English Fractional odds (Fractional odds)
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Where they are popular: United Kingdom and Ireland.
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Format: 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 equal to the second number. For example, odds of 5/2 mean that, for every 2 units bet, you will earn 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 of your bet, totaling 7 dollars.
Decimal odds (Decimal odds)
- Where they are popular: Europe, Russia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.
- Format: Presented as decimal numbers, such as 1,50, 2,75 or 10,00.
- How they work: To calculate the total payout (including the return of the bet), you must multiply your bet by the decimal odds. For example, odds of 2,75 mean that, if you bet 10 dollars, the 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)
- Where they are popular: USA.
- Format: Presented with positive or negative numbers, for example, +150 or -200.
- How they work:
- Negative odds: Indicate how much you must bet to win 100 dollars. For example, odds of -200 mean that you need to bet 200 dollars to win 100 dollars in profit. The total payout will be 300 dollars (100 dollars in profit plus the 200 dollars of the bet).
- Positive odds: Indicate how much you can win if you bet 100 dollars. For example, odds of +150 mean that a bet of 100 dollars will generate 150 dollars in profit. The total payout will be 250 dollars (150 dollars in profit plus the 100 dollars of the bet).
Comparison example
- Fractional odds of 2/1 mean that you will earn 2 dollars in profit for every 1 dollar bet.
- Decimal odds of 3,00 mean that the total payout will be 3 times the bet amount (2 dollars in profit for every 1 dollar bet).
- American odds of +200 mean that a bet of 100 dollars 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 result – 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 fractional odds are expressed as a fraction 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 by 100 and add 1.
- For negative American odds, divide 100 by the absolute value of the odds and add 1.