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Betting Odds Explained: Decimal, Hong Kong and Malay in Pesos

By MERRYPH Editorial Team

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Betting odds are a price: they show what a winning stake pays back and, read the other way, the bookmaker’s estimate of how likely the outcome is. Asian sportsbooks, the BTI one behind MERRYPH’s Sports tab included, can show the same price in three formats, decimal, Hong Kong and Malay. Learn to convert between them and to turn any price into a percentage, and every market on the slip becomes readable. Here are the three formats and four numbers worth knowing.

How to read odds in three formats

DecimalHong KongMalay₱100 stake returnsImplied chance
1.500.500.50₱15066.7%
1.800.800.80₱18055.6%
2.001.001.00₱20050.0%
2.501.50-0.67₱25040.0%
4.003.00-0.33₱40025.0%

Hong Kong is decimal minus 1. Malay equals Hong Kong up to 1.00; above that it turns negative, equal to -1 divided by the Hong Kong figure.

Decimal odds: the one to default to

Decimal odds include the stake, so the payout is simply stake multiplied by odds: ₱250 at 1.72 returns ₱430. Switch the slip to decimal and compare every price the same way.

Four numbers worth reading on any slip

  1. Implied chance: 1 ÷ decimal odds. A 1.90 price works out to 52.6 percent.
  2. Margin: add the implied chances of all outcomes. Two sides at 1.90 give 105.3 percent, so the book keeps about 5.3 percent.
  3. Fair price: what the odds would be with no margin. For a true 50/50, 2.00.
  4. Break-even rate: how often a price must win to pay off. At 1.90 you need 52.6 wins in 100.

Converting a price in your head

  1. Hong Kong to decimal: add 1, so 0.85 HK is 1.85.
  2. Decimal to chance: 1 ÷ 1.85 is about 54 percent.
  3. Positive Malay to decimal: add 1, the same as Hong Kong.
  4. Negative Malay to decimal: drop the minus sign, take 1 divided by what is left, then add 1, so -0.50 becomes 3.00.

Over under betting on totals

Over under betting asks whether a total ends above or below a line. The line format decides whether a push is possible.

LineOver wins atUnder wins atPush
224.5 points225 or more224 or fewerNever
9.5 rounds (boxing)Fight passes the halfway mark of round 10Ends before itNever
2.0 goals3 or more0 or 1Exactly 2: stake back
2.25 goalsStake split across 2.0 and 2.5Same splitHalf-push on exactly 2

Quarter lines such as 2.25 split your stake in half across the two neighbouring lines, so a result can win or lose half.

Odds explained in four everyday terms

TermMeaning
FavouriteThe outcome with the shortest price, the lowest decimal number
UnderdogThe longer price, the higher decimal number
Push or voidThe stake comes back with no profit
Juice or vigAnother name for the margin above 100 percent

For how margin compounds across legs, see the parlay odds multiplied leg by leg. The boxing moneyline and round prices put these formats to work, and the casino terms glossary for PH players defines the casino side of the vocabulary. All sports pages are on the online sports betting hub.

How to Get Started

  1. Switch the slip to decimal

    Decimal odds include your stake, so the return is one multiplication and comparisons are easy.

  2. Turn the price into a percentage

    Take 1 over the decimal price; if you rate the outcome higher than that percentage, the price may be worth taking.

  3. Add up both sides to see the margin

    Add the implied chances of every outcome; anything above 100 percent is what the book keeps.

GuideType
Sports BettingShelf overview
ParlayGame notes
Esports BettingGame notes
NBA BettingGame notes
Boxing BettingGame notes

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Questions readers ask about this one

How do you read odds of 1.80?

In decimal, ₱100 at 1.80 returns ₱180, which is ₱80 profit plus your stake. That price implies about 55.6 percent (1 ÷ 1.80).

What is the difference between Hong Kong and decimal odds?

Hong Kong odds show profit per unit staked; decimal odds add the stake back. Decimal equals Hong Kong plus 1, so 0.90 HK is 1.90 decimal.

What does a negative Malay price mean?

It means the figure is what you risk to win one unit. At -0.67 you stake ₱67 to win ₱100, which is the Malay way of writing 2.50 decimal; Malay turns negative for every price above even money.

What is over under betting?

A bet on whether a total, such as points, goals or rounds, lands above or below a line set by the book. Half-point lines like 224.5 mean there is no tie.

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