Fractional Odds
Traditionally, bookmaker’s odds would always be quoted in fractional format and as a beginner this may be all you are familiar with. However if you were asked what the return would be from a £10 stake at odds of 5 /6, this may be quite confusing. For this reason we would recommend all arbitrage bettors use decimal odds. If you were asked to calculate the return of a £10 stake at odds of 1.83, this is straightforward, £18.30.
How to convert between Fractional and Decimal Odds
Although you are able to change preferences on all bookmaker’s apps to show decimal odds, it may still be useful to work out the translation.
To convert:
Fraction numerator divided by the fraction denominator, plus 1.
For example: 5 /6: 5 divided by 6 = 0.83 + 1 = 1.83 decimal odds.
Some calculations are much easier, such as odds of 1 /2.