Decimal Odds

Decimal odds are the cleanest, most intuitive way to express betting odds. The number simply tells you how much you get back for every dollar staked—including your original stake. Odds of 2.50 mean $2.50 back for every$ 1 bet. No complex fractions, no positive/negative confusion. Just multiply your stake by the decimal odds to know your potential return. This simplicity is why decimal odds dominate online betting worldwide and are the standard format for professional bettors.

Understanding Decimal Odds
Calculating Returns
Converting Odds Formats
Implied Probability
Decimal Odds by Sport
Using Decimal Odds

Understanding Decimal Odds {#understanding}

Decimal odds represent total return per unit staked. The number includes both your potential profit AND your original stake back.

The Simple Formula

\text{Total Return} = \text{Stake} \times \text{Decimal Odds}

\text{Profit} = \text{Stake} \times (\text{Decimal Odds} - 1)

Quick Examples

Odds	$100 Stake	Total Return	Profit
1.50	$100	$150	$50
2.00	$100	$200	$100
2.50	$100	$250	$150
3.00	$100	$300	$200
5.00	$100	$500	$400
10.00	$100	$1,000	$900

Reading Decimal Odds

Odds Range	What It Means
1.01 - 1.50	Heavy favorite
1.51 - 2.00	Favorite
2.00	Even money (50/50)
2.01 - 3.00	Slight underdog
3.01 - 5.00	Moderate underdog
5.01 - 10.00	Longshot
10.00+	Extreme longshot

Calculating Returns {#calculation}

Single Bet Return

\text{Return} = \text{Stake} \times \text{Odds}

Example:

Stake: $50
Odds: 2.40

Return = $50 × 2.40 = **$ 120** Profit = $120 -$ 50 = $70

Multiple Selections (Accumulator)

\text{Combined Odds} = \text{Odds}_1 \times \text{Odds}_2 \times \text{Odds}_3 \times ...

Example: Three-leg parlay

Selection	Odds
Liverpool	1.80
Man City	1.60
Arsenal	2.10

Combined = 1.80 × 1.60 × 2.10 = 6.05

$20 stake returns$ 20 × 6.05 = $121

Each-Way Calculations

For each-way bets, calculate win and place separately:

\text{Win Return} = \frac{\text{Stake}}{2} \times \text{Win Odds}

\text{Place Return} = \frac{\text{Stake}}{2} \times (1 + \frac{\text{Win Odds} - 1}{\text{Place Terms}})

Converting Odds Formats {#conversion}

Decimal to Fractional

\text{Fractional} = (\text{Decimal} - 1) / 1

Decimal	Calculation	Fractional
1.50	(1.50 - 1) / 1	1/2
2.00	(2.00 - 1) / 1	1/1 (evens)
2.50	(2.50 - 1) / 1	3/2
3.00	(3.00 - 1) / 1	2/1
4.00	(4.00 - 1) / 1	3/1

Decimal to American

For decimal ≥ 2.00:

\text{American} = (\text{Decimal} - 1) \times 100

For decimal < 2.00:

\text{American} = \frac{-100}{\text{Decimal} - 1}

Decimal	American
1.50	-200
1.80	-125
2.00	+100
2.50	+150
3.00	+200
5.00	+400

Complete Conversion Table

Decimal	Fractional	American	Implied Prob
1.20	1/5	-500	83.3%
1.33	1/3	-300	75.2%
1.50	1/2	-200	66.7%
1.67	4/6	-150	59.9%
1.80	4/5	-125	55.6%
1.91	10/11	-110	52.4%
2.00	1/1	+100	50.0%
2.10	11/10	+110	47.6%
2.50	3/2	+150	40.0%
3.00	2/1	+200	33.3%
4.00	3/1	+300	25.0%
5.00	4/1	+400	20.0%
10.00	9/1	+900	10.0%