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What is a Lucky 15 bet and how does it work?

There are many types of bets you can place and some of the jargon can be a little confusing. Don’t worry though, as we’ve got you covered.

The Lucky 15 is a very popular bet type, as the returns can be significant for a relatively small stake. We're going to explain what a Lucky 15 is and exactly how they work. The lucky 15 bet comprises fifteen bets wagered on four horses and you do not need every horse to win to yield a return which is what makes it one of the most popular bets for major festivals. Find a host of betting sites where you can place this type of bet.

Only one horse must win to receive a payout. You can find other types of bets here along with betting terminology and horse racing terminology.

How Does a Lucky 15 Work?

If you’re a casual punter and would like to cover numerous different outcomes, a Lucky 15 might be the bet for you. The good thing is, only one of your selections needs to win in order to start getting a return but a profit isn’t guaranteed.

The lucky fifteen is similar to the yankee but the reason it is so popular among horse racing fanatics is because it includes singles. The bet consists of four horses (1, 2, 3 and 4) and places fifteen different bets on the four horses:

PartSelectionsNumber of Bets
Singles1,2,3,4 4
Doubles12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 34 6
Trebles124, 134, 2344
Four-fold12341

For example, the total value of your stake is £15 but only one selection wins at 9/1. This means you would get a return of £10 but would still be £5 down.

There are often bonuses applied as more of the bets land, which increases the returns significantly, and that’s where the lucky part comes in!

The name comes from the fact that your one bet consists of 15 smaller bets. In order to place a Lucky 15 bet you must select four outcomes and we’ve included an example below.

Sir Gino to win the Champion Hurdle

Marine Nationale to win the Champion Chase

Teahupoo to win the Stayers’ Hurdle

Gaelic Warrior to win the Gold Cup

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How to Workout Lucky 15 Winnings

There is a simple way to work out lucky 15 winnings. Converting the odds to decimals makes the calculation simpler. See below:

  • Divide the top number in the fraction by the bottom number and plus one. (For example, 2/1 becomes 3.0 and 9/4 becomes 3.25.)
  • Single bets: decimal odds x stake = return (including stake)
  • Double: selection 1 odds x selection 2 odds = return (including stake)
  • Treble: selection 1 odds x selection 2 odds x selection 3 odds = return (including stake)
  • Four-fold: selection 1 odds x selection 2 odds x selection 3 odds x selection 4 odds = return (including stake)
  • 1) Four single bets of each individual outcome
  • Sir Gino to win the Champion Hurdle

    Marine Nationale to win the Champion Chase

    Teahupoo to win the Stayers’ Hurdle

    Gaelic Warrior to win the Gold Cup

  • 2) Six combinations of double bets
  • Sir Gino and Marine Nationale both to win

    Sir Gino and Teahupoo both to win

    Sir Gino and Gaelic Warrior both to win

    Marine Nationale and Teahupoo both to win

    Marine Nationale and Gaelic Warrior both to win

    Teahupoo and Gaelic Warrior both to win

  • 3) Four combinations of treble bets
  • Sir Gino, Marine Nationale and Teahupoo all to win

    Sir Gino, Marine Nationale and Gaelic Warrior all to win

    Sir Gino, Teahupoo and Gaelic Warrior all to win

    Marine Nationale, Teahupoo and Gaelic Warrior all to win

  • 4) One four-fold accumulator
  • Sir Gino, Marine Nationale, Teahupoo and Gaelic Warrior all to win

    The more selections that win, the bigger your reward multipliers will be and you will be one happy punter if all four come in! It’s also possible to place an each-way Lucky 15 which can be very helpful for punters who want to combine selections at bigger prices.

    One potential downside is that it can be tricky to work out what exactly the returns will be, but if two or more of your selections win, it’s more than likely that you will return a healthy profit.

    An important thing to remember when you’re placing a Lucky 15 is that the stake you enter will be multiplied by 15.

    For example, if you wanted to place a Lucky 15 to the value of £15 you must enter £1 as your stake, rather than £15 (which would be a very expensive bet!)

    Is a Lucky 15 Bet Worth it?

    If you fancy four horses in different races then it is well worth placing a Lucky 15 bet. You only need one horse to strike to yield a return and payouts can be very rewarding if more than one of your selections wins.

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    How Does a Lucky 15 Each Way Work?

    An each way lucky fifteen consists of 30 bets - 15 win bets and 15 place bets. This means that a €1 lucky fifteen bet will cost you €30. You will be paid out on places at 1/5 of the odds.

    Lucky 15 vs Yankee Bet

    The lucky fifteen bet is very similar to the Yankee, however the yankee does not include the four single bets.

    The Yankee comprises 11 bets placed on four horses (1, 2, 3 and 4)

    • Six doubles - 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 34
    • Four trebles - 123, 134, 124 and 234
    • A fourfold accumulator - 1234

    To receive a payout, a minimum of two selections must win. A €1 Yankee will cost you €11.

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    More Reading

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