In sports betting, "odds" are simply a different way of expressing Implied Probability. Whether you are looking at American, Decimal, Fractional, Hong Kong, Indonesian, or Malay odds, they all represent the same thing: the likelihood of an outcome occurring, plus the bookmaker's margin. Mastering these six formats allows you to bet with confidence anywhere in the world.
The Six Global Odds Formats
| Format | Region | Description |
|---|
| Decimal | Europe, Australia, Canada | Total payout including stake. Odds of 2.50 mean $2.50 returned for every $1 wagered. |
| American | United States | Moneyline format: positive (+) shows profit on $100, negative (-) shows stake needed to win $100. |
| Fractional | UK & Ireland | Profit relative to stake. Odds of 5/1 mean $5 profit for every $1 wagered. |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Similar to decimal but excludes stake. Odds of 1.50 mean $1.50 profit for every $1 wagered. |
| Indonesian | Indonesia | Similar to American but divided by 100. +1.50 means $1.50 profit per $1, -1.50 means stake $1.50 to win $1. |
| Malay | Malaysia | Positive odds (0.01 to 1.00) show profit per unit. Negative odds show stake needed to win 1 unit. |
Complete Conversion Formulas
Understanding the math allows you to spot value faster and move between betting markets seamlessly. Here is how all six formats translate mathematically, using Decimal odds as the central reference point:
Converting Decimal to All Formats
Given Decimal Odds = D
| American (Positive) | If D ≥ 2.00 | (D - 1) × 100 | D = 3.00 → +200 |
| American (Negative) | If D<2.00 | -100 ÷ (D - 1) | D = 1.50 → -200 |
| Fractional | Always | (D - 1) as fraction | D = 4.50 → 7/2 |
| Hong Kong | Always | D - 1 | D = 2.50 → 1.50 |
| Indonesian (Positive) | If D ≥ 2.00 | D - 1 | D = 3.00 → +2.00 |
| Indonesian (Negative) | If D<2.00 | -1 ÷ (D - 1) | D = 1.50 → -2.00 |
| Malay (Positive) | If D ≤ 2.00 | D - 1 | D = 1.50 → 0.50 |
| Malay (Negative) | If D>2.00 | -1 ÷ (D - 1) | D = 3.00 → -0.50 |
Worked Example: Converting All Six Formats
Starting Point: Decimal Odds of 1.40 (Favorite)
| American | -100 ÷ (1.40 - 1) = -100 ÷ 0.40 = -250 |
| Fractional | 1.40 - 1 = 0.40 = 2/5 |
| Hong Kong | 1.40 - 1 = 0.40 |
| Indonesian | 1.40<2.00 → -1 ÷ (1.40 - 1) = -1 ÷ 0.40 = -2.50 |
| Malay | 1.40 ≤ 2.00 → 1.40 - 1 = 0.40 |
| Implied Probability | 1 ÷ 1.40 × 100% = 71.43% |
Starting Point: Decimal Odds of 2.50 (Underdog)
| American | (2.50 - 1) × 100 = +150 |
| Fractional | 2.50 - 1 = 1.50 = 3/2 |
| Hong Kong | 2.50 - 1 = 1.50 |
| Indonesian | 2.50 ≥ 2.00 → 2.50 - 1 = +1.50 |
| Malay | 2.50>2.00 → -1 ÷ (2.50 - 1) = -1 ÷ 1.50 = -0.67 |
| Implied Probability | 1 ÷ 2.50 × 100% = 40% |
Starting Point: Decimal Odds of 3.00 (Underdog)
| American | (3.00 - 1) × 100 = +200 |
| Fractional | 3.00 - 1 = 2.00 = 2/1 |
| Hong Kong | 3.00 - 1 = 2.00 |
| Indonesian | 3.00 ≥ 2.00 → 3.00 - 1 = +2.00 |
| Malay | 3.00>2.00 → -1 ÷ (3.00 - 1) = -1 ÷ 2.00 = -0.50 |
| Implied Probability | 1 ÷ 3.00 × 100% = 33.33% |
Complete Six-Format Conversion Table
| Decimal | American | Fractional | Hong Kong | Indonesian | Malay | Probability |
|---|
| 1.20 | -500 | 1/5 | 0.20 | -5.00 | 0.20 | 83.33% |
| 1.33 | -300 | 1/3 | 0.33 | -3.00 | 0.33 | 75.00% |
| 1.50 | -200 | 1/2 | 0.50 | -2.00 | 0.50 | 66.67% |
| 1.67 | -150 | 2/3 | 0.67 | -1.50 | 0.67 | 60.00% |
| 1.91 | -110 | 10/11 | 0.91 | -1.10 | 0.91 | 52.38% |
| 2.00 | +100 | 1/1 | 1.00 | +1.00 | 1.00 | 50.00% |
| 2.50 | +150 | 3/2 | 1.50 | +1.50 | -0.67 | 40.00% |
| 3.00 | +200 | 2/1 | 2.00 | +2.00 | -0.50 | 33.33% |
| 4.00 | +300 | 3/1 | 3.00 | +3.00 | -0.33 | 25.00% |
| 5.00 | +400 | 4/1 | 4.00 | +4.00 | -0.25 | 20.00% |
| 10.00 | +900 | 9/1 | 9.00 | +9.00 | -0.11 | 10.00% |
Why Professionals Prefer Decimal Odds
While American odds are popular in the US, almost all sharp bettors, arbitrage software, and betting exchanges use Decimal odds. The reason is simple: Decimals represent the total payout (Stake + Profit) in one number, making it much easier to calculate ROI, compare odds across bookmakers, and identify arbitrage opportunities.
- Calculation Speed: To calculate a parlay, you simply multiply decimals. For example, 1.91 × 1.91 = 3.648. In American odds (-110 × -110), the math requires converting to probabilities first, making mental calculation nearly impossible.
- Universal Arbitrage Detection: When scanning for arbitrage, you need to sum the reciprocals of odds. With decimal odds, this is straightforward: 1/1.91 + 1/2.10 = 0.5236 + 0.4762 = 0.9998, indicating a surebet opportunity.
- Instant Favorite Recognition: Decimal odds make it instantly clear who the favorite is. Anything below 2.00 is a favorite (implied probability above 50%); anything above 2.00 is an underdog (implied probability below 50%).
Pro Tip: The Breakeven Point
Our Odds Converter also provides the Implied Probability. This is your "breakeven" percentage—the frequency at which you must win your bets to avoid losing money. If you bet on a team at -110 (1.91 decimal), the implied probability is 52.4%. This means you must win more than 52.4% of your bets at these odds just to stay even with the house. Any probability assessment above that represents positive expected value (+EV).
Quick Breakeven Reference
Decimal 1.20
Breakeven: 83.3%
Decimal 1.33
Breakeven: 75.0%
Decimal 1.50
Breakeven: 66.7%
Decimal 1.67
Breakeven: 60.0%
Decimal 2.00
Breakeven: 50.0%
Decimal 2.50
Breakeven: 40.0%
Decimal 3.00
Breakeven: 33.3%
Decimal 4.00
Breakeven: 25.0%
Decimal 5.00
Breakeven: 20.0%
Decimal 10.00
Breakeven: 10.0%