English Fractional odds (Fractional odds)
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Where they are popular: United Kingdom and Ireland.
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Format: They are expressed as fractions, for example, 5/2 or 10/1.
- How they work: The first number shows how much you can win if you bet an amount equivalent to the second number. For example, odds of 5/2 mean that for every 2 units bet, you will win 5 units in profit. If you bet 2 dollars at odds of 5/2 and the bet wins, you will receive 5 dollars in profit plus the 2 dollars bet, for a total of 7 dollars.
Decimal odds (Decimal odds)
- Where they are popular: Europe, Russia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.
- Format: They are presented as decimal numbers, such as 1.50, 2.75 or 10.00.
- How they work: To determine the total payout (including the return of the bet), you must multiply the bet by the decimal odds. For example, decimal odds of 2.75 mean that if you bet 10 dollars, your total payout will be 10 × 2.75 = 27.5 dollars (17.5 dollars in profit and 10 dollars returned from the bet).
American odds (Moneyline odds)
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Where they are popular: United States.
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Format: They are presented with positive or negative numbers, for example, +150 or -200.
- How they work:
- Negative odds: They show how much you must bet to win 100 dollars. For example, odds of -200 mean that you must bet 200 dollars to win 100 dollars in profit. The total payout will be 300 dollars (100 dollars in profit plus the 200 dollars bet).
- Positive odds: They show how much you can win if you bet 100 dollars. For example, odds of +150 mean that a 100-dollar bet will give you 150 dollars in profit. The total payout will be 250 dollars (150 dollars in profit plus the 100 dollars bet).
Comparison example
- Fractional odds of 2/1 mean that you will get 2 dollars in profit for every dollar bet.
- Decimal odds of 3.00 mean that the total payout will be 3 times the value of the bet (2 dollars in profit for every dollar bet).
- American odds of +200 mean that a 100-dollar bet will give you 200 dollars in profit.
Comparison for a single outcome:
- Fractional odds: 2/1.
- Decimal odds: 3.00.
- American odds: +200.
All three systems show the same thing: doubling your bet in the event of a win, but with different approaches to calculating and presenting the information.
Formula for converting odds
Decimal odds = Fractional odds + 1,
Where the fractional odds are expressed as A/B, where:
- A is the numerator,
- B is the denominator.
Example: If the fractional odds are 5/2, the decimal odds will be:
Decimal odds = 5/2 + 1 = 2.5 + 1 = 3.5.
Converting American odds to decimal odds
There are two formulas, depending on whether the American odds are positive or negative.
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If the American odds are positive (+X):
Decimal odds = 1 + X/100
Example: American odds of +150:
Decimal odds = 1 + 150/100 = 1 + 1.5 = 2.5. -
If the American odds are negative (−X):
Decimal odds = 1 + 100/X
Example: American odds of −200:
Decimal odds = 1 + 100/200 = 1 + 0.5 = 1.5.
Summary
- For fractional odds, add 1 to the result of the fraction.
- For positive American odds, divide them by 100 and add 1.
- For negative American odds, divide 100 by the absolute value of the odds and add 1.