A $300 total return can include $200 in profit or only $100. The difference is how much of that money is your original stake. The +200 and -200 examples below show both calculations.
Your stake is the amount you risk. Net profit is what a winning wager earns, excluding the returned stake. Total return includes both amounts.
A winning wager at +200
Positive American odds show the profit on a $100 stake. At +200, a hypothetical $100 stake earns $200 in net profit if the wager wins.
- Stake: $100
- Net profit: $200
- Total return: $300
If you read the $300 total as profit, you count the original $100 stake as new earnings.
To calculate the profit for a different stake at +200, multiply the stake by 200 and divide by 100. Add the stake afterward to find the total return.
For example, a winning $25 stake at +200 earns $50 in net profit. The total return is $75: the $25 stake plus the $50 profit.
A winning wager at -200
Negative American odds show the stake required to earn $100 in profit. At -200, a hypothetical $200 stake earns $100 in net profit if the wager wins.
- Stake: $200
- Net profit: $100
- Total return: $300
The minus sign selects the negative-odds calculation. It does not mean a winning wager produces negative profit.
For a different stake at -200, multiply the stake by 100 and divide by 200. Then add the stake to calculate the total return.
A winning $50 stake at -200 earns $25 in net profit. The total return is $75, including the original $50 stake.
Read the payout label before comparing amounts
The larger examples both return $300, but they require different stakes. The +200 example puts $100 at risk for $200 in profit. The -200 example puts $200 at risk for $100 in profit.
If a bet slip shows a potential payout, check whether the label means net profit or total return. Add the stake once when calculating total return. Leave it out when the question asks only for net profit.
These examples assume a hypothetical winning standard cash wager. They exclude fees, bonuses, pushes, voids and cash-out settlement. The calculations explain payouts at these two prices, not the chance of winning or a promise of a result.
For the probability calculation behind a price, see implied probability in sports betting.
Source: Pinnacle, “What are the different odds formats available?”
