What is a Lucky 15 bet and how does it work?
A Lucky 15 horse racing bet is made up of 15 bets. It can appeal if you have four horse racing fancies that you’d like to back. Typically, they might all be favourites to win their respective races, or alternatively they may all be ridden by the same jockey.
Here we’ll explain more about this Lucky 15 bet, so you can make an informed decision about whether to place similar Lucky 15 bets yourself, and how to put on a Grand National Lucky 15.
How does a Lucky 15 work?
While some people prefer backing their selections as singles, and others are drawn to an accumulator, a Lucky 15 can be seen as a halfway house, offering the prospect of a big win while ensuring one horse losing doesn’t mean you lose your entire stake.
A Lucky 15 is appropriately named, as it is made up of 15 bets in total – 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles and a fourfold. Your stake is multiplied by 15, so a £1 bet would cost you £15 overall. That’s £1 on each of the 15 bets that make up a Lucky 15.
| Bet type | Selections in bet | Number of bets |
|---|---|---|
| Singles | Horse 1; horse 2; horse 3; horse 4 | 4 |
| Doubles | Horses 1+2; 1+3; 1+4; 2+3; 2+4; 3+4 | 6 |
| Trebles | Horses 1,2+3; 1,2+4; 1,3+4; 2,3+4 | 4 |
| Fourfold | Horses 1,2,3+4 | 1 |
Grand National Lucky 15
It you want to place a Grand National Lucky 15, you’ll also need to find three more horses from different races to bet on. Then combine those three selections with your Grand National horse, select the Lucky 15 option in your betslip and your Grand National Lucky 15 will be placed.
How to work out Lucky 15 winnings
Working out your potentially winnings from a Lucky 15 can be a laborious process, given it involves 15 separate bets. You’re therefore best off using our Grand National accumulator calculator to calculate what could be won from the doubles, trebles and fourfold included in your Lucky Fifteen bet. Alternatively, most bookmakers will display the amount you would win once you’ve added your selections to your betslip.
If you’d still prefer to work out what your Lucky 15 would pay out, convert your odds from fractional to decimal format, and follow the steps below.
Single bets: decimal odds x stake = return (including stake)
Doubles: horse 1 odds x horse 2 odds = return (including stake)
Trebles: horse 1 odds x horse 2 odds x horse 3 odds = return (including stake)
Fourfold: horse 1 odds x horse 2 odds x horse 3 odds x horse 4 odds = return (including stake)
Is a Lucky 15 bet Worth it?
Whether or not a Lucky 15 is worth it depends on the individual placing the bet, as we all have different levels of aversion to risk, and reasons why we bet. The table below summarises the main pros and cons of placing Lucky 15 bets.
| Pros of placing a Lucky 15 | Cons of placing a Lucky 15 |
|---|---|
| Potential to win large amounts from a small stake | Higher risk than placing bets on individual selections |
| Unlike an acca, the bet remains alive until your final horse has run | Outlay is likely to be bigger than if placing a normal accumulator |
| Far more chance of winning something than with an accumulator | 2 or even 3 of your 4 horses often need to win to give an overall profit |
| Provides a halfway house between singles and accumulators | All 15 bets must have the same stake |
How Does a Lucky 15 Each Way Work?
An each way bet gives you the chance to win your bet if your horse either wins a race OR finishes in the top few places. This principle can be extended to Lucky 15s when you’re placing an each way Lucky 15 bet. Instead of betting on a single horse to win or place in a race, you’re hoping for a number of horses all to win or be placed. The table below explains how your bet would fare in each different scenario.
| Scenario | Win part of bet | Place part of bet |
|---|---|---|
| All 4 horses win | Winner | Winner |
| 1-3 horses win, all 4 horses are placed* | Partial winner | Winner |
| All 4 horses are placed* | Loser | Winner |
| 1-3 horses are unplaced* | Loser | Partial winner |
| All 4 horses are unplaced* | Loser | Loser |
*The exact number of places will vary depending on the bookmaker you bet with and the race you bet on. For the Grand National though, this will be at least 4 places, and often 5 or more.
Lucky 15 vs Yankee Bet
Lucky 15s and Yankees are very similar in that all 11 components of a Yankee are included in a Lucky 15. The only difference is four singles are also part of a Lucky 15.
| Bet type | Yankee | Lucky 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Singles | 0 | 4 |
| Doubles | 6 | 6 |
| Trebles | 4 | 4 |
| Fourfold | 1 | 1 |
| Total bets | 11 | 15 |
Download our Grand National Betting Guide
Grand National Lucky 15 FAQs
Is a Lucky 15 worth it?
A Lucky 15 bet can be a good option if you are keen to back four horses but don’t want it to be ‘all or nothing’, as you’ll still get a return on your bet for just one winner.
How many horses do you need for a Lucky 15?
You need a total of four horses from different races if you’re placing a Lucky 15 bet.
Useful links and ‘how to’ guides
We hope you now have a better understanding of placing Lucky 15 bets on horse racing. The natural next step is to place your Grand National Lucky 15 bets.
The options open to you are betting in a bookmakers or at a racecourse, or making the most of the huge amount of generous offers and free bets by betting online.
You can also find out how much your accumulator will pay out by using our Grand National accumulator calculator, although most betslips will automatically calculate your potential winnings for you, before you go ahead and place your acca.
Whichever option you choose, we’ve got all your Grand National 2024 betting needs catered for at grandnational.org.uk.
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