A Lucky 31 is another type of ‘full cover bet’ popular with the everyday punter who likes to keep unit stakes small, but potential payouts high. Cover bets are useful for gamblers who wish to cover all available multiples when betting on more than one selection.

The Lucky 31 Explained

Many gamblers are already familiar with bets such as the Super Yankee, a full cover bet consisting of 5 selections containing a combination of 26 bets; 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 fourfold accumulators and a fivefold accumulator. A Lucky 31 is essentially equivalent to a Super Yankee with five singles added, naturally adding up to 31 bets.

Because singles are included in this bet, even one winner from the original 5 selections will yield some sort of return on the initial investment. As always with full cover bets, punters must be careful with the unit stake. In this case, a 50p Lucky 31 will cost the gambler £15.50 in total.

How Does a Lucky 31 Work?

Here is a simple table showing how the Lucky 31 is comprised, with all of the various permutations. Imagine each selection, A-E representing a football team or a horse:

Betting sites that offer Lucky 31 Betting

Online Bookmakers	Bookmaker's Promotion	Amount	Bet Now
	Open Account Offer Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.	£30	Bet now
	Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets New online customers only, min £10/ €10 stake, win only, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 3 X £10/€10, 30 day expiry, free bet/payment method/player/country restrictions apply.	£30	Bet now
	Welcome Offer - Bet £10 Get £30 New 18+ UK customers. Deposit & place bet on sports at a minimum of £10 in one bet transaction at evens (2.0)+ within 7 days of registering. £30 paid in Free Bets within 10 hours of bet settlement, expires 7-days after issue. E-Wallet & Prepaid Card restrictions apply. Your first bet must be settled within 7 days of registration. Proof of I.D and address may be required. Full T&C's apply.	£30	Bet now
	£30 Matched Free Bet If Your First Acca Loses + 50 Free Spins New UK customers only. Min Stake: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First bet on a Football or Horse Racing multiple with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00 (2/1) or higher. Free Bets available upon settlement of the qualifying bet. 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza (£0.10 per spin) credited on settlement of qualifying Acca bet. No wagering requirements on free spin winnings. Debit Card deposit only (exclusions apply). This offer is valid 7 days from the new account being registered. 18+ BeGambleAware.o	£30	Bet now

How Are My Winnings Worked Out?

This is actually very easy if you use a table such as the one above. Let’s assume you have placed a £1 Lucky 31 (total cost £31) your selections are priced as follows:

A – 2/1
B – 3/1
C – 4/1
D – 5/4
E – 7/4

If only selections B, C and E were successful, you will be paid out on the single bets on all three, plus the doubles featuring these selections and the treble. Your total returns would be:

Single on B (inc stake): £4.00
Single on C: £5.00
Single on E: £2.75
Double on B & C: £20.00
Double on B & E: £11.00
Double on C & E: £13.75
Treble on B, C & E: £55.00
Total: £111.50

As you can see, at these prices three winning selections on a Lucky 31 can produce an excellent return. Returns can often be very low on sports such as football however, when most winning selections will be priced at odds-on.

Most bookmakers will pay out as much as treble odds for one winner in your Lucky 31 bet, hence the ‘lucky’ part of the name.This means that you essentially need to get only one winner at 10/1+ to at least get your money back. This is possible when betting on horse racing for example.

Some online bookmakers also hand out extra bonuses for backing all 5 winners in a Lucky 31, though all firms offer different bonuses. Keep an eye on the offers page of your selected bookmaker for more info.