Hold percentage
calculator.
Enter the offered odds for every side of a market. Get the bookmaker's hold, the overround, and the no-vig fair probabilities. Works for two-way spreads, three-way soccer 1X2, and multi-way futures.
Two sides for spreads, totals, and moneylines without a draw. Three for soccer 1X2. More for futures markets like division-winner or championship odds.
Hold in
one ratio.
overround = Σ(1 / decimal_odds) − 1
hold = overround / Σ(1 / decimal_odds)
Each side's implied probability is the reciprocal of its decimal odds. Sum them across every outcome of the market: a true two-way market would total 100%, a true three-way market would also total 100%, and so on. Anything above 100% is the bookmaker's margin.
Comparing hold across markets is the cleanest way to evaluate where a sportsbook is most aggressive. Most US books run 4-5% on spreads and totals, 6-10% on player props, and 15-25%+ on parlays. The bigger the gap, the more the book is taxing participation rather than enabling it.
Questions,
answered.
What is bookmaker hold?
Hold is the share of every dollar wagered that a bookmaker expects to keep, given the prices they quoted. It is computed as overround divided by the sum of implied probabilities. On a -110 / -110 market the overround is 4.76% but the hold is 4.55%, because the book only collects the margin on the dollar that gets wagered, not on the inflated total of implied probabilities.
How is hold different from overround and vigorish?
Overround is the sum of implied probabilities minus 1: how much above 100% the book is selling. Hold is what the bookmaker actually retains per dollar wagered, computed as overround divided by the total implied probability. Vigorish (vig) is the colloquial umbrella term and is used loosely to mean either. Sportsbooks typically quote hold; sharp bettors usually track overround.
What hold is typical for major US sportsbooks?
Mainstream US books like DraftKings and FanDuel run roughly 4.5-5% hold on standard NFL and NBA spreads and totals. Sharp books like Pinnacle and Circa run 2-3%. Player props and futures often exceed 7-10%. Same-game and correlated parlays can push past 20%.
Why do parlays, props, and futures have higher hold?
Because demand exceeds price discovery. Recreational bettors are far more willing to play long-shot parlays and player props, so books can charge more vig. On primary markets like sides and totals, sharp money keeps the lines honest; on derivatives, the public absorbs the wider margin without complaint.
Does this calculator support futures markets with many outcomes?
Yes. You can add up to sixteen sides. Use it for AFC East winner odds, championship futures, MVP markets, or any multi-way pricing where each outcome is exclusive. The math is the same: sum the implied probabilities, subtract one to get overround, divide by the total to get hold.
Hold tells you the
cost. Not the edge.
Knowing the bookmaker's hold is half the picture. The other half is what your model says the fair price actually is. VAR builds the second half.
See our methodology