How dutching works
Each selection gets a share of the stake in proportion to its implied probability, which is one divided by the decimal odds. Shorter prices get bigger stakes and longer prices smaller ones, so every winning outcome returns the same amount.
For example, £100 dutched across three horses at 4.00, 5.00 and 6.00 puts £40.54 on the first, £32.43 on the second and £27.03 on the third. Whichever of them wins, the return is about £162, a profit of £62. If none of them wins, you lose the full £100.
The sum of the implied probabilities tells you whether a dutch can make money. If the selections together add up to more than 100%, every winning outcome returns less than you staked.
Worked example: £100 across three selections
| Selection | Odds | Stake | Return if it wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3/1 (4.00) | £40.54 | £162.16 |
| B | 4/1 (5.00) | £32.43 | £162.16 |
| C | 5/1 (6.00) | £27.03 | £162.16 |
The three prices make a 61.7% book, so any of them winning returns a profit of £62.16. If none of them wins, the £100 is lost.
Worth knowing
Dutching does not change the odds of losing; it just spreads your stake across more outcomes. It suits races where you have ruled out the favourite and like two or three others, rather than a way of guaranteeing profit.
Dutching questions
What is dutching in betting?
Backing more than one selection in the same event with stakes sized so you make the same profit whichever wins. The name is often said to come from a 1930s American bookmaker, Dutch Schultz.
Is dutching profitable?
Only if the selections you back are, together, more likely to win than their combined price suggests. The calculator shows the combined book percentage: below 100% means a winner returns a profit, but you still lose everything if none of them wins.