Prices come in two common styles. American odds use a plus or minus sign. Decimal odds use a single number like 1.91 or 2.50. They say the same thing in different languages, and it helps to read both, because the same bet can look very different depending on which one you are shown.

A decimal price is the total you get back per $1 staked, including your own stake. At 2.50, a winning $1 returns $2.50: your $1 back plus $1.50 of profit. At 1.91, a winning $1 returns $1.91: your $1 back plus 91 cents of profit. The whole number is the return, not the profit, which is the part people miss.

For a plus price, divide the number by 100 and add 1. So +150 becomes 150 divided by 100, which is 1.5, plus 1, giving 2.50. For a minus price, divide 100 by the number and add 1. So -200 becomes 100 divided by 200, which is 0.5, plus 1, giving 1.50. And -110 becomes 100 divided by 110, which is about 0.91, plus 1, giving 1.91.

If the decimal price is 2.00 or higher, subtract 1 and multiply by 100 to get the plus number. A price of 2.40 becomes 2.40 minus 1, which is 1.40, times 100, giving +140. If the decimal price is below 2.00, divide -100 by the decimal minus 1. A price of 1.80 becomes -100 divided by 0.80, which is -125.

Decimal odds make it easy to compare prices, because a bigger number is always a bigger payout, with no plus and minus to flip between. They also make the break-even math simple: one divided by the decimal price is the chance the bet has to win. At 2.50 that is 1 divided by 2.50, which is 40%. We take that idea further in the next guide.

One more habit helps. When you see a decimal price, glance at whether it is above or below 2.00 before anything else. Above 2.00 is an underdog, the side that pays more than it costs. Below 2.00 is a favorite, the side that costs more than it pays. That single check tells you which way the bet leans, and only then do you need the exact conversion to compare it with a price somewhere else.

For entertainment and education. Nothing here predicts results or recommends a bet.