Most of us have been there. Maybe you’re reading this and you’re wondering how to calculate odds in betting. Or maybe you’re already there and you just want to check out some strategies for getting the best possible result. Whatever the case may be, you came to the right place. Here we’re going to walk you through step-by-step how to calculate odds in betting so that you can be better prepared for making wagers.
Get Touted
The first step is to get touted. This simply means that you’re aware of what events are taking place and what the current odds are on each outcome. The only way to do this is to either follow the action closely or listen to the pundits. Remember, though, that not all tipsters are created equal. Some will give you misleading odds simply to get you to put money down. That’s why it’s important to do your research before you commit any cash.
The Basics Of Odds
Odds are simply the ratio of the number of winning bets to the number of losing bets. So, in the example above, you would say that the odds of winning are 2:1 because there were 2 winning bets and 1 losing bet. It’s really that simple! Another way of thinking about it is that the house edge is 2 percent. This means that for every $100 you risk, you will gain $102 in winnings. That’s why it’s important to try and avoid risk where you can and bet on the favorites. Risk and favoritism don’t mix.
There are two additional factors that you need to consider: the amount of money you’re willing to wager and whether you want to bet on the favorite or the underdog. The first factor, the maximum amount you’re willing to wager, is important because it limits how much you’ll need to win to cover your loss. The second factor, whether you want to bet on the favorite or the underdog, determines which one of two strategies you’ll need to follow to maximize your winnings:
- If you want to bet on the favorite, you’ll need to find a way to get even money (i.e., odds of 1:1) or less on your wagers. This way, you’ll never need to risk more than you can afford to lose. If you’re not familiar, odds of 1:1 mean that you’ll need to win by a margin of 1 to cover your loss. For example, if your initial investment is $100, you’ll need to wager at least $101 to win $100. The key is to make sure that your maximum amount is a whole dollar less than the average bet amount. This makes sure that you’ll always have enough money left over to cover your losses. It’s a good idea to keep some of your initial investment as a reserve in case you lose some of your wagers. This way, you’ll always have the means to cover your losses.
- If you want to bet on the underdog, you’ll need to find a way to get the opposite of even money (i.e., odds of more than 2:1) in order to maximize your winnings. The reason why this is important is that, as the underdog, you’ll need to win by a larger margin than your maximum amount in order to cover your loss. For example, if your initial investment is $100, you’ll need to wager at least $201 to win $100. The key is to make sure that your maximum amount is more than the average bet amount. This way, you’ll always have enough money left over to cover your losses. And since larger margins usually mean higher odds, this can be a good way to increase your winnings without risking any of your own money.
The Mathematics Of Odds
Let’s take a closer look at these numbers and try to unpack them. Let’s say that your maximum amount is $100 and you want to bet on the favorite. First off, the odds of winning are 2:1 in your favor. Next, you need to look at your maximum amount of money that you’re willing to wager: $100. This means that, in order to win your $100, you’ll need to wager a total of $200. Now, what is the total amount of money that you have to wager in order to have an equal chance at winning? Remember: odds are simply the ratio of the number of winning bets to the number of losing bets. This means that there are 2 losing bets for every winning bet. Therefore, in this case, you need to wager a total of $200 to have an equal chance of winning. To figure this out, you need to perform the following calculation:
- Number of winning bets(2): Since there are 2 winning bets, the total number of winning bets is (2)(2)=4.
- Total amount wagered($200): Since there are 4 total bets, the total amount wagered is (4)($200)=$800.
- Number of losing bets(1): Since there is only one losing bet, the total number of losing bets is (1)(1)=1.
- Probability of winning(2:1): Since there are 2 losing bets and 1 winning bet, the odds of winning are (2)(1)=2.
- Probability of losing(1): Since there is only one losing bet, the odds of losing are (1)(1)=1.
As you can see, the total amount of money that you need to wager in order to have an equal chance at winning is $200 (your maximum amount) plus $800 (the rest). This means that, in order to have an equal chance of winning, you’ll need to wager a total of $1,000. This gives you a net gain of $900, which, as we mentioned above, is the amount that you’ll need in order to cover your initial investment of $100. Remember, though, that this is only if you want to bet on the favorite. If you want to bet on the underdog, you’ll need to find a way to get more than 1:1 odds. Luckily, there is an easy way to do this! All you need is more than one wager, as we mentioned above. This gives you the advantage of having more bets with more favorable odds, which means that your chances of winning will be much higher than if you were to gamble with only one wager! Of course, this does come with some extra risk, as you may lose more than you win, but the mathematics of probability allow you to determine whether this is a safe or a profitable wager. Good luck out there.