Hold Calculator: How Much the Sportsbook Keeps
Hold is the share of all the money bet on a market that the sportsbook expects to keep. Add the implied probabilities of every outcome; the amount over 100% is the overround, and hold equals 1 minus 1 divided by that total. A -110/-110 market holds 4.55%.
Key facts
- The sum of implied probabilities above 100% is called the overround (Wikipedia, Overround).
- Hold = 1 − 1 ÷ (sum of implied probabilities).
- A -110/-110 two-way market has a total implied probability of 104.76% and a hold of about 4.55%.
Sportsbooks don't price at fair odds. They shade every outcome so the probabilities add up to more than 100%, and the extra is their margin. Hold turns that into one number you can compare across markets and sites. It runs in your browser, sends nothing anywhere and forgets your numbers when you close the page.
Hold calculator
Turn on JavaScript to use the calculator. The worked example below shows the same math by hand.
What you enter and what you get
You enter
- Odds, outcome 1: American, decimal or fractional.
- Odds, outcome 2: American, decimal or fractional odds.
- Odds, outcome 3 (optional): For three-way markets such as a soccer result.
- Odds, outcome 4 (optional): American, decimal or fractional odds.
You get
- Hold
- Outcome 1 implied
- Outcome 2 implied
- Outcome 3 implied
- Total implied probability
- Overround (extra over 100%)
- Hold (book's share of money bet)
- Expected cost per $100 bet across all outcomes
How the calculator works
- Convert each outcome's odds to an implied probability.
- Add them up. The total is usually above 100%.
- Overround is the total minus 100%.
- Hold = 1 − 1 ÷ total, the share of money bet the book expects to keep.
A worked example
A three-way soccer result priced +200, +230 and +140.
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Hold | 5.04% |
| Outcome 1 implied | 33.33% |
| Outcome 2 implied | 30.3% |
| Outcome 3 implied | 41.67% |
| Total implied probability | 105.3% |
| Overround (extra over 100%) | 5.3% |
| Hold (book's share of money bet) | 5.04% |
| Expected cost per $100 bet across all outcomes | $5.04 |
What the calculator leaves out
- Hold assumes bets arrive in proportion to each outcome's probability. Real money isn't balanced that way.
- It can't tell you which outcome the book shaded most.
- Futures markets with many outcomes carry far more hold than a two-way line.
How we checked it
Before it went on the page we checked it against two cases worked by hand: a -110 line on both sides has to give a 4.55% hold, and on a three-way line the implied chances have to add up to the total shown. The calculator is also run against thousands of odd entries such as blanks, zeros and huge numbers, so a bad entry shows a plain prompt and never a wrong number. The worked example above comes from the same code the calculator runs.
At a sweepstakes sportsbook
At a sweepstakes sportsbook the same math applies to the prices shown, but the site may also charge nothing visible, so compare the hold itself across sites. Sweepstakes vs Social vs Real-Money Casinos covers why these sites exist at all.
Betting math is not betting advice. Only play with money you can afford to lose, and if gambling stops being fun, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal hold?
Two-way main lines often sit near 4 to 5%. Props, futures and parlays are usually higher.
Is hold the same as vig?
They are close cousins. Hold is the market-wide margin; vig, or juice, is usually quoted per bet. Our vig calculator covers that view.
Can hold be negative?
If the probabilities add to less than 100%, the prices form an arbitrage between sites. Within a single book it is rare.
Start earning free reloads
Free to join. No deposit, no card. Cash out in LTC or USDT from $5.
Sign up freeSources
18+ only. ReloadRush is a free rewards site, not a casino: we do not offer gambling and do not sell coins or game credits. Not affiliated with any sweepstakes, social or online casino operator. Rules and state laws change, so check the operator's terms before you play.