Hold Percentage Calculator

Enter odds for all outcomes to find the bookmaker's built-in margin.

Outcome 1 (American odds)

Outcome 2 (American odds)

Outcome 3 / Draw (optional)

Hold percentage (vig) —

Fair odds outcome 1 —

Fair odds outcome 2 —

Implied prob. outcome 1 —

Implied prob. outcome 2 —

Hold = (sum of implied probabilities - 100%). Standard US sportsbook hold on sides: 4.5–5%. Sharp books: 2–3%. A -110/-110 line has 4.76% hold.

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Understanding Bookmaker Hold (Vig)

The hold (also called vig, juice, or overround) is the bookmaker's built-in profit margin. It is the amount by which implied probabilities exceed 100%.

A standard -110/-110 line implies each side has a 52.4% chance of winning, totaling 104.8%. The 4.8% excess is the hold. Lower hold means better value for bettors.

Hold (also called overround, vig, or juice) is the sportsbook's built-in margin — the percentage of money wagered that the book keeps over the long run. Hold = 1 − (1 / sum of implied probabilities). For a game where both sides are priced at −110: implied prob each = 52.4%. Sum = 104.8%. Hold = 1 − (1/1.048) = 4.6%.

Hold varies by market. Major game sides (moneylines, spreads) at large sportsbooks typically run 4–6% hold. Totals are similar. Player props and exotic markets may carry 8–15% hold. Parlays have higher effective hold as margins compound with each leg. The lower the hold, the better for bettors.

Effective hold on parlays: a 3-leg parlay with individual holds of 4.6% each compounds: effective hold ≈ 1 − (1 − 0.046)³ = 1 − 0.866 = 13.4%. This is why parlays, despite attractive payouts, are significantly worse EV than betting the same outcomes individually.

No-vig fair odds: to find the fair odds strip of the book's margin, convert both sides to implied probability, sum them, divide each by the total. If Team A is at −130 (56.5%) and +115 (46.5%), sum = 103%. Fair probabilities: A = 56.5/103 = 54.9%, B = 46.5/103 = 45.1%. Fair decimal odds: 1/0.549 = 1.82 and 1/0.451 = 2.22. No-vig fair odds are the theoretical break-even price.

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