Trixie, Yankee, Lucky 15, Heinz, Goliath. The names sound like a pub quiz round, and the maths behind them puts plenty of people off. It’s simpler than it looks, and understanding it will save you money.
What a multiple bet actually is
A multiple takes several selections and combines them into every possible accumulator. Pick 4 horses and you can pair them into 6 different doubles, group them into 4 different trebles, and put all 4 together in a fourfold. Add the 4 singles and you’ve got 15 bets.
That’s a Lucky 15. The stake is per bet, so a £1 Lucky 15 costs £15, not £1.
The appeal is that you don’t need everything to win. One winner in a Lucky 15 still gets you a return, which is why it’s the most popular multiple in Welsh betting shops by a distance.
The full list
| Bet | Selections | Bets | Singles? | £1 stake costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trixie | 3 | 4 | No | £4 |
| Patent | 3 | 7 | Yes | £7 |
| Yankee | 4 | 11 | No | £11 |
| Lucky 15 | 4 | 15 | Yes | £15 |
| Canadian / Super Yankee | 5 | 26 | No | £26 |
| Lucky 31 | 5 | 31 | Yes | £31 |
| Heinz | 6 | 57 | No | £57 |
| Lucky 63 | 6 | 63 | Yes | £63 |
| Super Heinz | 7 | 120 | No | £120 |
| Goliath | 8 | 247 | No | £247 |
The pattern is straightforward once you spot it. The “Lucky” bets include your singles, which is what lets a single winner pay. The others need at least 2 winners before you see anything back.
A worked example
Four horses, all at 3/1, £1 Lucky 15, so £15 staked.
| Winners | Roughly returns | Result on a £15 stake |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £4 plus any consolation | Heavy loss |
| 2 | £32 | Just over double your money |
| 3 | £108 | A good day |
| 4 | £340 plus any all-winner bonus | A very good day |
Two things jump out. One winner from four barely dents the stake, so the “one winner and you’re paid” line is thinner comfort than it sounds. And the returns climb steeply, which is the whole attraction.
Why the returns climb so fast
Because odds multiply rather than add. That’s easy to say and hard to feel until you see it land. From our side of the counter it looks like this:
“The knockout blow came via a £2,500 double on Mixed Martial Arts (or MMA). The payout came to nearly £25,000, enough to make anyone’s eyes water and leave them struggling for breath.”
James Lovell, From The Dragon’s Mouth
A double. Two selections. Ten times the stake back. That’s the same maths a Lucky 15 is built on, just with more tickets running at once.
The bonuses
Most bookmakers attach bonuses to the Lucky bets, typically a boost if every selection wins and a consolation if only one does. The exact terms vary between firms and change often, so check before you place rather than assuming.
A word of caution
The stake multiplies fast. A £2 Goliath is 247 bets and costs £494, which is a lot of money running on 8 selections that all need to behave.
And the more selections you add, the longer the odds of landing the lot. Multiples are fun and they can pay handsomely. They’re also how a lot of small stakes quietly disappear on a Saturday afternoon. Work out what the bet costs before you write it out, not after.
More on how betting works
Read our each-way explainer, how Best Odds Guaranteed works, or start at betting explained.
18+. Please gamble responsibly. For guidance and support visit GambleAware.
