What's inside a Lucky 31
| Bet | How many | Pays when |
|---|---|---|
| Singles | 5 | That selection wins |
| Doubles | 10 | Both selections in it win |
| Trebles | 10 | All 3 selections in it win |
| Fourfolds | 5 | All 4 selections in it win |
| Fivefold | 1 | All 5 selections in it win |
| Total | 31 |
How many bets pay out
| Winners | Bets that pay | Bets that lose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 30 |
| 2 | 3 | 28 |
| 3 | 7 | 24 |
| 4 | 15 | 16 |
| 5 | 31 | 0 |
Worked example: £1 Lucky 31 with two winners
Two winners pay their two singles and the double between them. The other 28 bets all include at least one loser:
| Selection | Odds | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4/1 | Won |
| 2 | 6/1 | Won |
| 3 | 3/1 | Lost |
| 4 | 5/2 | Lost |
| 5 | 2/1 | Lost |
| Part of the bet | Stake | Returns |
|---|---|---|
| 5 singles | £5.00 | £12.00 |
| 10 doubles | £10.00 | £35.00 |
| 10 trebles | £10.00 | £0.00 |
| 5 fourfolds | £5.00 | £0.00 |
| 1 fivefold | £1.00 | £0.00 |
| Total | £31.00 | £47.00 |
Profit: £16.00
Each way Lucky 31s
Each way turns a Lucky 31 into 62 bets, with the place part settled as a second Lucky 31 at place odds. It's an expensive bet at higher stakes, which is why many punters use 25p or 50p units.
Lucky 31 or Canadian?
A Canadian is the same bet without the five singles. It costs 26 stakes instead of 31, but you need two winners before it pays anything.
Common questions
How much does a Lucky 31 cost?
31 times your stake. A 50p Lucky 31 costs £15.50 and a £1 Lucky 31 costs £31. Each way doubles it to 62 bets.
Do bookmakers pay bonuses on a Lucky 31?
Many do, usually a boosted price when only one selection wins and a percentage bonus when all five win. The amounts vary between bookmakers and are often limited to horse racing, so check the terms. The calculator shows standard returns.
What happens if one selection is a non-runner?
Its single returns the stake, and every multiple that includes it is settled as if that selection wasn't there, so the bet effectively becomes a Lucky 15 with some extra singles returned.