Heinz, Super Heinz & Goliath: The Big Multi-Bet Family Explained

The Heinz, Super Heinz and Goliath are the big-field perm bets — six, seven and eight selections respectively, each producing dozens of lines and adding up to serious stakes. They're the most aggressive perm bets most punters ever consider, and with that comes the most upside and the highest stake commitment. This guide breaks down all three: the lines, the maths, when each makes sense, and the practical question of whether they're worth playing at all.

Calculate any of them: Heinz Calculator · Super Heinz Calculator · Goliath Calculator

Quick Reference

Bet	Selections	Total Lines	£1 unit stake
Heinz	6	57	£57
Super Heinz	7	120	£120
Goliath	8	247	£247
None of them include singles. You need at least two of your selections to win for any return.

Heinz Explained

A Heinz is 57 bets from 6 selections, broken down as:

• 15 doubles
• 20 trebles
• 15 four-folds
• 6 five-folds
• 1 six-fold Named after the "Heinz 57 varieties" advertising slogan. £1 Heinz = £57.

When 2 of 6 win

Just one double pays. So at 5/1 and 6/1 (doubles odds 5 × 6 = 30 + 1 stake = 31): £31 return on a £57 stake. You lose £26. A Heinz with two winners is a losing bet. You really need 3+ winners for the multiples to start producing a profit. That's the structural reality of Heinz betting that catches most casual punters out.

When 3 of 6 win

3 winning doubles + 1 winning treble. At 3/1, 4/1, 5/1 (those three winning):

• 3 doubles: (3×4 + 4) + (3×5 + 6) + (4×5 + 9) = £16 + £21 + £29 = £66 (rough)
• 1 treble: 3 × 4 × 5 + 1 = £61
• Approx total: £127 from a £57 stake — modest profit

When 6 of 6 win

All 57 lines pay. The six-fold alone at moderate odds (4/1 each) produces 5 × 5 × 5 × 5 × 5 × 5 = £15,625 from a £1 line. Add the lower-fold returns and you're looking at £25,000+ from a £57 stake. Six winners from a Heinz is genuinely life-changing. Two winners is just an expensive lesson.

Super Heinz Explained

A Super Heinz is 120 bets from 7 selections:

• 21 doubles
• 35 trebles
• 35 four-folds
• 21 five-folds
• 7 six-folds
• 1 seven-fold £1 Super Heinz = £120. The trebles and four-folds account for over half the lines, so the bet really starts paying when you get four or more winners.

Realistic Super Heinz Outcomes

• 2 winners: one double pays. Almost certainly a loss.
• 3 winners: 3 doubles + 1 treble. Often still a loss at short odds.
• 4 winners: 6 doubles + 4 trebles + 1 four-fold. Usually breakeven to small profit.
• 5+ winners: Significant profit, depending on odds.
• 7 winners: Lottery-ticket territory. Six-figure returns possible.

Goliath Explained

A Goliath is 247 bets from 8 selections:

• 28 doubles
• 56 trebles
• 70 four-folds
• 56 five-folds
• 28 six-folds
• 8 seven-folds
• 1 eight-fold £1 Goliath = £247. This is the largest commonly-offered single perm bet. The Goliath is rarely played as a serious betting strategy. It's mostly a syndicate bet (8 friends each chip £30 in for a £240 unit Goliath) or a once-a-year Grand National flutter.

When to Play Each

Heinz

Make sense if:

• You've genuinely identified 6 selections you fancy at decent odds (4/1+)
• You're willing to accept that 3+ winners is needed for a profit
• £57 fits within your monthly betting budget Don't make sense if:
• You're betting £57 on six 6/4 favourites — the multiples won't compound
• You're chasing previous losses
• Your hit rate is below 50% on tip selections

Super Heinz

Make sense if:

• You're confident in 7 selections, with at least one each-way longshot adding upside
• You want a "lottery ticket" element on a big festival day (Cheltenham, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood)
• £120 is a comfortable festival-day stake for you

Goliath

Make sense if:

• You're sharing the stake (syndicate)
• It's the Grand National or a similar one-off occasion
• £247 is genuinely entertainment money For most punters, the Goliath is the perm-bet equivalent of the lottery — a tiny chance at a huge win, rather than a sustainable strategy.

The Cold Maths: Average Returns

Bookmakers love these bets because the average punter loses on them. The structural reason: the bigger the perm, the higher your hit rate needs to be to break even.

Bet	Selections	Min winners for typical break-even
Patent	3	1-2
Lucky 15	4	2-3
Yankee	4	2-3
Heinz	6	3-4
Super Heinz	7	4-5
Goliath	8	5-6
If you regularly land 3 from 6 selections at decent odds, you're a sharper punter than most — and a Heinz might work for you. If you usually land 1-2, the Heinz is structurally a loser regardless of how good your selections feel.

Each-Way Variants

All three bets can be placed each-way, doubling the stake:

• £1 each-way Heinz = £114
• £1 each-way Super Heinz = £240
• £1 each-way Goliath = £494 These get expensive fast. Each-way Heinz on the Grand National with 5+ places at 1/4 is one of the few scenarios where a £100+ each-way perm bet has real value. For most punters, an each-way Heinz is way too much stake for casual betting.

Common Mistakes

"If just one or two win I'll still get something back"

You won't with a Heinz, Super Heinz or Goliath. No singles. One winner = nothing. Two winners = one double pays, almost always less than your stake.

Treating it as a casino bet

The big perms feel like casino bets — small stake, big possible return. But casino bets have defined edge. Perm bets have variable edge depending on your selection quality. If your tips aren't sharp, the maths is brutal.

Underestimating the stake

A £1 Goliath is £247. Some punters click "Goliath" expecting a small fun stake and don't realise until the betting slip shows £247. Always check the unit-stake-times-lines total before confirming.

Ignoring max-payout caps

Most bookmakers cap payouts on perm bets at £250,000 to £1m depending on the operator. If your Goliath theoretically returns £2.5m, you're getting capped. Always check terms before placing.

Stepping Down to Smaller Perms

If a Heinz feels too big, consider:

• Lucky 63 — 6 selections, 63 lines, includes singles (£63 unit stake)
• Lucky 31 — 5 selections, 31 lines, includes singles (£31 unit stake)
• Super Yankee (also called Canadian) — 5 selections, 26 lines, no singles (£26 unit stake) Adding singles via the Lucky family changes the risk profile materially. Worth considering if you'd rather not need 3+ winners just to break even. For full context on the perm bet family, see our multiples and permutation bets guide.

Summary

Heinz, Super Heinz and Goliath are the heavy artillery of perm betting — 57, 120, and 247 lines respectively. None include singles, so you need 2+ winners just to start returning anything, and 3+ to break even on most realistic price ranges. They're best suited to high-conviction punters with 6-8 mid-to-long-priced selections, festival days, or syndicate bets. Most casual punters will lose on them. Use the Heinz Calculator, Super Heinz Calculator, or Goliath Calculator before placing — they show you the exact return at every winner-count, so you can size the bet against the realistic outcomes rather than the dream.