What exactly do odds mean when it comes to gambling? Well, simply put, it is the probability of you winning or losing. Simple as that. It is similar to the likelihood of a specific event or occurrence happening. This can refer to many things from receiving a top hand in Texas Hold ‘em, your favorite Baseball or Basketball team winning the game this weekend, or even you getting a Blackjack when playing Blackjack.
There is also another way for the term odds to be used. The term odds also can mean the amount of payout that you will receive if you win. It doesn’t mean the same odds as above with the casino gambling. However, the odds associated with, for example, casino sports books, are the amount that will be paid against a wager (or bet) placed. In other words, if you were placing a bet on your favorite baseball team and they had odds of 40 to 1 then you will usually win $40.00 on a $1.00 bet.
Now, there are three different main type of odds. The specific type of odds that are used at the casino you are visiting will depend upon the country in which you are playing. The three type of odds consist of fractional odds, decimal odds, and moneyline odds. Below, we will go into detail about each one.
The first we will talk about are fractional odds. These odds are primarily used in the United Kingdom and British areas and therefore are commonly known as UK odds or British odds. With these odds, you receive you original bet back as well as the fractional odds payout. With that said, if the fractional odds stated 4/1 then you would receive $4 for each $1 bet. In addition, you could also say that you must bet $4 in order to receive a profit of $1. It could work both ways.
Now, decimal odds are primarily used in the mainland Europe and Australia. When the decimal odds are shown, you will see the bet you placed as well as the payout that you will receive. For example, if you had 5/1 or five to one then it would be shown as 6 due to the fact that you would receive to the five to one plus your one wager. If you were to see 1/5, then the decimal odds would be shown as 1.20.
The final type of odds is the moneyline odds. These are most commonly used in America, or the United States, and are often known as American odds. The moneyline odds are factored at what you need to bet in order to win $100 with a minus sign or what you will win for each $100 that you wager with a plus sign. For example, if you were to see +$30 that that means that if you were to place a $100 bet then you would win $130. On the opposite end of that, if you were to see -$50 then that means that you would win $100 for each $50 bet. The team most likely to win will have the plus sign next to their odds whereas the weaker team will have the minus sign next to their odds.
Casino odds are definitely something that can be a bit tricky, especially at first. Make sure you understand the difference between five to one and one to five. Do your research and do some fake bets at home to make sure you understand what you are doing before placing the real ones.
