What 16/1 means
With fractional odds, the first number is what you win and the second is what you stake. At 16/1, every £1 you stake wins £16 in profit, and your stake is returned on top. Because you win more than you stake, it's an odds-against price: the bookmaker rates this outcome as less likely to happen than not.
It's read as "sixteen to one".
16/1 in decimal and American odds
| Format | 16/1 as | How it's worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 17.00 | 16 ÷ 1 + 1 |
| American | +1600 | (17.00 − 1) × 100 |
| Implied probability | 5.9% | 1 ÷ 17.00 |
What 16/1 pays
| Stake | Profit | Total return |
|---|---|---|
| £1.00 | £16.00 | £17.00 |
| £2.00 | £32.00 | £34.00 |
| £5.00 | £80.00 | £85.00 |
| £10.00 | £160.00 | £170.00 |
| £20.00 | £320.00 | £340.00 |
| £50.00 | £800.00 | £850.00 |
| £100.00 | £1,600.00 | £1,700.00 |
How likely is 16/1 to win?
16/1 implies a 5.9% chance, or about 1 in 17. In other words, the bookmaker expects it to win roughly once for every seventeen attempts. The true chance is usually a little lower than this, because bookmakers build a margin into every price.
16/1 each way
An each way bet splits your stake between a win bet and a place bet, with the place part paid at a fraction of 16/1. For a £5 each way bet (£10 in total):
| Place terms | Place odds | Returns if it wins | Returns if it places |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 odds | 4/1 | £110.00 | £25.00 |
| 1/5 odds | 16/5 | £106.00 | £21.00 |
At 1/5 terms, a placed finish alone returns £21.00 from the £10 total stake, so the place part covers the whole bet with £11.00 to spare. Work out any each way bet.
If a horse at 16/1 is withdrawn
A horse priced at 16/1 being withdrawn doesn't trigger a Rule 4 deduction. The scale only applies when the non-runner was 14/1 or shorter. Work out a Rule 4 deduction.
Prices either side of 16/1
See every common price explained, or convert any price with the odds converter.