What a price tells you

Every price on a sportsbook answers two questions: how much a winning bet pays, and how likely the bookmaker rates the outcome. Asian sportsbooks commonly offer four ways to write that price: decimal, Hong Kong, Malay and Indonesian. They look different, but for any single bet they describe the same number.

Two words matter throughout this guide. Profit is what you win on top of your stake. Return is profit plus stake, the amount that comes back to your balance. The sportsbook page gives a one-line summary of each format; here you will learn to convert between them, read the probability a price implies and see how the bookmaker's margin is built in.

The four odds formats

Decimal odds

Decimal odds are the total return for each 1 staked, stake included. At 2.40, a RM25 stake returns RM60: RM35 profit plus the RM25 you staked. Decimal odds are always above 1.00, and the higher the number, the less likely the bookmaker rates the outcome.

Hong Kong odds

Hong Kong odds are the profit for each 1 staked, stake not included. At 0.85, a RM20 stake earns RM17 profit and returns RM37. Hong Kong odds are always decimal odds minus 1, so 0.85 in Hong Kong odds is 1.85 in decimal. A price below 1.00 pays less than your stake in profit; a price above 1.00 pays more.

Malay odds

Malay odds always sit between -1.00 and +1.00, and the sign tells you how to read them.

  • Positive Malay odds (up to 1.00) work like Hong Kong odds: the profit per 1 staked. At 0.85, RM20 earns RM17.
  • Negative Malay odds show how much you risk to win 1. At -0.75, you risk RM0.75 for every RM1 of profit, so RM15 at risk wins RM20.

Some bet slips present a negative price the other way round: the amount you enter is what you stand to win, and the amount at risk is that figure multiplied by the price. At -0.75, entering RM20 means you win RM20 or lose RM15. The ratio is identical either way, and the bet slip shows both figures before you confirm.

A negative Malay price always marks a bet that pays more than even money. In Asian handicap and over/under markets, where prices sit close to even money, you will often see one side positive and the other negative.

Indonesian odds

Indonesian odds never fall between -1.00 and +1.00.

  • Positive Indonesian odds (1.00 and above) are the profit per 1 staked, the same as Hong Kong odds. At +2.50, RM10 earns RM25 profit and returns RM35.
  • Negative Indonesian odds (-1.00 and below) show how much you stake to win 1. At -1.25, a RM25 stake wins RM20.

Indonesian and Malay odds mirror each other: Indonesian = -1 ÷ Malay. Malay 0.80 is Indonesian -1.25, and Malay -0.40 is Indonesian +2.50.

Converting between formats

Decimal is the easiest bridge. Convert any price to decimal first, then out to the format you want.

From decimal to the other three

  1. Hong Kong = decimal - 1.
  2. Malay: if the Hong Kong figure is 1.00 or less, Malay is the same. If it is above 1.00, Malay = -1 ÷ Hong Kong.
  3. Indonesian: if the Hong Kong figure is 1.00 or more, Indonesian is the same. If it is below 1.00, Indonesian = -1 ÷ Hong Kong.

Two worked examples:

  • Decimal 1.85: Hong Kong 0.85, Malay 0.85, Indonesian -1 ÷ 0.85 = -1.18.
  • Decimal 3.50: Hong Kong 2.50, Malay -1 ÷ 2.50 = -0.40, Indonesian +2.50.

From Malay, Hong Kong or Indonesian to decimal

  • Hong Kong, positive Malay or positive Indonesian: decimal = price + 1. Hong Kong 0.95 is 1.95, Malay 0.60 is 1.60 and Indonesian +1.40 is 2.40.
  • Negative Malay or negative Indonesian: decimal = 1 + (1 ÷ the price without its minus sign). Malay -0.75 is 1 + 1.333 = 2.33. Indonesian -1.25 is 1 + 0.80 = 1.80.

Check the Malay example with money: RM15 at risk at -0.75 wins RM20, and RM15 × 2.333… returns RM35, the same RM20 profit plus the stake. The decimal figure is rounded to 2.33 on screen; the exact value is 2.333…, which is why the ringgit amounts come out whole.

Conversion table

Each line shows one price in all four formats, with its implied probability (explained below). Figures are rounded to two decimal places.

  • Decimal 1.25 = Hong Kong 0.25 = Malay 0.25 = Indonesian -4.00 (80.0%)
  • Decimal 1.50 = Hong Kong 0.50 = Malay 0.50 = Indonesian -2.00 (66.7%)
  • Decimal 1.80 = Hong Kong 0.80 = Malay 0.80 = Indonesian -1.25 (55.6%)
  • Decimal 1.90 = Hong Kong 0.90 = Malay 0.90 = Indonesian -1.11 (52.6%)
  • Decimal 2.00 = Hong Kong 1.00 = Malay 1.00 = Indonesian +1.00 (50.0%)
  • Decimal 2.25 = Hong Kong 1.25 = Malay -0.80 = Indonesian +1.25 (44.4%)
  • Decimal 2.50 = Hong Kong 1.50 = Malay -0.67 = Indonesian +1.50 (40.0%)
  • Decimal 3.00 = Hong Kong 2.00 = Malay -0.50 = Indonesian +2.00 (33.3%)
  • Decimal 5.00 = Hong Kong 4.00 = Malay -0.25 = Indonesian +4.00 (20.0%)

At exactly even money, decimal 2.00, Malay and Indonesian odds can be shown as either +1.00 or -1.00. Both mean the same thing: you win 1 for each 1 staked.

Implied probability

Implied probability turns a price into a percentage: 1 ÷ decimal odds. At 1.85, 1 ÷ 1.85 = 54.1%.

You can work it out from the other formats without converting first:

  • Hong Kong, positive Malay or positive Indonesian: 1 ÷ (1 + price). Hong Kong 0.85 gives 1 ÷ 1.85 = 54.1%. Indonesian +2.50 gives 1 ÷ 3.50 = 28.6%.
  • Negative Malay or negative Indonesian: price ÷ (1 + price), ignoring the minus sign. Malay -0.75 gives 0.75 ÷ 1.75 = 42.9%. Indonesian -1.25 gives 1.25 ÷ 2.25 = 55.6%.

Implied probability is not a forecast. It is the break-even rate: a bet at 1.85 has to win 54.1% of the time, over many bets, just to break even. It also includes the bookmaker's margin, which is why the implied figures for all the outcomes in a market add up to more than 100%.

The bookmaker's margin (overround)

Add up the implied probabilities of every outcome in a market. If the prices were fair, the total would be exactly 100%. Anything above 100% is the overround, the margin the bookmaker builds into its prices.

A two-way handicap market

Say both sides of an Asian handicap are priced at 0.90 in Hong Kong or Malay odds, 1.90 in decimal:

  • Each side: 1 ÷ 1.90 = 52.63%
  • Both sides: 52.63% + 52.63% = 105.26%

The overround is 5.26%. To see what that means in ringgit, imagine RM100 staked on each side. The bookmaker takes in RM200 and pays RM190 to the winning side, RM100 stake plus RM90 profit, whichever side wins. It keeps RM10, or 5% of the money staked, which matches 1 - (1 ÷ 1.0526) = 0.05. Without a margin, each side would be priced at 2.00, which is 1.00 in Hong Kong or Malay odds.

A pair quoted in Malay odds

In Malay odds, handicap prices near even money are often shown with one side positive and the other negative, say 0.85 and -0.95:

  • 0.85: 1 ÷ 1.85 = 54.05%
  • -0.95: 0.95 ÷ 1.95 = 48.72%
  • Total: 102.77%

That is an overround of 2.77%, or about 2.7% of the money staked (1 - 1 ÷ 1.0277 = 0.027).

A three-way 1X2 market

Now a 1X2 market with the home side at 2.10, the draw at 3.30 and the away side at 3.50:

  • Home: 1 ÷ 2.10 = 47.62%
  • Draw: 1 ÷ 3.30 = 30.30%
  • Away: 1 ÷ 3.50 = 28.57%
  • Total: 106.49%

Here the bookmaker keeps about 6.1% of stakes (1 - 1 ÷ 1.0649 = 0.061). A lower overround means more of each ringgit staked comes back to bettors as a group, but no margin works in the bettor's favour: over many bets, it works for the bookmaker.

Using odds on TPOWER

On TPOWER, sports bets go through SBOBET and MAXBET. The same habits help with either.

  • Pick one format and stay with it. Switching between formats is the easiest way to misread a price. Many sportsbooks let you choose the display format in their settings.
  • Compare in decimal. When you check the same market on SBOBET and MAXBET, convert both prices to decimal. The higher decimal price pays more for the same outcome.
  • Read the bet slip. Whatever the format, the bet slip shows your stake and potential return before you confirm. If a number surprises you, stop and recheck the price.
  • See how handicaps settle. Quarter lines can pay half wins and half losses, which changes the arithmetic above. Our guide to Asian handicap works through every line with ringgit examples.
  • Keep the margin in mind. Reading odds well helps you understand a bet; it does not remove the bookmaker's margin or the risk of losing. Set a budget before you bet and use the limits and breaks on our responsible gaming page.

Sports betting is for adults aged 18 and over. To follow prices on your phone, get the TPOWER app from the download page.

Frequently asked questions

Why are some Malay odds negative?

A negative Malay price marks a bet that pays more than even money. Instead of showing a profit above 1.00, the format shows what you risk to win 1. At -0.60 you risk 0.60 to win 1, the same price as 2.67 in decimal.

Are Malay and Indonesian odds the same?

No, they mirror each other: Indonesian equals -1 divided by Malay. Malay 0.50 is Indonesian -2.00, and Malay -0.50 is Indonesian +2.00. Positive Malay odds match Hong Kong odds below even money; positive Indonesian odds match them above it.

Does the odds format change how much I win?

No. The format only changes how the price is written. A RM10 stake at decimal 1.80, Hong Kong 0.80, Malay 0.80 or Indonesian -1.25 makes the same RM8 profit if it wins.

How do I remove the margin to estimate a fair price?

Divide each outcome’s implied probability by the market total. In a two-way market at 1.90 on both sides, 52.63% ÷ 105.26% = 50%, a fair price of 2.00. The result estimates the bookmaker’s view without its margin; it is not a prediction.