Each-Way AtlasEach-way betting explained
How do you read fractional and decimal odds?
Fractional odds such as 5/1 show the profit for each £1 staked, while decimal odds such as 6.0 show the total return for each £1, stake included. Evens is 1/1, or 2.0 in decimals, and odds-on means shorter than evens. Subtract 1 from a decimal price to get the fractional profit, and add 1 to go back.
Editorial team of Each-Way Atlas · Checked
Facts: eight prices in both formats
| Fractional | Decimal | Profit on £1 | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/5 (odds-on) | 1.2 | £0.20 | 83.3% |
| 1/2 (odds-on) | 1.5 | £0.50 | 66.7% |
| 1/1 (evens) | 2.0 | £1.00 | 50.0% |
| 6/4 | 2.5 | £1.50 | 40.0% |
| 5/2 | 3.5 | £2.50 | 28.6% |
| 5/1 | 6.0 | £5.00 | 16.7% |
| 9/1 | 10.0 | £9.00 | 10.0% |
| 20/1 | 21.0 | £20.00 | 4.8% |
The short version: the same price can be written two ways, and the table above converts either one.
How do you read a fractional price?
The first number is the profit, and the second is the stake that earns it. At 5/2 you win £5 for every £2 staked, so £1 earns £2.50.
This matters because the stake comes back on top of the profit. Our entry on return versus profit keeps the two apart. See also fractional odds and odds-on and evens.
The short version: the fraction describes profit, not the total paid out.
How do you read a decimal price?
A decimal price is the total return for £1, stake included. At 3.5 a £1 bet returns £3.50, which is £2.50 profit plus the £1 stake.
To convert, subtract 1 and write the result as a fraction: 3.5 minus 1 is 2.5, which is 5/2. The reverse adds 1. See decimal odds and implied probability for the last column of the table.
The short version: decimal minus 1 gives the fractional profit per £1.
Example: £10 at 5/2
At 5/2 the profit is £10 × 5/2 = £25.00. The return is £25.00 plus the £10 stake, which is £35.00, and it equals £10 × 3.5 in decimals.
The same price works for the place part of an each-way bet.
A place fraction of 1/4 multiplies the profit: 5/2 × 1/4 = 5/8, so the place part pays at 5/8, or 1.625 in decimals. The fraction is invented here to show the step; real terms are on places and fractions.
The short version: the place fraction shrinks the profit, never the stake.
How we checked
Every figure on this page is produced by the formulas shown, and we checked the table by hand.
We have not yet recorded a regulator or race-organiser source for the definitions of the formats, so that source is marked Not verified until we add it with a date. See how we check.
18+ only. Gambling can be harmful.
The short version: the arithmetic is ours and the definition source is still to be added.
What changed
7 November 2026: first version. The next step is each-way places and fractions, or return to the each-way hub.
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