Odds converter: Malay, Hong Kong, Indonesian and decimal
Asian sportsbooks display odds in several formats. Negative Malay odds are the ones most often misunderstood: −0.80 means you need to stake RM 0.80 to win RM 1.
Formulas checked · SlotKaki calculator team
Conversion formulas
| From decimal (d) | Formula |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong | d − 1 |
| Malay | d − 1 if d ≤ 2, otherwise −1 ÷ (d − 1) |
| Indonesian | d − 1 if d ≥ 2, otherwise −1 ÷ (d − 1) |
| Implied probability | 1 ÷ d |
Why the probabilities on both sides add up to more than 100%
Add up the implied probabilities for every outcome in a market and the total usually comes to more than 100%. That excess is the sportsbook's margin. The bigger the excess, the less value the market offers the player.
Negative Malay odds, one step at a time
Malay odds run from −1.00 to +1.00. The sign tells you who is putting up the larger amount: you or the sportsbook.
- Positive odds (for example 0.85): stake RM 1 and a win pays RM 0.85 profit. You risk more than you stand to make.
- Negative odds (for example −0.80): you risk RM 0.80 to make RM 1. The possible profit is larger than the risk.
- 1.00 and −1.00 mean the same thing: even money, or decimal 2.00.
To convert a negative Malay price, drop the minus sign and divide 1 by the number that is left. −0.80 becomes 1 ÷ 0.80 = 1.25 in Hong Kong format, which is 2.25 in decimal. The closer a negative price sits to zero, the more it pays and the less likely the sportsbook rates that outcome.
| Malay | Hong Kong | Decimal | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.50 | 0.500 | 1.500 | 66.7% |
| 0.90 | 0.900 | 1.900 | 52.6% |
| 1.00 or −1.00 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 50.0% |
| −0.90 | 1.111 | 2.111 | 47.4% |
| −0.80 | 1.250 | 2.250 | 44.4% |
| −0.50 | 2.000 | 3.000 | 33.3% |
A practical point: with negative odds, some bet slips show the amount at risk and the amount to win as two separate figures. This converter treats the Stake field as the money you put at risk, so compare both figures on the slip before you confirm.
Two conversions worked through by hand
Example 1: decimal 1.85 with a RM 10 stake
These are the calculator's default values. Hong Kong is 1.85 − 1 = 0.850. Because 1.85 is not above 2, the Malay price is also 0.850. The Indonesian price is −1 ÷ 0.85 = −1.176. Implied probability is 1 ÷ 1.85, which rounds to 54.1%. A winning RM 10 bet makes RM 10 × 0.85 = RM 8.50 profit.
Example 2: Malay −0.80 with a RM 10 stake
Choose Malay and type -0.80, minus sign included. The decimal price works out at 1 + 1 ÷ 0.80 = 2.250. Hong Kong shows 1.250, and so does Indonesian, since the decimal is now above 2. Implied probability is 1 ÷ 2.25 = 44.4%. With RM 10 at risk, a win pays RM 12.50 profit. Put the other way round, it is the same price as risking RM 8 to make RM 10.
Working out the margin on a three-way 1X2 market
A 1X2 market (home win, draw, away win) is normally priced in decimal. As an illustration, take a match priced at 2.10, 3.30 and 3.60.
| Outcome | Decimal odds | Implied probability | With the margin removed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home (1) | 2.10 | 47.62% | 45.05% |
| Draw (X) | 3.30 | 30.30% | 28.67% |
| Away (2) | 3.60 | 27.78% | 26.28% |
| Total | 105.70% | 100.00% |
The extra 5.70 percentage points is the overround, the sportsbook's margin. To see it in ringgit, imagine staking RM 47.62, RM 30.30 and RM 27.78 across all three outcomes. Whatever the score, about RM 100 comes back, against RM 105.70 put in. That is a loss of RM 5.70, roughly 5.4% of the total staked, and it is built into the prices before kick-off.
The last column comes from dividing each probability by 105.70. It gives a rough picture of the market without its margin. It is not the true chance of each result.
Input slips that change the converter's answer
- A missing minus sign. Malay 0.80 is decimal 1.80, but −0.80 is 2.25. One character moves the profit on a RM 10 bet from RM 8.00 to RM 12.50.
- The wrong format selected. Decimal 1.85 entered as Hong Kong is read as decimal 2.85.
- A value that cannot exist in that format. Malay odds always sit between −1 and 1. Negative Indonesian odds start at −1 and go down, so −1.25 equals decimal 1.80. Type something outside the range and the tool still works it out, but the result is not a price any sportsbook would show.
- Decimal odds of 1.00 or lower. Every result box shows "–", because such odds pay no profit at all.
- A comma as the decimal point. Type 1.85, not 1,85.
What converted odds mean for a sports budget
Changing the format never changes the value of a bet. Decimal 2.25 and Malay −0.80 are the same price written two ways. What decides the long-run cost is the margin: in the 1X2 example above, about 5 sen of every ringgit staked stays with the sportsbook on average. Implied probability is a price, not a forecast. A side rated at 54.1% can still lose two or three times in a row.
Use the net profit box to check that a bet still fits your session limit. For a ticket that combines several matches, the mix parlay calculator does the multiplying. For lines such as −0.25 or +0.75 that settle on the final score, open the Asian Handicap calculator. Each format is explained with more examples in the guide to reading odds formats.
Frequently asked questions
Is Malay −0.80 better value than 0.80?
Not necessarily. −0.80 pays more (decimal 2.25 against 1.80) because the sportsbook rates that outcome as less likely. Both prices already include the margin. Whether a bet is good value depends on the margin and the real chance of the outcome, not on the minus sign.
Why do Malay and Indonesian odds switch sign at decimal 2.00?
The two formats use negative numbers for opposite halves of the price range. Malay odds turn negative once the decimal price goes above 2.00, while Indonesian odds turn negative below 2.00. At exactly 2.00 both read 1.00, which is even money.
How do I find the margin on a two-way handicap market with this converter?
Convert both sides to decimal and add their implied probabilities. If both sides show Malay 0.90, for example, each one is decimal 1.90 and 52.6%. The total is 105.3%, so the margin on that market is about 5.3 percentage points.