Lucky 31

Lucky 31s are what happen when you fancy five selections but want proper insurance in case everything goes tits up. It’s basically the bigger brother of a Lucky 15, covering every possible combination of your five picks in one massive bet that gives you 31 different ways to win.

The breakdown goes like this: you get five singles, ten doubles, ten trebles, five four-folds, and one five-fold accumulator. Sounds mental when you list it out like that, but the beauty is you only need one winner to get something back, unlike normal accumulators where one failure kills the whole bet.

Let’s work through what you’re actually getting for your money. Say you stick a quid on each bet – that’s £31 staked across all combinations. Your five selections might be Liverpool to beat Arsenal, Haaland to score anytime, Real Madrid to win, over 2.5 goals in the Chelsea match, and Tottenham to get a corner in the first ten minutes.

If just Liverpool win and everything else fails, you collect on one single bet. Not exactly life-changing, but you’ve got something back rather than losing the lot. If Liverpool and Haaland both deliver, you’re suddenly collecting on two singles plus the Liverpool-Haaland double. The returns start building quickly once multiple selections come in.

The real magic is when three, four, or all five selections win. Now you’re winning in different types of bets simultaneously. Three winners equate to winning seven various bets – three singles, three doubles, and one treble. Four winners pays out fifteen bets, and a full house translates to each and every one of 31 bets paying out.

This is where Lucky 31s get really exciting: the majority of bookmakers offer bonus for more than one winner. Typical bonuses are 10% in addition to three winners, 15% in addition to four winners, and 20% bonus on all five to win. Some even give consolation bonuses if only one pick wins at decent odds.

The strategy works particularly well when you’ve identified several value selections across different sports or markets. Maybe you fancy three footballers to score, a tennis player to win their match, and a horse to place in the 3:30 at Kempton. The Lucky 31 format lets you combine these completely unrelated bets while protecting yourself against total disaster.

Football punters often use Lucky 31s during busy weekends when there are loads of matches on. Pick five teams you fancy at reasonable odds, and you’ve got comprehensive coverage across the weekend’s action. Even if a couple let you down, the others can still deliver decent returns through the multiple combinations.

Racing enthusiasts love them for big festivals like Cheltenham or Royal Ascot. You might identify five horses you fancy across different races, knowing that getting two or three winners should produce healthy profits even if the others disappoint.

The key is selecting prices that make mathematical sense. There’s no point including a bunch of short-priced favourites because the singles won’t cover your total stake if only one wins. Conversely, five massive outsiders might offer exciting potential, but the chances of getting even two winners become remote.

Most successful Lucky 31 players aim for the 2/1 to 8/1 selection. That offers the perfect balance between realistic winning chances and good returns. A mix of prices is generally better than five singles with the same odds – maybe three at roughly 3/1 and two longer-priced ones at roughly 6/1.

A massive advantage over straight accumulators is that Lucky 31s payout for partial success. Instead of demanding perfection, you’re being rewarded for being mostly right. This matches the reality of betting, where three out of five predictions correct is pretty good form.

The downside is obvious – you’re placing 31 bets instead of five, so your stake rises a fair bit. What started as “just a fiver each way” can soon become £155 after you’ve accounted for all the combinations. Budget management becomes necessary because it’s easy to get caught up in the potential winnings.

Some punters use Lucky 31s as weekend entertainment bets, picking selections across Saturday’s football, racing, and other sports. It gives you multiple interests running simultaneously and plenty of chances for something to come in during a long afternoon’s viewing.

The psychological dimension is also good. In contrast to accumulators where initial failures snuff out your interest, Lucky 31s keep you interested right until the end since there are always combinations remaining. Even if your initial two selections lose, the other selections can still link profitably.

Just be sure to include all 31 bets in your calculations for your stakes, and choose your selections on true value rather than wishing to complete the bet slip.