What is a Lucky 63?

The Lucky 63 bet is something punters should definitely know about, especially fans of horse racing or sports betting enthusiasts. In this comprehensive article, we will explore all you need to know about the Lucky 63 bet, providing you with all the ins and outs of this exciting online gambling option.

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This page is written by
Eamon Doggett
Eamon DoggettFeatured Horse Racing & Rugby Specialist
Fact Checked By
Rebecca Mackay
Rebecca MackayHead of Content
According to our Editorial Guide

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Lucky 63 Bet Explained

A Lucky 63 bet is one of the most popular forms of multiple bets among Ireland and the UK punters. It is popular for those betting on horse racing and greyhounds, but it can be applied to various sports. 

A Lucky 63, as the name suggests, consists of 63 separate bets: 6 singles, 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, 6 five-folds and a six-fold accumulator. The Lucky 15 bet requires four selections and the Lucky 31 bet requires five selections, the Lucky 63 bet requires six selections. 

How Does a Lucky 63 Work?

A Lucky 63 bet is placed on six selections, for example, six different horse races. When punters place a Lucky 63 bet, they place 63 different bets on those six selections. This is broken down as follows:

Bet TypeNumber of Bets
Singles6
Doubles15
Trebles20
Four-folds15
Five-folds6
Six-folds1
Total63

How Much Does a Lucky 63 Cost?

The total cost of a Lucky 63 bet depends on the unit stake punters placed on the bet. Their unit stake is multiplied by 63 to get the total cost of the bet. 

For example, a €1 Lucky 63 bet will cost punters €63 (€1 x 63). Whereas a €0.50 Lucky 63 bet will cost punters €31.50 (€0.50 x 63).

Lucky 63 Bet

How Do You Win?

For punters to win money, they need at least one of their six selections to win. This will give them a winning single bet.

Example 1

Bob places a €1 Lucky 63 bet on six horses (A,B,C,D,E,F)

Outcome: Horses A,B,C,D and E all lose, but Horse F wins at 3/1. 

Result: Bob's return is €4 (A €1 single bet on Horse F at 3/1)

As is evident, unless the winning single is a very big-price selection (63/1 and over), punters will need to make a profit from correctly predicting one event. 

The potential outcomes

To illustrate how many events punters will typically need to correctly predict to make a profit, let's say all of the horses are priced at 3/1.

Example 2

Bob places a €1 Lucky 63 on six horses for a total stake of €63. Each horse is priced at 3/1.

Potential outcomes 

  • 0 selection wins – 0 return with a loss of -€63

  • 1 selection wins – €4 return with a loss of -€59

  • 2 selections win –  €24 return with a loss of -€39

  • 3 selections win –  €124 return with a profit of €61

  • 4 selections win –  €624 return with a profit of €561

  • 5 selections win –  €3,124 return with a profit of €3,061

  • 6 selections win – €15,624 return with a profit of €15,624

In this example, Bob needed three of his six selections to win in order to make a profit on the bet. What is also evident is that the profit margin gets exponentially bigger the more winners Bob selects. 

If Bob was to correctly pick the winning horse of all six races, he would win €15,624. As is the case with all bets, though, how you win depends on the odds of the selections. 

Example 3

Bob places a €1 Lucky 63 on six horses for a total stake of €63. Each horse is priced at Evens (1/1).

Potential outcomes 

  • 0 selection wins – 0 return with a loss of -€63

  • 1 selection wins – €2 return with a loss of -€61

  • 2 selections win –  €8 return with a loss of -€55

  • 3 selections win –  €26 return with a loss of -€37

  • 4 selections win –  €80 return with a profit of €17

  • 5 selections win –  €242 return with a profit of €179

  • 6 selections win – €728 return with a profit of €665

In this example, because the odds on the horses winning are lower, Bob needs four winning selections to make a profit. 

As is also evident, Bob's potential winnings are significantly lower. Conversely, the lower odds on these horses would suggest that they have a greater chance of winning than horses priced at 3/1.

How Do You Calculate Your Winnings?

Often, the easiest way to calculate your winnings is to use an online bet calculator. However, it can also be done the old-fashioned way with some maths. 

Firstly, if using fractional odds, convert these into decimal odds by dividing the numerator (the top number) by the denominator (the bottom number) and then adding one. For example, 3/1 becomes 4.0, while 9/4 becomes 3.25. 

  1. Single bets: decimal odds x stake = return

  2. Doubles: selection 1 odds x selection 2 odds x stake = return

  3. Trebles: selection 1 odds x selection 2 odds x selection 3 odds x stake = return

  4. Four-fold: selection 1 odds x selection 2 odds x selection 3 odds x selection 4 odds x stake = return

  5. Five-fold: selection 1 odds x selection 2 odds x selection 3 odds x selection 4 odds x selection 5 odds x stake = return

  6. Six-fold: selection 1 odds x selection 2 odds x selection 3 odds x selection 4 odds x selection 5 odds x selection 6 odds x stake = return

The Each-Way Lucky 63 Bet

A variation to the Lucky 63 bet is the each-way version, which includes 63 win bets  but also 63 each-way. In total, it includes 126 bets. 

Importantly, the total stake for an each-way Lucky 63 is double that of a standard Lucky 63. For example, a €1 each-way Lucky 63 bet will cost €126. 

The each-way Lucky 63 gives you a payout for every horse that places as well as every horse that wins.Bookmakers usually offer 1/5 or 1/4 of the odds for the place part of an each-way horse racing bet. 

what is a lucky 63 bet in horse racing

Example 1 

Bob places a €5 each-way bet (€10 total stake) on a horse at odds of 10/1, with bookmakers offering 1/5 of the win odds for place money. 

If Bob's horse is placed, Bob's winning odds are one fifth of 10/1 = 2/1. So Bob will win €5 x 2/1 = €10. His total return will be €15, representing a €5 profit on his total stake. 

However, Bob should bear in mind that if his selection was under 5/1 he would lose money on the bet, even if the horse places. 

Example 2

Bob places a €5 each-way bet on a horse at odds of 3/1, with bookmakers offering 1/5 of the win odds for place money. 

If Bob's horse is placed, Bob's winning odds are one fifth of 3/1 = 3/5. So Bob will win €5 x 3/5 = €3. 

His total return will be €8, representing a €2 loss on his total stake. 

Tip: It is often sensible to include selections in your each-way Lucky 63 for which the each-way place payout on an each-way single will be more than your original stake.

Example 3

Bob places a €1 each-way Lucky 63 on six horses all at odds of Evens. 

Potential outcomes 

  • 0 selection place – 0 return with a loss of -€63

  • 1 selection places – €1.25 return with a loss of -€124.75

  • 2 selections place –  €4.06 return with a loss of -€121.94

  • 3 selections place –  €10.39 return with a loss of -€115.61

  • 4 selections place –  €24.63 return with a loss of -€101.37

  • 5 selections place –  €56.67 return with a loss of -€69.33

  • 6 selections place – €128.75 return with a profit of €2.75

As the example shows, the only way Bob can make a profit is if all six horses are placed and, even then, the profit is only €2.75. 

Bookmakers commonly offer a 25% bonus on your return if all the selections win in a Lucky 63 bet. If only one selection wins, the odds of the sole winning selection can sometimes be doubled, trebled, or quadrupled as a means of consolation. 

Lucky 63 Calculator

Top bookmakers offering this type of bet will provide an additional option of a Lucky 63 bet calculator for punters. This valuable tool helps to evaluate potential winnings and calculate Lucky 63 bets' profitability before being placed. The odds of each selection are considered and automatically calculated alongside the potential payouts. This would help sports bettors make more informed decisions and maximise chances of success, whether they are seasoned punters or new to the world of Lucky 63 bets. Boylesports and Paddy Power are some of the popular betting sites offering this tool.

Pros and Cons of Lucky 63 Betting

For a more detailed explanation of these pros and cons, read through the Benefits of Lucky 63 Bets and Risks of Lucky 63 Bets further below.

  • Increased chance of return on wins
  • Prudent strategy
  • Chance for big payouts on small stakes
  • Can be confusing
  • Same stake on all bets

The Benefits of Lucky 63 Bets

The main advantage of a Lucky 63 bet is that it increases the chances of a winning return compared to traditional accumulators. With a straight forward accumulator on six horses, punters will need all six horses to win any money, but a Lucky 63 guarantees a return with a single winner and then greater returns the greater number of winning selections. 

It can be a prudent strategy, for example, if a punter fancies a number of horses at sizeable odds. For example, 2/1, 3/1/, 4/1, and 5/1 winners will pay nothing in a six-fold accumulator if the other two horses lose. But placing these horses in a Lucky 63 will see good rewards. A €1 Lucky 63 bet, for example, with four numbers at odds of  2/1, 3/1/, 4/1, and 5/1 will yield a €776 profit. 

A Lucky 63 bet can also provide big payouts from relatively small stakes as punters are placing many multiple bets at the same time. So it can be an exciting form of gambling in this way. 

Lucky 63 bet

The Risks of Lucky 63 Bets

The main factor to be wary of when placing a Lucky 63 bet is the total stake. It can be confusing for bettors that a €1 Lucky 63 bet costs as much as €63. Similarly, punters aren't always used to writing just €0.50 on a docket, but a €0.50 Lucky 63 bet will actually cost €31.50. 

Another potential drawback of the Lucky 63 bet is that all 63 bets have to have the same stake (the unit stake), which means you don't have the option to put more or less money on particular bets, if, for one, you happen to fancy certain horses more than others. For example, you may wish to have a higher stake on your singles than on the six-fold accumulator, which is far less likely to win.

Our Verdict on Lucky 63 Bets

Lucky 63 bets are a popular choice among punters in Ireland and even the UK, which consists of 63 individual bets placed on six sections with varying combinations. The total cost of the bet is calculated by multiplying the initial unit stake by 63, with at least one winning selection necessary to receive a return and potential profits increasing with more than one correct prediction. The Lucky 63 bet will offer improved chances of winning and a potential for significant payouts. Punters should still be wary of their total stake and the inability to adjust stakes when it comes to specific bets.

FAQs

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about Lucky 63 betting.  

What is the minimum stake?

A bookmaker will not usually impose any minimum stake for Lucky 63 bets on customers.

What is the maximum stake?

It is common for bookmakers to impose a maximum stake on punters for Lucky 63 betting. This is often because Lucky 63 bets generate big payouts that can exceed the maximum payout bookmakers will offer.

What are the odds of winning?

This is dependent on the odds of your six selections. It goes that the lower the odds of your six selections, the higher your chances of having six winning selections, and vice versa.

How many selections can you make?

Punters need to make six selections to place a Lucky 63 bet.  

Sports Expert

Eamon combines his passion for writing, racing, and rugby by providing horse racing betting, and rugby betting insights for punters.

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FactCheckIcon Fact Checked By Rebecca Mackay