Hold calculator

Hold is the share of the money the sportsbook expects to keep on a market, whoever wins. Add up the chances the prices imply. Anything over 100% is the book’s margin. Lower hold means better prices for you. With several books, the best price on each side can make a market with much lower hold, or even an arbitrage.

Hold = 1 − 1 ÷ (1 ÷ decimal odds 1 + 1 ÷ decimal odds 2 …)

Three books on the same game.

What is a good hold? Around 4.5% (−110 on both sides) is standard. Under 3% is sharp. Props and parlays often hold 8% or more.

Is hold the same as vig? Close. Vig, juice and hold all describe the book’s margin. Hold is the version that tells you what share of the money bet the book keeps.

What does a negative hold mean? The best prices together pay more than they cost, whoever wins. That’s an arbitrage. Open the Arbitrage calculator to size the bets.