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Betting Guide · Updated October 2026

Betting Calculators — Work Out Your Return

Knowing your potential return — and your true outlay — before you bet is basic discipline. These worked examples cover every common racing bet; plug in your own numbers using the same formulas.

01Win and place returns

Win return = stake × odds. A $10 win bet at $4.60 returns $46 (including your stake). Place return = stake × place dividend; note TAB place dividends are declared after the race, while bookmaker place bets are priced from win odds at the place fraction (commonly a quarter).

02Each-way returns

Total stake = 2 × your each-way amount. If the horse wins: return = win stake × win odds + place stake × place odds. Example: $10 each-way at $9.00/$2.60 → $90 + $26 = $116 back from $20 staked. If it places: return = $26, a $6 profit. If it misses: $20 lost.

03Exotic cost calculator

Boxed quinella with 4 horses = 6 combos = $6 at $1 units. Boxed exacta with 4 = 12 combos = $12. Boxed trifecta with 4 = 24 combos = $24; with 5 = 60 combos. Quaddie: multiply selections per leg — 2×2×3×4 = 48 combos = $48. Standout legs cut costs dramatically: one banker turns 3×3×3×3 (81) into 3×3×3 (27).

04Flexi betting percentages

Flexi lets you take a percentage of the full ticket: a $48 quaddie at 25% flexi costs $12 and pays 25% of the final dividend. Always calculate the full-ticket cost first, then choose the flexi percentage that fits your budget — never shrink coverage by dropping key runners to afford a bigger stake.

05Dividend and odds conversions

Decimal odds to implied probability: 1 ÷ odds × 100. A $4.00 chance is an implied 25%. Fractional odds $4/1 convert to decimal 5.00. To compare tote dividends with fixed odds, remember tote dividends are quoted per $1 including stake, same as decimal odds.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate a quaddie cost?›

Multiply the number of selections in each leg. Three horses in all four legs = 3×3×3×3 = 81 combinations = $81 at $1 units. Flexi betting takes a percentage of that.

What does a boxed trifecta with 5 horses cost?›

5 × 4 × 3 = 60 combinations, so $60 at $1 units. A standout trifecta — one horse to win with five for second and third — is 4 × 5 = 20 combinations.

How much does a $5 each-way bet cost?›

$10 — $5 on the win and $5 on the place. Both portions are live on every run.

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