100/1 Odds - How Much Will YOU Win? Get the (QUICK) Answer

When it comes to betting, few odds capture the imagination quite like 100/1. Hearing that a horse, football team, or even a lottery-style bet is priced up at these odds sparks curiosity: “What if I only put a small stake on it?”

Let’s break down exactly what these odds mean, how much you’d win depending on your stake, and why bookmakers offer such long prices in the first place.

However, we'll also keep things in perspective, because even in the National, one of the most open contests in horse racing, only five runners have come home at 100/1 odds in the past 100 years!

QUICK GUIDE TO 100/1 WIN BET RETURNS

£1 @ 100/1 = £100
£2 @ 100/1 = £200
£5 @ 100/1 = £500
£10 @ 100/1 = £1000
£25 @ 100/1 = £2500
£50 @ 100/1 = £5000
£100 @ 100/1 = £10,000
The amounts above do not include returned stakes.

100/1 winning bets tend to make the news. That's because they're quite rare. Yes, there will always be someone who took a punt on a long shot and won. But that's the exception and not the rule.

However, if you are one of those very lucky people who back and wins with a 100/1 shot then this is how to work out your bet.

EXAMPLE 100/1 BET (WIN)

A £1 winning bet at odds of 100/1 will payout £100, plus your £1 stake is returned. If you place more, the returns are increased by the amount you bet.

So a stake of £2 will return £200 back (plus £2 stake). A winning bet of £50 will net you £5000 plus your £50 back.

All you have to do is multiply the first number by the amount you've wagered.

The first number (100) is the amount you’ll win from wagering the second number (1).

So for every £1 or $1 or €1 you spend, you will win 100 back. It really is that straightforward.

BOYLESPORTS OFFER

BET £10 GET £20 IN FREE BETS

CLAIM OFFER

New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Mobile exclusive. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Payment method restrictions. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. Full T&Cs apply. 18+ begambleaware.org. #ad. Please bet responsibly.

Only a few sports will have odds as large as 100/1, and you're most likely to see them in horse racing events like the Cheltenham Gold Cup or Grand National.

Occasionally, you might see a football team like Everton priced up as a 100/1 shot to win the Premier League title.

Famously in 2016, Leicester City won the league at the ridiculously odds of 5000/1.

BETFRED OFFER

GET £50 IN FREE BETS WHEN YOU BET £10

CLAIM OFFER

New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs 18+ gambleaware.org. #ad. Please bet responsibly.

In 2009 Mon Mome won the Grand National for trainer Venetia Williams.

It was an extraordinary feat but also one that hadn't happened since 1967, when Foinavon romped home.

EXAMPLE 100/1 BET (EACH WAY)

In the context of long shots, an each-way bet is a better one to consider. Depending on the bookmakers, those payout odds vary.

So we will assume for the purposes of this article that it's a quarter odds.

A ‘Place' or ‘Each-way' option means you are backing your horse/team/player to both win and place.

If they finish in either 2nd, 3rd or even 4th & 5th place (depending on the bookmaker and race), you may still get some money back.

However, this also doubles your stake. That's because you're betting on a win AND on a place. So a £1 bet will now become £2. You are putting £1 on the Win and another £1 on the Place.

If you win you'll get your £100 (Win bet) + £1 (Stake) + £25 (Place bet at 1/4 odds) + £1 (Stake) so you will end up with £127 in your pocket.

If they do not win but place, you will only get back £25 (Place bet at 1/4 odds) + £1 (Stake) = £26

So there you have it, 100/1 explained in simple terms. You can also check out my payout guide below for the potential returns on an each-way bet placed at 100/1.

However, you can also use our online bet calculator to work out other odds and stake combinations.

You can also check out our 50/1 guide here.

100/1 EACH WAY BETS (2nd, 3rd or 4th Place)

£1 = £25
£2 = £50
£5 = £125
£10 = £250
£25 = £625
£50 = £1250
£100 = £2500

Amounts above do not include returned stakes and assume the bet is settled each way at a quarter odds.

If your each-way bet wins, you can add together the win bet column and place bet column to get the correct amount.

For example, a £5 win at 100/1 pays £500 + £5 place at 100/1 pays out £125, giving you a total of £6250 plus your £20 stake is returned.

The Appeal of 100/1 Bets

The real allure of a 100/1 bet lies in its sense of possibility against the odds. These bets are usually placed on rank outsiders, the selections that very few people expect to succeed.

In horse racing, it might be a runner with little recent form lining up in a major festival race, seemingly outclassed by the competition.

In football, it could be a team priced at 100/1 to win a tournament they’ve scarcely qualified for in the past, or an unfancied side tipped for relegation suddenly backed for glory.

In other sports and markets, it might be an unlikely goalscorer, a far-fetched correct scoreline, or any scenario seen as highly improbable.

Most of the time, these bets fail to come through, bookmakers don’t offer 100/1 lightly, after all.

But the thrill lies in the knowledge that just occasionally, the impossible does happen.

When it does, those who placed even the smallest of stakes are rewarded with a life-changing win.

History is full of sporting shocks where 100/1 winners have stunned fans and bookmakers alike, especially in horse racing, where long-odds upsets have become part of racing history.

For bettors, that glimmer of hope, however unlikely, is what makes the appeal of a 100/1 bet so powerful.

Why Do Bookmakers Offer 100/1 Odds?

Bookmakers offer big odds to attract customers and generate excitement around a particular event or outcome.

Long shot odds are often offered for events where the likelihood of a particular outcome occurring is considered very low.

For example, a bookmaker might offer these odds on a team that is expected to lose heavily. While the chances of that team winning are very low, offering long shot odds can generate interest and encourage people to place bets.

In addition, offering long shot odds can help to balance the bookmaker's risk. Bookmakers try to ensure that they make a profit regardless of the outcome of an event, by adjusting the odds to attract bets on both sides of the outcome.

Offering long odds can encourage people to bet on unlikely outcomes, which can help to balance the bookmaker's exposure to risk.

It's important to note that bookmakers set their odds based on their assessment of the probability of an outcome occurring, as well as other factors such as public opinion and the amount of money bet on each outcome.

Long odds are not necessarily a good value bet, and it's important to carefully consider the likelihood of an event occurring and the potential payout before placing a bet, regardless of the odds offered.

BLOG

100/1 Odds – How Much Will YOU Win? Get the (QUICK) Answer

QUICK GUIDE TO 100/1 WIN BET RETURNS