Oh for the days when a straightforward 10/1 was so easy to come by. Now, with so many betting markets, bookmakers are taking an edge where ever they can. That’s why we see so many unusual and frankly, very short odds!
Working out your bet can be tricky if you’ve bet on unusual odds. And there are plenty of them.
From the supersized 33/1 to the very mean 7/11 and everything in between, no wonder it’s so difficult to work out your bet.
In this article, we’ll not only break down what 2/9 odds mean in terms of returns, but we’ll also look at some betting strategies specifically for short odds wagers.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned better or new to the game, nobody can fault you for not being able to work 2/9 odds in your head.
So here’s the very quick answer:
QUICK GUIDE TO 2/9 WIN BET RETURNS
£1 @ 2/9 = £1.22
£2 @ 2/9 = £2.44
£5 @ 2/9 = £6.11
£10 @ 2/9 = £12.22
£25 @ 2/9 = £30.56
£50 @ 2/9 = £61.11
£100 @ 2/9 = £122.22
Amounts above INCLUDE returned stakes.
How To Work It Out
Thankfully you don’t need a maths degree to work them out, just a very basic and simple formula.
Ordinarily, the smaller the odds, the greater the chance you have of winning.
That’s the theory of course but reality doesn’t always play along. So if you’ve made and won a bet on odds of 2/9 you will want to know how much you have won.
Not to put a dampener on it, but I can tell you now that unless you put a small fortune on it, you haven’t really won much at all.
Odds of 2/9 ON are so low that almost only sure things are ever that short.
In fact, you really only see it when one player is supremely more advanced than their opponents.
Say, for example, it’s the first round of Wimbledon and Serena Williams is up against the world number 142, that’s where you will see such short odds. On Williams to win of course!
In that instance, it may actually be worth a bet.
The Formula For Odds Of 2/9
If you have made a bet or won a bet with odds of 2/9 here is how you work it out:
The first number (2) is the amount you’ll win from wagering the second number (9). So for every £9 that you bet, you will get back £2 if your bet wins.
You basically get back less than a quarter of what you bet, plus your stake back.
For instance, a £1 winning bet at 2/9 will payout 22p (plus your £1 stake is returned). If you increase the stake to £10 you’ll get £2.22 back (plus £10 stake).
The maths formula for a win only bet is:
(amount staked x 2) / 9 = win returns + stake back = total amount of returns.
For example: (£5 x 2) = £10 divided by 9 = £1.11 win + £5 stake back = £6.11 returned in total.
There is an option to bet each-way on most markets. However, it is generally advised not to do this unless the odds are over 6/1.
In the case of odds ON of 2/9 you would barely get back 5p for every £1 you wagered if your bet placed.
So there you have it, 2/9 explained in simple terms. There’s a payout guide above for some common bets placed at those odds.
However, you can also use our online bet calculator to work out other odds and stake combinations.
Why Do Bookmakers Offer Such Low Odds?
When a bookmaker offers odds of 2/9 on a player, team, or sport, it generally means that they believe the outcome is highly likely to happen.
Likely situations include:
- If a team or player has been consistently winning and is considered much stronger.
- In individual sports like tennis or boxing, if a highly ranked player is competing against a much lower-ranked opponent.
- If a horse has won multiple races and is in great form might against a field of less accomplished horses.
- Home advantage where a team tends to perform better against a visiting team.
- If the opposing team has key players injured and is weakened, the stronger team might get these odds.
- If the opposing player or team has been performing poorly in recent times, the bookmaker might set the odds at 2/9 for their opponent.
By offering low odds on outcomes that are very likely, bookmakers ensure they have a built-in profit margin.
If a lot of people back the favourite, the bookmaker pays out less in winnings relative to the amounts wagered.
Plus, low odds on the favourite might make the odds on the underdog more appealing and this can balance out the bookmaker’s risk.
Basically, setting low odds on a highly probable outcome reduces the bookmaker’s risk of facing huge payouts.