Quick answer: Each extra entry adds one equal share to the pool: hold 10 of 1,000 entries and you hold 1 per cent of the chance, hold 20 and you hold 2 per cent. More entries scale your chance in a straight line, but they never make a win certain. Our worked numbers are illustrative.
Key takeaways
- In a fixed pool draw every entry is one equal share, so your chance is your entries divided by all entries: 10 of 1,000 is 1 per cent.
- More entries improve your odds in exact proportion: double the entries, double the share. Certainty never arrives, because the pool always holds entries you do not own.
- Short runs of wins and losses happen by chance in independent draws; what you control is the budget, not the pattern.
See odds you can read before you spend: every MrRaffle game publishes its prize list and remaining prizes, and new players can claim free tickets to look before spending anything.
How do odds work when you buy more entries?
In a fixed pool draw, every entry is one equal share of the total, so your chance equals your entries divided by all entries in the draw. Ten entries in a pool of 1,000 is a 1 per cent share; twenty entries is 2 per cent.
| Your entries | Total entries | Your share of the pool |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,000 | 0.1 per cent |
| 10 | 1,000 | 1 per cent |
| 20 | 1,000 | 2 per cent |
| 100 | 1,000 | 10 per cent |
All four rows are our own calculation, illustrative only, and they assume every entry counts equally, which is how fixed pool draws are designed. The pattern is the point: adding entries adds to the numerator, and the total in the denominator stays the same.
Do more entries ever guarantee a win?
No. A draw settles by selecting from all entries, so unless you hold every single one, there is always at least one entry that could be picked instead of yours. More entries improve the odds; they cannot close the gap to certainty.
The maths makes the point neatly. Hold 999 of 1,000 entries and one entry outside your control still has a 1 in 1,000 chance of winning. That is a strong position to be in, and it is still not certainty. It also explains why caps exist: operators limit entries per person so pools stay open to everyone and results stay fair. And short runs change nothing: winning twice in a row does not tilt the next draw. Each result comes from the same fixed pool, and past results do not carry into it.
How do you work out your chance with multiple tickets?
Use the share method: divide your entries by the total entries in the game, then convert the fraction to a percentage. Ten tickets in a draw of 50,000 entries is 10 divided by 50,000, a 0.02 per cent chance, before any rounding.
- Find the total entries. The game page or the terms state the entry count, or the number of entries the draw can sell.
- Count your own entries. Include free postal entries, which count the same as paid ones.
- Divide. Your entries divided by total entries gives your share as a decimal.
- Convert to a percentage. Multiply by 100 for the familiar form.
- Repeat per prize tier if you care about a specific prize, because the numbers differ across the prize table.
Every worked example here is our own calculation, illustrative only. The point is the method: the same sum works on any game that publishes its entry numbers.
Is it better to buy more entries or enter more draws?
It depends what you are optimising: a bigger share of one prize, or a smaller share of several. Concentrating entries in one draw buys a larger slice of one pool; spreading them buys smaller slices of several different pools. Neither route adds certainty.
| Approach | Effect on your share | What it buys |
|---|---|---|
| More entries, one draw | A larger share of one pool | Better odds of one specific prize |
| Same entries, several draws | Smaller shares of several pools | More shots at different prizes, each with longer odds |
Neither column changes the total money at stake; they change its shape. If a particular prize is the goal, concentration matches it. If variety or smaller prizes are the goal, spreading matches that. The one thing that never changes: doubling a small share still leaves a small share.
How does a budget fit in?
Decide the monthly number before you buy anything, then keep entries inside it: price per entry times planned entries is the true cost of a draw, and a free entry route exists on paid chance based draws when the budget is better unspent.
A simple routine: set the number, buy entries you can afford, log what you spend against the number, and stop when the month's number is used. Free postal entries are part of that discipline, not a loophole: on paid chance draws they carry the same chance as a paid entry. If the number stops feeling comfortable, how to set limits and take a break covers the practical side, and how many competitions you should enter looks at the same question across a whole portfolio of draws. Competitions are meant to be entertainment, so the budget should be money you can afford to spend without strain.
Run the share maths on a live game: MrRaffle's instant win games each publish a prize table and remaining counts, which are the two numbers the sum needs.
What does this mean for instant win games?
Instant wins settle at the moment of play against a fixed prize pool, so the same share maths applies: each play buys one draw from the pool, and the published prize list shows what is in it. Price per play, not timing, is what you control.
Two practical consequences. First, you can see the pool before you play, including how many prizes remain, which is more information than most games of chance publish. Second, no pattern in your results changes the next play: each reveal is settled by the operator's server against the same pool, and short runs of wins or losses are normal in independent results. That is why the useful reading is about numbers rather than hunches: low odds competitions and how expected value works are where the maths lives.
If the maths suits you, see how it looks in practice: claim free tickets and compare a live prize table with the games you already play.
Frequently asked questions
Does buying more tickets increase your chances?
Yes, in exact proportion in a fixed pool draw. Two entries carry twice the share of one entry, and ten of 1,000 entries is a 1 per cent chance. The increase is real, and it never reaches certainty.
Can you win without buying any entries?
Yes, where a paid chance based draw offers a free entry route, which UK rules require: a free postal entry carries the same chance as a paid one. Free daily games are a second no cost route on many sites.
Is it better to buy several entries in one draw or one entry in several draws?
Neither is better in the abstract: several entries in one draw buy a bigger share of one pool, while single entries across several draws buy smaller shares of more pools. Match the shape to the prize you actually want.
Do short winning or losing runs affect your next play?
No. In independent games and draws, a run of wins or losses does not change the next result's odds. What looks like a pattern in a short sequence is normal variation, and the pool decides the odds.
How many entries should you buy?
Only as many as your budget allows after the number is set: price per entry times planned entries is the cost, and it should sit inside a monthly figure you can afford to spend. That discipline matters more than any entry strategy.
Sources
- MrRaffle instant win games, MrRaffle, accessed 7 October 2026
- MrRaffle Competition Terms and Conditions, MrRaffle, accessed 7 October 2026
- Promotional marketing: Free entry routes, ASA and CAP, accessed 7 October 2026
Play responsibly
MrRaffle is for UK residents aged 18 and over. Only play with money you can afford to spend, set a budget before you start, and take a break if it stops being fun.
See the numbers for yourself: browse the instant win games with their prize tables and remaining counts, read how many competitions to enter before setting a plan, or claim free tickets and start from the free route.
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