What 85/40 means
With fractional odds, the first number is what you win and the second is what you stake. At 85/40, every £40 you stake wins £85 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 "eighty-five to forty".
85/40 is the traditional way of writing 17/8, and the two are exactly the same price. It sits between 2/1 and 9/4, and bookmakers have quoted it this way for generations.
85/40 in decimal and American odds
| Format | 85/40 as | How it's worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 3.13 | 85 ÷ 40 + 1 |
| American | +212.5 | (3.13 − 1) × 100 |
| Implied probability | 32.0% | 1 ÷ 3.13 |
What 85/40 pays
| Stake | Profit | Total return |
|---|---|---|
| £1.00 | £2.13 | £3.13 |
| £2.00 | £4.25 | £6.25 |
| £5.00 | £10.63 | £15.63 |
| £10.00 | £21.25 | £31.25 |
| £20.00 | £42.50 | £62.50 |
| £50.00 | £106.25 | £156.25 |
| £100.00 | £212.50 | £312.50 |
How likely is 85/40 to win?
85/40 implies a 32.0% chance, or about 1 in 3. In other words, the bookmaker expects it to win about once in every 3 attempts. The true chance is usually a little lower than this, because bookmakers build a margin into every price.
85/40 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 85/40. For a £5 each way bet (£10 in total):
| Place terms | Place odds | Returns if it wins | Returns if it places |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 odds | 17/32 | £23.28 | £7.66 |
| 1/5 odds | 17/40 | £22.75 | £7.13 |
At 1/5 terms, a placed finish returns £7.13 from the £10 total stake, so it still loses £2.88 overall. Each way needs bigger prices than 85/40 for the place part to cover the bet. Work out any each way bet.
If a horse at 85/40 is withdrawn
When a horse priced at 85/40 is withdrawn after you've bet on another runner in the same race, Rule 4 takes 30p from every £1 of your winnings.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 85/40
See every common price explained, or convert any price with the odds converter.