Lucky 15s and Full Cover Bets Explained
When you first hear the phrase “full cover bet” it can sound technical, but it’s actually straightforward…. A full cover bet is simply a way of covering all the possible multiple combinations from a set of selections.
For example, if you pick four horses, a full cover bet will give you every possible double, treble, and fourfold that can be made from them.
A Lucky 15 is part of this family, but with an important twist: it also includes singles. Understanding this difference — full cover vs full cover with singles — is key to knowing where a Lucky 15 fits into the picture.
What is a Full Cover Bet?
A full cover bet means you are betting on all the multiple combinations available from your chosen selections.
- With three selections, a full cover bet is called a Trixie. That gives you three doubles and one treble, four bets in total.
- With four selections, the equivalent is a Yankee. That gives you six doubles, four trebles, and one fourfold, eleven bets in total.
- With five, it’s a Canadian (or Super Yankee), six is a Heinz, seven is a Super Heinz, and eight is a Goliath.
The more selections you add, the number of bets grows rapidly because you are covering every possible line.
The key point: in a standard full cover bet, you don’t get singles. You only win if at least two of your selections come in, because the smallest bet included is a double.
What is a Full Cover Bet with Singles?
This is where the “Lucky” bets come in. A full cover bet with singles takes the same structure as above but adds in all the single bets as well.
- With three selections, the version with singles is a Patent. That’s three singles, three doubles, and one treble, seven bets in total.
- With four selections, the version with singles is a Lucky 15. That’s four singles, six doubles, four trebles, and one fourfold, fifteen bets in total.
- With five, it’s a Lucky 31. With six, a Lucky 63.
The word “Lucky” matters because it’s not just about the singles. Bookmakers usually offer bonuses on these bets. For example:
- Double odds if only one of your selections wins.
- A percentage bonus (often 10% or more) if all of them win.
This is one reason the Lucky bets have become so popular with everyday punters.
The Difference: Lucky 15 vs Yankee
Both the Lucky 15 and the Yankee use four selections, but the difference is simple:
- Yankee (full cover): 11 bets (no singles).
- Lucky 15 (full cover with singles): 15 bets (includes singles).
With a Yankee, you need at least two winners to get a return.
With a Lucky 15, one winner is enough because the singles are included. That makes the Lucky 15 lower risk but more expensive. A £1 Yankee costs £11, while a £1 Lucky 15 costs £15.
Why Are They Called “Lucky” Bets?
The “Lucky” name comes from the bonuses. Bookmakers recognised that full cover with singles creates many lines and can feel expensive, so they sweeten the deal:
- If only one selection wins, they’ll pay you double the odds on that single.
- If all selections win, they’ll give you a bonus uplift on the total winnings.
These promotions encourage punters to use Lucky bets instead of just standard full cover bets, because they balance out the extra cost of including singles.
Example: Four Horses in a Lucky 15 vs Yankee
Imagine you back four horses: A, B, C, D.
- In a Yankee, your lines are: AB, AC, AD, BC, BD, CD, ABC, ABD, ACD, BCD, ABCD. If only A wins, you get nothing. If A and B win, your only return is from the AB double.
- In a Lucky 15, your lines are: A, B, C, D, AB, AC, AD, BC, BD, CD, ABC, ABD, ACD, BCD, ABCD. If only A wins, you still get the single on A. If A and B win, you get both singles plus the AB double.
The inclusion of singles completely changes the safety net.
Full Cover Bets: The Big Picture
To put it all together, here is a summary table showing the main full cover and full cover with singles bets:
| Selections | Full Cover | Bets Included | Full Cover with Singles | Bets Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Trixie | 3 doubles, 1 treble (4 bets) | Patent | 3 singles, 3 doubles, 1 treble (7 bets) |
| 4 | Yankee | 6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 fourfold (11 bets) | Lucky 15 | 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 fourfold (15 bets) |
| 5 | Canadian (Super Yankee) | 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 fourfolds, 1 fivefold (26 bets) | Lucky 31 | 5 singles + above (31 bets) |
| 6 | Heinz | 57 bets | Lucky 63 | 63 bets |
| 7 | Super Heinz | 120 bets | – | – |
| 8 | Goliath | 247 bets | – | – |
Final Thoughts
A Lucky 15 is best understood as a full cover bet with singles. That’s what sets it apart from the Yankee, and it’s why punters like it: even one winner gives you a payout. The bookmaker bonuses make it more appealing, balancing out the higher cost.
If you’re exploring full cover bets, the key question is whether you want the security of singles. If yes, the Lucky family (Lucky 15, Lucky 31, Lucky 63) are your best option. If not, the pure full cover bets (Yankee, Canadian, Heinz, Trixie, Patent etc.) offer leaner, cheaper coverage.
Either way, the structure is the same: you’re betting on all the possible multiples. It’s just a question of whether you want to add singles into the mix. Calculating full cover bets can be difficult, that’s why many people use calculators like a Lucky 15 calculator to work out these odds simply and easily.
Tony is the CEO of Lucky 15 Calculator. He has 10+ years of both website and app development / engineering and sports journalism. His two passions collide for Lucky 15 calculator where he builds and updates the world's leading Lucky 15 calculator and leads a team of expert horse racing & igaming journalists.