Lucky 31 Bet Calculator

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A lucky 15 bet is a straight bet on the outcome of an event, with returns determined based on the amount staked and the odds offered. Looking for more calculation options for your bets? Read our comprehensive bet calculator guide.

As punters try to find the perfect bet that can provide them with the potential of big wins as well as plenty of flexibility, one bet that many have turned to is a Lucky 31.

Containing five different selections, a Lucky 31 covers 31 different betting lines and has grown to be incredibly popular in horse racing.

Often reserved for those who consider themselves experts in the sport, you might have come across this bet before or even placed one in the past, or like many, you might be completely new to what the concept of a Lucky 31 is.

Whatever knowledge you hold, in this guide we will tell you everything you need to know about placing a Lucky 31 bet. We will explain how it is constructed, how you can win, how the odds are calculated, any famous examples of winning Lucky 31s and we will also assess the different advantages and disadvantages that the bet provides.

How is a Lucky 31 Constructed?

As we have already mentioned above, the name of a Lucky 31 bet slightly gives the game away as there are 31 different bets that form the overall bet structure. In order to start the bet you need to include five selections. Once you have chosen your five outcomes, your Lucky 31 will look to include the following:

  • Five singles
  • Ten doubles
  • Ten trebles
  • Five four folds
  • One five fold

As Lucky 31s are incredibly popular for horse racing betting, for the purpose of this guide let’s create a scenario of betting on five different horses - Horse 1, Horse 2, Horse 3, Horse 4 and Horse 5.

The possible winning scenarios would look like the following:

Singles

  • Horse 1 to win
  • Horse 2 to win
  • Horse 3 to win
  • Horse 4 to win
  • Horse 5 to win

Doubles

  • Horse 1 and 2 to win
  • Horse 1 and 3 to win
  • Horse 1 and 4 to win
  • Horse 1 and 5 to win
  • Horse 2 and 3 to win
  • Horse 2 and 4 to win
  • Horse 2 and 5 to win
  • Horse 3 and 4 to win
  • Horse 3 and 5 to win
  • Horse 4 and 5 to win

Trebles

  • Horse 1, 2 and 3 to win
  • Horse 1, 2 and 4 to win
  • Horse 1, 2 and 5 to win
  • Horse 1, 3 and 4 to win
  • Horse 1, 3 and 5 to win
  • Horse 1, 4 and 5 to win
  • Horse 2, 3 and 4 to win
  • Horse 2, 3 and 5 to win
  • Horse 2, 4 and 5 to win
  • Horse 3, 4 and 5 to win

Fourfolds

  • Horse 1, 2, 3 and 4 to win
  • Horse 1, 2, 3 and 5 to win
  • Horse 1, 3, 4 and 5 to win
  • Horse 2, 1, 4 and 5 to win
  • Horse 2, 3, 4 and 5 to win

Fivefold

  • Horse 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 to win

Lucky 31 Winning Examples

Just like in a Lucky 15 one of the major strengths of a Lucky 31 is the fact that just one of your five selections needs to win in order for some form of return to be made. If all five of your selections win then you will win the maximum return from the bet.

In order to paint a winning picture, let’s assume that Horses 1, 2 and 3 all win, whilst Horses 4 and 5 lose - with three correct selections the following would be won:

Singles

  • Horse 1 single
  • Horse 2 single
  • Horse 3 single

Doubles

  • Horse 1 and 2 double
  • Horse 1 and 3 double
  • Horse 2 and 3 double

Trebles

  • Horse 1, 2 and 3 treble

As only three of our five selections were winners, both the various fourfold bets and the one fivefold bet would both be regarded as losers.

The goal of any bet is to return a profit, with three winning selections it’s highly likely that we would see some profit being made, but how much profit is returned would depend on the odds of our winning selections. The bigger the odds, the higher the likelihood of bigger wins.

If for example only one of your five selections were to win, let’s say Horse 1, only the Horse 1 single would win and it would be hugely likely that the bet would result in us losing money in comparison to the original stake.

How does Lucky 31 Staking Work?

The most important thing to remember when looking to place a Lucky 31 bet is that all 31 betting lines within the bet need to have an equal stake applied to it. This would mean that whatever you are planning on wagering for one line would need to be multiplied by 31.

For example, if you would like to bet each line at £1 you would need to multiply this by 31 for the bet to be accepted, this would result in an overall bet of £31.

If you wanted to bet £10 per line the total of the bet would be £310. If you wanted to bet £100, the total would be £3,100.

It is worth bearing in mind that if you want to bet big stakes, you will need to be willing to stake substantial amounts and for those that like to play for small stakes, a Lucky 31 might not be the best bet for you.

How are the Odds for a Lucky 31 Calculated?

Just like in other multiples, a line within a Lucky 31 bet is calculated by multiplying the odds of the selections together. When multiplied together this will give the total that will be returned to the bettor.

If there are numerous winning selections within a bet, the totals of all of the winning lines will be added together to give you your overall total.

Famous Lucky 31 Bets

Back in 2017 one savvy bettor staked a total of £4.52 across their 31 betting lines and saw all five of their selections come up trumps. Having picked horses containing odds of 50/1, 20/1, 7/1, 15/2 and 4/1, the bet returned a whopping £163,000 and demonstrated how lucrative Lucky 31 bets can be.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Lucky 31 Bet

Just like with every bet type, there are advantages and disadvantages to placing a Lucky 31 bet.

Advantages

  • Big returns can be won
  • Can be used across multiple sports - but is particularly great for horse racing
  • The bet is hugely flexible
  • Only one selection is needed to win in order for some profits to be made

Disadvantages

  • Can be expensive as the bet contains 31 different lines which all need to be bet on equally
  • Although it allows for just one winning selection, it’s likely that at least a couple of winning predictions will need to be made to turn a profit
  • Can be complex to follow and track if not everyone of your selections win