Dutching calculator.
Dutching means backing two or more selections in the same event and splitting your stake so you win the same amount whichever one comes in. Enter your selections’ odds and either a total stake or a target profit, and this free calculator works out exactly how much to put on each, plus your return and profit. It handles up to eight selections in decimal or American odds.
Split for equal profit
LiveProfit (any winner)
27.66
return on stake +27.66%
Every selection is staked to return the same amount. The profit shown applies only if one of your selections wins. Calculations run in your browser; nothing is stored. For entertainment, not betting advice.
The short answer
What is dutching?
Dutching is backing more than one selection in the same event and splitting your stake so that you win the same amount whichever of them comes in. Instead of picking a single winner, you cover a shortlist, sizing each bet by its odds so every result pays out identically. The name comes from Al Capone’s accountant, Dutch Schultz, who used the method at the racetrack.
How to use this calculator
Enter the odds for each selection you want to back, adding or removing rows as needed. Choose whether to work from a fixed total stake or a target profit, and type that figure in. The calculator splits the stake across your selections so each one returns the same amount, then shows the stake for every selection, your total outlay, the return if any of them wins, and your profit.
Switch to target profit when you know exactly how much you want to make, and the calculator works backwards to the stakes and total outlay needed to get there.
Worked through
How the stakes are worked out.
The split is set by each selection’s implied probability, so the shorter the price, the bigger its share of the stake.
Start simple with two selections at 2.50 and 3.00 and a total stake of 100. Their implied probabilities are 1 divided by 2.50, which is 40%, and 1 divided by 3.00, which is 33.33%. Together that is 73.33%. Split the stake in those proportions: 54.55 on the first and 45.45 on the second. Whichever wins, you get back 136.36, a profit of 36.36, or 36.4% on your stake.
Add a third selection and the same logic scales. Three runners at 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 imply 33.33%, 25% and 20%, totalling 78.33%. On a 100 stake that splits to 42.55, 31.91 and 25.53, and any winner returns 127.66 for a 27.66 profit. Notice the profit dropped: every selection you add widens your coverage but shares the pot more thinly, so the return per winner falls.
The classic use
Dutching in horse racing.
Racing is where dutching was born and where it still earns its keep, turning a strong read on a few runners into one evenly paid bet.
Picture a competitive 12-runner handicap where you can confidently rule out most of the field but cannot split three live contenders priced at 4.0, 5.0 and 8.0. Backing one and hoping is a guess between them. Dutching backs all three for the same profit instead.
Their implied probabilities add to 57.5%, so on a 100 stake the calculator puts 43.48 on the first, 34.78 on the second and 21.74 on the third. Any of the three winning returns 173.91, a profit of 73.91. You no longer need to pick which of your trio comes home, only to be right that the winner is one of them. That is the everyday edge dutching gives a racing punter: it converts a confident read on a small group into a single bet, and the stake maths takes a second, so you can get on before the price moves.
The key test
When does dutching profit?
There is one rule that decides whether a dutch is worth placing: the combined implied probability of your selections.
Add up the implied probabilities of every selection you are backing. If the total comes to less than 100%, a winner pays you more than your total stake, so the dutch shows a profit. If it comes to more than 100%, you are covering too much of the market, and even when one of your picks wins you get back less than you put in.
In the three-runner example the implied probabilities added to 78.33%, comfortably under 100%, which is why it returned a 27.66% profit. Push in too many selections, or ones priced too short, and that total creeps over 100% and the edge disappears. This is the single number to watch, and it is exactly the figure the calculator is built around. Dutching only makes sense while your shortlist stays under that 100% line.
The trade-off
How many should you dutch?
More selections mean a better chance of catching the winner, but a smaller payout when you do. The sweet spot is usually narrow.
Two selections give the biggest profit per winner but the least coverage, since everything outside your pair beats you. Three or four widen the net at the cost of a thinner return. Beyond five, the maths usually stops being worth it: the combined implied probability climbs toward 100%, the profit per winner shrinks to pennies, and you are paying to back runners you did not really fancy in the first place.
The practical advice from most dutchers is to keep it to two to four genuine contenders. Dutching is at its best when you can confidently rule out most of the field and back the handful that can actually win. If you find yourself adding selection after selection just to feel covered, the edge is already gone, and you would be better off with a single value bet.
Know the difference
Dutching vs arbitrage vs a single bet.
They share the same maths but answer different questions. Knowing which you are doing keeps your expectations honest.
Dutching
You back a shortlist of selections at one bookmaker for equal profit whichever wins. It is not risk-free: if none of your picks win, you lose the lot. The skill is in narrowing the field, the calculator just sizes the stakes.
Arbitrage
You back every outcome, usually across different bookmakers, so one of them must win and the combined price guarantees a profit. The maths is identical to dutching, but because it covers all outcomes for under 100%, the result is locked in.
A single bet
One selection, the full stake, the highest payout if it wins and nothing if it loses. Dutching trades some of that upside for a better chance of collecting, by spreading across several runners instead of one.
In practice
When to use dutching.
Dutching earns its keep in a few specific situations, mostly in racing and in trading.
The classic use is a horse race where you can confidently eliminate most of the field but cannot separate two or three live contenders. Rather than guess between them, you back all of them for the same profit, so being right about the group is enough, you do not have to pick the exact winner. It also suits markets with a clear favourite or two that you expect to fight it out.
Traders use it to lock in or balance positions, and matched bettors sometimes dutch across bookmakers instead of laying on an exchange when the numbers work out better. In every case the principle is the same: convert a confident read on a small group of selections into a single, evenly paid bet. Where it does not belong is as a way to feel safe by backing half the field, that just hands the margin back to the book.
The other mode
A target-profit example.
Switch to target profit when you have a number in mind, and the calculator works backwards to the stakes you need.
Say you want to clear 50 in profit from the same three runners at 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0. Their implied probabilities still add to 78.33%, so the calculator scales everything up to hit your target: a total stake of 180.77, split 76.92, 57.69 and 46.15 across the three. Whichever wins returns 230.77, which is your 180.77 back plus the 50 you wanted.
The proportions are identical to the total-stake version, just sized to your goal rather than your budget. It is the handier mode when you manage a bankroll to a fixed return, and it doubles as a reality check: if hitting 50 means risking 180.77, you can see at a glance whether the stake is one you are comfortable with, because that full 180.77 is gone if none of the three win.
Watch out
Common dutching mistakes.
The maths is simple, so most losses come from how the tool is used, not the calculation itself.
Backing too many selections
The most common error. Adding runners to feel safe pushes the combined implied probability over 100%, and the dutch quietly turns into a guaranteed loss. Keep the shortlist tight.
Forgetting commission
On an exchange, commission comes off your winnings, so the real return is lower than the headline figure. Factor it in before deciding a dutch is worth placing.
Treating it as risk-free
Dutching equalises profit, it does not guarantee it. If none of your picks win, the whole stake is gone. It only becomes risk-free when you cover the entire market for under 100%, which is arbitrage.
Before you bet
The honest catch.
Dutching equalises your profit across your selections, but it does not guarantee one. Unless you are arbing a whole market for under 100%, you can still lose every penny if none of your picks win. It spreads risk across a shortlist; it does not remove it. The calculator gives you perfect stakes, not a winning opinion, and the opinion is the part that matters.
Treat it as a staking tool, not a system, and only ever bet money you can afford to lose. If betting stops being fun or starts to feel out of control, free confidential help is available at BeGambleAware.org.
Questions
Dutching questions.
What is dutching in betting?
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Dutching is backing more than one selection in the same event and splitting your stake so you win the same amount whichever one wins. You size each bet by its odds, covering a shortlist instead of picking a single winner. It is named after Dutch Schultz, who used it at the racetrack.
How are dutching stakes calculated?
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Convert each selection’s odds to an implied probability, which is 1 divided by the decimal odds, and add them up. Each selection’s stake is its share of that total, multiplied by your total stake. This makes every selection return the same amount, so your profit is identical whichever one wins.
Does dutching guarantee a profit?
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No. Dutching only equalises your profit across your selections; it does not guarantee one. If none of your picks win, you lose your whole stake. A profit is only locked in when you cover every outcome for a combined implied probability under 100%, which is arbitrage, not ordinary dutching.
How many selections should you dutch?
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Usually two to four. Two give the biggest profit per winner but the least coverage, while three or four widen the net for a smaller return. Beyond five the combined implied probability climbs toward 100% and the profit shrinks too far to be worth it. Dutch only genuine contenders.
What is the difference between dutching and arbitrage?
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The maths is the same, but the intent differs. Dutching backs a shortlist of selections you fancy at one book, and is not risk-free. Arbitrage backs every outcome, usually across several books, for a combined price under 100%, which guarantees a profit whatever happens. Arbitrage is dutching the whole market at a profit.
Is dutching better than an accumulator?
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They do opposite jobs. An accumulator combines selections that must all win for a big payout, raising risk and reward. Dutching backs selections in one event where only one can win, lowering risk for a smaller, steadier return. Dutching is the more conservative play.
Can you dutch on a betting exchange?
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Yes. You can dutch across selections on an exchange just as you would at a bookmaker, sizing each back bet for equal profit. Remember to account for the exchange commission on winnings, since it eats into the return, and the calculator’s figures are before commission.
What odds do I need for dutching to profit?
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There is no fixed number; what matters is that the combined implied probability of your selections stays under 100%. Longer-priced selections leave more room, so a few mid-priced runners will profit while many short-priced ones will not. The calculator shows the figure instantly as you add selections.
What is lay dutching?
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Lay dutching is the reverse: instead of backing several selections to win, you lay several to lose, spreading the liability so you profit if any of the others wins. It is used on exchanges when you want to oppose a small group of selections rather than back one. The staking maths mirrors normal dutching.
Is dutching worth it?
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It can be, when you can confidently narrow an event to a few contenders and the combined odds leave a margin. It lowers variance compared with a single bet and pays evenly whichever of your picks wins. But it is a staking method, not an edge: the profit still depends on your selections being good value.
What sports can you dutch?
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Any sport with several possible outcomes in one event. Horse and greyhound racing are the classics, but you can dutch football markets such as the 1X2 or correct score, golf and tennis outrights, and motorsport. Wherever you can back more than one selection in the same event, dutching applies.
Can dutching lose money?
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Yes. If none of your backed selections win, you lose your whole stake. And if you back so many selections that their combined implied probability tops 100%, you lose even when one of them wins. Dutching spreads and manages risk, but it does not remove it.
Can you dutch a football match?
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Yes. Dutching works on any market with a few outcomes you want to cover, such as backing both a home win and the draw in a 1X2, or several correct-score lines. Enter each price and the calculator splits your stake so any of those results returns the same profit.
What is the dutching percentage?
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It is the combined implied probability of your selections: the sum of 1 divided by each decimal odds. Under 100% means a winner shows a profit, while over 100% means you would lose even when one of your picks wins. It is the single figure that decides whether a dutch is worth placing.
Does dutching work for matched betting?
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Sometimes. Matched bettors occasionally dutch across two bookmakers instead of laying on an exchange, when the back prices cover the outcomes for less than a lay would cost. Whether it beats laying depends on the exact numbers and the commission on the day.
Is dutching legal?
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Yes. Dutching is simply placing several ordinary bets sized in a particular way, which is completely legal. As with any method that wins consistently, a bookmaker may limit or restrict your account over time, but the technique itself breaks no rules.
About the developer
Jean Borg
Jean builds and maintains every calculator on freecalculators.pro from Malta, with a focus on tools that are fast, free and show their working. This dutching calculator sizes stakes for equal profit across your selections and the figures are verified for accuracy. It is provided for education, not as betting advice. Please bet responsibly. Page last updated June 2026.