Hedge Bet Calculator

What this hedge calculator does

You have a bet already placed and the other side is now available at different odds. The hedge calculator tells you how much to stake on the other side to lock in equal profit either way, and how much profit that is.

It also shows the break-even hedge, which is the stake that returns your original stake if the first bet loses. A slider lets you test any custom hedge amount between zero and the equal-profit stake.

How the math works

Let d1 be the decimal odds of your original bet, d2 the decimal odds of the hedge, and S your original stake. The equal-profit hedge stake is H = (S x d1) / d2. The locked profit is S x d1 - S - H.

The break-even hedge is H = S / (d2 - 1). That hedge returns exactly your original stake if the first bet loses, so you break even on the pair. A hedge smaller than that loses money if the first bet loses, and a hedge larger than the equal-profit stake sacrifices profit if the first bet wins.

Worked example

You bet $100 on a team at +200 (decimal 3.0). The team is now up and the other side is +150 (decimal 2.5). The equal-profit hedge is (100 x 3.0) / 2.5 = $120. If your team wins you get $300 total, minus $100 stake, minus $120 hedge = $80 profit. If the hedge wins you get $120 x 2.5 = $300, minus $120 stake, minus $100 original = $80 profit.

The break-even hedge is 100 / (2.5 - 1) = $66.67. If your team loses, the hedge returns $166.67, which covers the $100 original loss plus the $66.67 hedge stake, so you break even.

Common mistakes

The biggest mistake is hedging too early at bad odds. If the hedge odds are much worse than the original, the locked profit may be tiny or negative. Wait for the line to move before hedging.

Another mistake is forgetting that a hedge is a separate bet. If you hedge and the original bet wins, you lose the hedge stake. The calculator accounts for that, but a mental estimate often does not.

Frequently asked questions