Dutching Calculator
By the TheyShoot editorial team. Updated
Dutching means backing several selections in one market so that you win the same amount whichever of them wins. Enter your total stake and each selection's odds: the calculator splits the stake for you, in proportion to each selection's implied probability, and shows the return.
Return if any selection wins
£81.08
Profit £31.08 on a £50.00 total stake. Combined odds 1.62; the selections cover 61.7% implied probability.
How do you use the dutching calculator?
- Enter the total amount you want to stake across all your selections.
- Enter the odds for each selection, in fractional, decimal or American format. Add a row for each extra selection.
- Place the stake shown next to each selection. Whichever one wins, you get the same return.
How is a dutching stake worked out?
Each selection's stake is the total stake × (1 ÷ its decimal odds) ÷ the sum of (1 ÷ odds) for every selection. The sum of 1 ÷ odds is the share of the market you've covered. The return from any winner is the total stake divided by that sum.
If the sum is below 1 (100%), every winner shows a profit. If it's above 1, you've covered so much of the market that a winner returns less than you staked, and dutching locks in a loss.
Worked example
You fancy three horses at 3/1 (4.00), 4/1 (5.00) and 5/1 (6.00) and want to stake £50 in total. The implied probabilities are 25%, 20% and 16.7%, which add up to 61.7%. The stakes are £20.27, £16.22 and £13.51. Whichever horse wins, the return is £50 ÷ 0.617 = £81.08, a £31.08 profit. If none of the three wins, you lose the £50.
When does dutching make sense?
Dutching suits races and correct-score or first-goalscorer markets, where you can narrow the winner down to a few options but can't split them. It doesn't create value on its own: if each price is shorter than its true chance, dutching them together is still a poor bet. Compare each price with a fair price, for example from our implied probability calculator.
FAQs
What does dutching mean in betting?
Backing more than one selection in the same event, with stakes set so that every winner returns the same amount.
Is dutching guaranteed profit?
No. You lose your whole stake if none of your selections wins. You only profit on a winner if the implied probabilities of your selections add up to less than 100%.
How many selections can I dutch?
As many as you like, but each extra selection lowers the return. This calculator handles up to 12.
Why is it called dutching?
The name is usually traced to Arthur Flegenheimer, the 1930s New York gangster known as Dutch Schultz, who is said to have backed several horses in a race this way.