Dutching: What It Means in Betting

Dutching is a betting approach where a bettor backs more than one selection in the same event, dividing the total stake across the selections in precise proportions. The goal is to receive the same return no matter which of the backed selections wins. Rather than picking a single winner, dutching allows a bettor to spread risk across multiple outcomes they consider likely.

The name is widely attributed to the Dutch bookmaker Arthur Flegenheimer, though its origins are debated. Regardless of history, dutching remains a well-known concept in football and horse racing betting.

How Dutching Works

In a standard single bet, you back one outcome and either win or lose. With dutching, you identify two or more outcomes you think are probable and distribute your stake so that each selection, if it wins, returns the same total amount.

The key is that the stakes are not equal. Shorter-priced selections receive a larger share of the total stake, while longer-priced selections receive a smaller share. This unequal distribution is what produces the equal return.

The Dutching Formula

The calculation relies on implied probabilities. Here is the step-by-step process:

1. Convert each selection's decimal odds into an implied probability by dividing 1 by the odds.
2. Add all the implied probabilities together.
3. Divide each individual implied probability by the total from step 2.
4. Multiply each fraction by your total stake.

If the combined implied probabilities of your selections are less than 100%, a dutching bet on those selections can produce a profit. If they exceed 100%, the bet will produce a loss regardless of which selection wins.

Worked Example: Premier League Match

Suppose a Premier League match between Aston Villa and West Ham has the following odds for the match result:

The total implied probability across all three outcomes is 104.8%, which reflects the bookmaker's margin. Now suppose you want to dutch just Aston Villa and the draw, with a total stake of 20.

Step 1: Implied probabilities for your two selections:

• Villa: 1 / 2.10 = 0.476
• Draw: 1 / 3.40 = 0.294

Step 2: Combined total = 0.476 + 0.294 = 0.770

Step 3: Proportion of stake for each:

• Villa: 0.476 / 0.770 = 61.8%
• Draw: 0.294 / 0.770 = 38.2%

Step 4: Actual stakes from a 20 total:

• Villa: 20 x 0.618 = 12.36
• Draw: 20 x 0.382 = 7.64

If Villa win: 12.36 x 2.10 = 25.96 return (5.96 profit) If it is a draw: 7.64 x 3.40 = 25.98 return (5.98 profit)

The returns are virtually identical, which is the hallmark of a correctly calculated dutch. If West Ham win, the entire 20 stake is lost.

When Dutching Is Used

Dutching is commonly applied in situations where a bettor has a strong view that one of two or three outcomes will occur but cannot confidently narrow it down to a single selection. Common football scenarios include:

• Backing two teams in a three-way match result market when you feel confident the third team will not win.
• Covering two or three candidates in a top-scorer or player-of-the-tournament market.
• Betting on multiple teams in an outright league winner market.

Dutching and Arbitrage

Dutching and arbitrage are related concepts, but they differ in a fundamental way. Dutching involves backing multiple selections at a single bookmaker and does not guarantee a profit because it typically does not cover every possible outcome. Arbitrage, by contrast, exploits differing odds across multiple bookmakers to cover all outcomes and lock in a guaranteed profit regardless of the result.

A dutch bet can be profitable, but only if the backed selections win. It reduces risk compared to a single bet, but it does not eliminate it.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Dutching is a staking method, not a prediction system, and all outcomes remain uncertain.

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