The Mathematics
Convert each horse's fractional price to decimal by dividing the numerator by the denominator and adding one. A winning Lucky 31 component returns its unit stake multiplied by all decimal prices in that component. A losing component returns zero. The combination count C(n,k) means choosing k horses from n without regard to order. For this ticket n is 5, and k runs from 1 to 5; adding those counts gives 31. A horse participates in several components, so changing its result can remove many payouts, not just one.
Component counts: 5 singles, 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 fourfolds, 1 fivefolds
Total stake = 31 × unit stake
Component return = unit stake × product of decimal odds, if every member wins
Total return = sum of winning component returns
Profit = total return − total stake
Worked Example
Worked Lucky 31 example: enter £1 as the unit stake and 2/1 for all 5 horses, giving decimal 3.00 for each. With All Win selected, total stake is £31. The breakdown is 5 singles × £3 = £15; 10 doubles × £9 = £90; 10 trebles × £27 = £270; 5 fourfolds × £81 = £405; 1 fivefolds × £243 = £243. Total return is £1023; overall profit is £992. If exactly two of these horses win instead, return falls to £15 and the overall result is £-16.00. If none win, return is £0 and the full £31 stake is lost. These are ordinary cash-stake returns with no bonus.
How do I enter a Lucky 31 correctly?
Enter one quoted price for each of the 5 selection rows, then enter the amount staked on each individual line in Unit Stake. For example, a 20p unit costs £6.20 overall; entering £20 does not mean a £20 ticket, it means £620.00 invested across 31 components. The widget accepts fractional prices such as 5/2, and its shared odds parser also accepts decimal numbers. Keep all rows filled even when a horse loses, because the ticket calculation still needs the complete original selection list.
Each row starts on Won, so the first complete result is the all-winners scenario. Click a row's Won button to mark that selection Lost, or use None Win and then switch on only the successful horses. Check the winner count, total stake, and the group-by-group breakdown together. A displayed return includes returned stakes only on successful lines; it does not refund the stakes of losing lines. Compare the final profit with the whole outlay rather than comparing a successful double with its own unit stake.
What makes a Lucky 31 different from nearby bets?
The Lucky 31 covers five horses with five singles and twenty-six multiple lines. Compared with a Canadian on the same horses, every difference in the ordinary return comes from those five singles. The fivefold is just one of thirty-one lines, not the whole bet.
At £1 a line, a lone 5/1 winner returns £6 against £31 staked, an overall £25 loss. A lone 30/1 winner breaks even before bonuses, and a shorter-priced winner cannot cover the ticket unaided. Having a returned single is not the same as recovering all thirty-one stakes.
A straight 5-selection accumulator has one stake and requires every selection to win. The Lucky 31 has 31 stakes and retains shorter winning components when other horses lose. That is a trade-off between ticket cost and outcome coverage, not free insurance or proof of better value. To compare fairly, fix a total spending limit first: a £31.00 budget permits £1 per Lucky 31 line or £31.00 on one accumulator. Comparing both at a £1 unit would compare different amounts of money.
How should partial results and settlement changes be read?
Exactly three 2/1 winners generate £63.00 in ordinary Lucky 31 returns at £1 per line, regardless of which losing horses fill the remaining rows. Subtract £31, not the number of successful lines, to obtain the ticket result. With mixed prices, the identities of the winners matter: a double at decimal 2.00 and 3.00 returns £6 per £1, while decimal 4.00 and 5.00 returns £20. A simple winner count cannot therefore determine the payout on its own.
This widget models win-only cash bets with Won or Lost states. It does not settle each way components, void selections, Rule 4, dead heats, free bets, best odds guaranteed or Lucky bonuses. A non-runner is not a loser: under ordinary non-runner rules an affected multiple is reduced, so existing component lines may collapse into smaller bets while retaining their separate stakes. Do not toggle a non-runner to Lost and treat that as bookmaker settlement. Obtain the operator's component breakdown and apply its rules separately.
Popular questions about this calculator
How many bets are in a Lucky 31?
A Lucky 31 has 31 components from 5 selections: 5 singles, 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 fourfolds, 1 fivefolds. The count is the number of stakes, not the number of races. At a £1 unit the ordinary win-only outlay is £31, even if some of the chosen horses subsequently lose.
Does a Lucky 31 include singles?
Yes. It includes 5 singles, one on each horse, as well as all larger combinations. This determines whether one winner can return anything, but it does not tell you whether the entire ticket has made a profit.
What does a 50p Lucky 31 cost?
A 50p Lucky 31 costs £15.50 win-only because all 31 lines receive a 50p stake. If a bookmaker accepts the same combination each way at 50p per part, the outlay doubles to £31. The widget on this page calculates only the win-only version.
How much does a Lucky 31 return with two 2/1 winners?
At £1 per component, two 2/1 winners return £15. That is £3 from each single plus £9 from their double. Subtract the original £31 ticket stake to determine the final profit or loss.
Is a Lucky 31 the same as a Canadian?
No. The Lucky 31 covers five horses with five singles and twenty-six multiple lines. Compared with a Canadian on the same horses, every difference in the ordinary return comes from those five singles. The fivefold is just one of thirty-one lines, not the whole bet. When comparing the two, use the same total budget and the same accepted prices. The extra coverage changes both the bill and the partial-result payouts; it is not an automatic financial advantage.
Can one winner cover a Lucky 31 stake?
A lone winner must have decimal odds of at least 31 to cover the ordinary 31-unit stake: fractional 30/1 breaks even. A higher price makes a profit. This threshold assumes no enhancement, deduction or dead heat and applies whatever positive unit stake you use.
Can I calculate an each way Lucky 31 here?
No. The component names and count describe a win-only Lucky 31. An each way version has separate win and place combinations and doubles the outlay at the same unit stake. Place fractions can differ between races, and a place-only result is not equivalent to marking the horse Won.
What happens to a Lucky 31 if a horse is a non-runner?
Under ordinary non-runner terms, a void leg drops out of each affected multiple while the component's stake stays in that line. A void single, where present, is refunded. Ante-post conditions can differ. This calculator has no void state, so request a settlement breakdown rather than substituting Lost for a withdrawal.
Does the Lucky 31 calculator include bookmaker bonuses?
No. It calculates base returns at the prices supplied. One-winner enhancements, all-winner bonuses, best odds guaranteed and free-bet stake rules are operator-specific. Read the qualifying conditions and the definition of enhanced winnings before adding an offer, because enhancing profit is not the same as multiplying total return.
Why can a Lucky 31 show a return but negative profit?
A return is money paid by successful components; profit subtracts all 31 original stakes, including losing lines. At £1 a line, a lone 5/1 winner returns £6 against £31 staked, an overall £25 loss. A lone 30/1 winner breaks even before bonuses, and a shorter-priced winner cannot cover the ticket unaided. Having a returned single is not the same as recovering all thirty-one stakes. The profit figure is therefore the more useful comparison with the ticket's original cost. A calculator illustrates arithmetic; it does not establish a profitable selection strategy.
Official rules and further reading
These operator references explain bet structures and settlement rules. They are not endorsements, and the terms attached to your accepted bet take precedence. Worked amounts on this page are illustrative arithmetic, not live odds or promised outcomes. Only gamble money you can afford to lose; a returns tool does not make a bet safe.