions” (withdrawn runners) drastically alter your potential returns. Our Advanced Parlay Calculator is the only tool designed to handle these complex settlement rules instantly.
Advanced Parlay Calculator
Push / Dead-Heat / Rule 4How to Use the Advanced Parlay Calculator
This tool goes beyond standard multiplication. It allows you to define the Status of every single selection in your accumulator.
- Enter Your Stake: Input the total amount you wagered.
- Select Odds Format: Choose between Decimal (e.g., 2.50) or American (e.g., +150).
- Add Your Legs: Enter the odds for each event.
- Set the Result Status:
- Win: The selection won as expected.
- Loss: The selection lost (usually kills the parlay, unless you are calculating Round Robins).
- Push / Void: Use this if the game ended in a tie or was cancelled. The calculator will treat this as odds of 1.00 (money back).
- Dead Heat: Use this if your horse/player tied for the win. You can specify how many participants tied.
- Apply Rule 4 (Optional): If you are betting on racing and a horse was withdrawn, click “Options” and enter the Deduction percentage (e.g., 10 for 10c/10p).
Related Tools: If you have a standard parlay with no complications, the basic Parlay Calculator is faster. To hedge your bet before the final leg starts to guarantee a profit, use our Hedge Calculator.
Real-World Scenarios: How Settlements Change
Here is how different outcomes affect your bottom line.
Scenario 1: The “Push” (Tie)
You have a 3-team NFL Parlay. Two teams cover the spread, but the third team pushes (lands exactly on the spread number).
- Standard Result: In almost all sportsbooks, a Push does not kill a parlay. It simply reduces the number of legs.
- Calculation: A 3-team parlay effectively becomes a 2-team parlay. Our calculator automatically adjusts the odds to reflect this reduction.
Scenario 2: The Dead Heat (Golf/Racing)
You bet on a Golfer to finish “Top 5.” He finishes tied for 5th place with two other golfers.
- The Rule: You don’t get the full payout. The bookmaker divides your stake (or the odds) by the number of people tied.
- Calculation: Selecting “Dead Heat (3 winners)” in the calculator will instantly apply the reduction formula
((Odds - 1) / N) + 1to show your actual return.
Scenario 3: Tattersalls Rule 4
You took early odds of 5.00 (+400) on a horse. Before the race, the favorite (priced at 2.00) withdraws.
- The Rule: Because it is now easier for your horse to win, the bookmaker applies a “Rule 4 Deduction” (e.g., 50 cents on the dollar).
- Calculation: By entering “50” in the Rule 4 field, the calculator adjusts your initial 5.00 odds down to 3.00 before calculating the parlay total.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does a “Push” lose a parlay?
No. In 99% of sportsbooks, a Push (tie) reduces the parlay level. A 4-team parlay with one push becomes a 3-team parlay. The only exception is “Parlay Cards” (common in Vegas kiosks), where a tie is sometimes graded as a loss. Always check your specific bookmaker’s rules.
What happens if a game is cancelled (Void)?
A voided bet is treated exactly like a Push. The stake is returned for that specific leg, meaning the odds for that leg revert to 1.00. The rest of the parlay remains active.
What is a Rule 4 Deduction?
Rule 4 is a betting rule (primarily in horse and greyhound racing) that adjusts the payout of winning bets when a runner is withdrawn from a race after bets have been placed. The deduction amount depends on the odds of the withdrawn horse.
How is a Dead Heat calculated?
There are two ways to calculate it, which result in the same profit: 1) Divide the stake by the number of tied participants, or 2) Reduce the odds using the formula: (Original Odds - 1) / Number of Ties + 1. This calculator uses the odds reduction method.