What 18/1 means
With fractional odds, the first number is what you win and the second is what you stake. At 18/1, every £1 you stake wins £18 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 "eighteen to one".
18/1 in decimal and American odds
| Format | 18/1 as | How it's worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 19.00 | 18 ÷ 1 + 1 |
| American | +1800 | (19.00 − 1) × 100 |
| Implied probability | 5.3% | 1 ÷ 19.00 |
What 18/1 pays
| Stake | Profit | Total return |
|---|---|---|
| £1.00 | £18.00 | £19.00 |
| £2.00 | £36.00 | £38.00 |
| £5.00 | £90.00 | £95.00 |
| £10.00 | £180.00 | £190.00 |
| £20.00 | £360.00 | £380.00 |
| £50.00 | £900.00 | £950.00 |
| £100.00 | £1,800.00 | £1,900.00 |
How likely is 18/1 to win?
18/1 implies a 5.3% chance, or about 1 in 19. In other words, the bookmaker expects it to win roughly once for every nineteen attempts. The true chance is usually a little lower than this, because bookmakers build a margin into every price.
18/1 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 18/1. For a £5 each way bet (£10 in total):
| Place terms | Place odds | Returns if it wins | Returns if it places |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 odds | 9/2 | £122.50 | £27.50 |
| 1/5 odds | 18/5 | £118.00 | £23.00 |
At 1/5 terms, a placed finish alone returns £23.00 from the £10 total stake, so the place part covers the whole bet with £13.00 to spare. Work out any each way bet.
If a horse at 18/1 is withdrawn
A horse priced at 18/1 being withdrawn doesn't trigger a Rule 4 deduction.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 18/1
See every common price explained, or convert any price with the odds converter.