Sports betting sites in this region often show decimal, Hong Kong, Malay and Indonesian odds. They are four ways of writing one price, so a single worked example makes all of them easy to read.
Decimal odds
Decimal odds show the total returned for each RM1 staked, including your stake. At 1.90, a RM100 stake returns RM190 if it wins. That is RM90 profit plus your RM100 back.
Hong Kong odds
Hong Kong odds show profit only. Take the decimal price and subtract 1. Decimal 1.90 is Hong Kong 0.90, so RM100 wins RM90.
Malay odds
Malay odds have two sides, which is where most confusion starts.
- Positive (+0.90): works like Hong Kong odds. Stake RM100 to win RM90.
- Negative (−0.80): this is what you risk to win a fixed amount. Risk RM80 to win RM100.
The size of a Malay price never goes above 1. An even-money price can be written as +1.00 or −1.00.
Indonesian odds
Indonesian odds are the mirror image of Malay odds. At +1.25, RM100 wins RM125. At −2.00, you risk RM200 to win RM100.
Conversion table
The rows below show one price per line, in each format:
| Decimal | Hong Kong | Malay | Indonesian |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.50 | 0.50 | +0.50 | −2.00 |
| 1.80 | 0.80 | +0.80 | −1.25 |
| 1.90 | 0.90 | +0.90 | −1.11 |
| 2.00 | 1.00 | +1.00 | +1.00 |
| 2.25 | 1.25 | −0.80 | +1.25 |
| 3.00 | 2.00 | −0.50 | +2.00 |
To convert by hand, start with Hong Kong odds (decimal minus 1). If that number is 1 or less, it is also the Malay price. If it is more than 1, the Malay price is −1 divided by it. Indonesian works the other way around: if Hong Kong is 1 or more, it is also the Indonesian price, and if it is less than 1, the Indonesian price is −1 divided by it.
Finding the margin
To turn a price into an implied probability, divide 1 by the decimal odds. So 1.90 implies 52.63%.
Now add up the implied probabilities for every outcome. In a two-way market with both sides at 1.90, that is 52.63% + 52.63% = 105.26%. A fair market would total 100%, so the extra 5.26% is the margin built into the prices.
You can see it in ringgit. If someone staked RM100 on each side, they would pay RM200 and get back RM190, whichever side won. It also means a bettor at 1.90 needs to win more than 52.63% of the time just to break even, not 50%.
Common mistakes
- Misreading negative Malay prices. −0.50 pays better than −0.80, because you risk RM50 instead of RM80 to win RM100.
- Treating odds as a prediction. A price is an estimate plus a margin, and it moves with the money being staked.
- Comparing prices in different formats. Convert to decimal first, then compare.
This article explains notation only. Betting through unlicensed sites is not lawful in Malaysia. Read what the law says.
Sources
No outside data is used here. Every figure is arithmetic you can check with a calculator.