What 4/1 means
With fractional odds, the first number is what you win and the second is what you stake. At 4/1, every £1 you stake wins £4 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 "four to one".
4/1 in decimal and American odds
| Format | 4/1 as | How it's worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 5.00 | 4 ÷ 1 + 1 |
| American | +400 | (5.00 − 1) × 100 |
| Implied probability | 20.0% | 1 ÷ 5.00 |
What 4/1 pays
| Stake | Profit | Total return |
|---|---|---|
| £1.00 | £4.00 | £5.00 |
| £2.00 | £8.00 | £10.00 |
| £5.00 | £20.00 | £25.00 |
| £10.00 | £40.00 | £50.00 |
| £20.00 | £80.00 | £100.00 |
| £50.00 | £200.00 | £250.00 |
| £100.00 | £400.00 | £500.00 |
How likely is 4/1 to win?
4/1 implies a 20.0% chance, or about 1 in 5. In other words, the bookmaker expects it to win roughly once for every five attempts. The true chance is usually a little lower than this, because bookmakers build a margin into every price.
4/1 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 4/1. For a £5 each way bet (£10 in total):
| Place terms | Place odds | Returns if it wins | Returns if it places |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 odds | 1/1 | £35.00 | £10.00 |
| 1/5 odds | 4/5 | £34.00 | £9.00 |
At 1/5 terms, a placed finish returns £9.00 from the £10 total stake, so it still loses £1.00 overall. Each way needs bigger prices than 4/1 for the place part to cover the bet. Work out any each way bet.
If a horse at 4/1 is withdrawn
When a horse priced at 4/1 is withdrawn after you've bet on another runner in the same race, Rule 4 takes 20p from every £1 of your winnings. It applies to bets struck at a fixed price before the withdrawal. Work out a Rule 4 deduction.
Prices either side of 4/1
See every common price explained, or convert any price with the odds converter.