Hedging means placing a bet on the opposite side of a position you already hold, so you lock in a result instead of leaving it to chance. This calculator takes your original stake and odds plus the current opposite-side odds, then sizes the hedge so your profit is the same whichever outcome occurs.
How hedging works
When you have an open bet — say a futures ticket or a bet whose price has since moved in your favour — you can bet the other side to guarantee an outcome. The hedge stake is sized so that both outcomes leave you with the same profit.
The formula for the hedge stake is (original stake × original odds) ÷ hedge odds. That makes your return identical whether the original bet or the hedge wins, turning a variable position into a fixed one.
Hedging trades upside for certainty: you give up the chance of the full original win in exchange for a guaranteed, smaller profit (or a capped loss). Note the calculator ignores exchange commission — apply a (1 − commission) factor if you are hedging on Betfair or similar.
Worked example
You hold a $100 bet at decimal odds of 3.00, and the opposite side is now available at 1.60.
Hedge stake = ($100 × 3.00) ÷ 1.60 = $187.50. Your total outlay is $287.50.
If the original wins: $100 × 3.00 − $287.50 = $12.50 profit. If the hedge wins: $187.50 × 1.60 − $287.50 = $12.50 profit. Either way you lock in $12.50, a guaranteed 4.3% return.