Simple Calculator

The simple back & lay calc is the most basic matched betting calculator. It is the one that we use when placing wagering bets and when turning bonus bets into cash.

As the name suggests, it is really easy to use. Let’s take a look…

CHOOSING A MODE

When using a matched betting calculator, the first thing you should do is check that you have it set to the correct mode.

There are three potential options. The one you choose will depend on what you are using to place the bet at the bookie.

If you are using your own cash to place the back bet you should select ‘qualifying bet’ mode. This applies whether you are turning over cash that you deposited when signing up, or placing a bet to try and trigger an existing customer promo. Bets using your own cash should always be in qualifying mode.

The second option – Bonus Bet (SNR) – is used whenever we place a bet using a Stake Not Returned bonus bet. This applies to the majority of bonus bets offered by Australian bookmakers these days.

With SNR bets you will find that higher odds offer higher returns.

Bonus Bet (SR) is the final option for the matched betting calculator. You will not use this option often. Bonus bets that return the stake are rare in Australia, but you may get one from TabTouch.

BACK AND LAY BETS

This part of the calculator is pretty self-explanatory.

The blue section refers to the back bet that you are placing at the bookmaker. You just enter your stake and the odds that are available.

The pink section is for the lay bet, which is placed at Betfair. We use pink because this is the colour that Betfair uses for lay bets. So you can just look for the number in the pink box at Betfair and add that to the calculator.

The only thing that can be a little bit tricky here is the commission. The standard Betfair commission rate is 5%, but it can vary for events that take place in Australia. You can check the actual commission rate by clicking on the ‘Rules’ button at the top of the Betfair market.

CALCULATOR OUTCOMES

The bottom section is where the calc tells us everything we need to know.

The first important piece of information is the lay stake. This is the stake that we should use at Betfair in order to guarantee an equal return no matter what happens in the match.

The calculator also tells us how much we need in our Betfair account in order to place the bet. This is known as our ‘liability‘. If our bookmaker bet wins, this liability is the amount that would be subtracted from our exchange account.

We can also see what our overall profit or loss would be on this matched bet. It is displayed as a dollar amount and also as a percentage of our back stake.

The profit or loss will be the same for all of the potential outcomes of the match.

Advanced Calculator

Once you have mastered the basics you might want to try some more advanced techniques. This could include underlaying, overlaying, or laying in low liquidity.

For all of these strategies you can use our advanced matched betting calculator.

The advanced calc is similar to the simple calculator but it let’s you play around with different possible lay stakes to see what your potential outcomes would be.

You can also enter multiple different lay bets. This is useful if you are in a fast moving or low liquidity market and are unable to place the full lay bet at once.