Tools
Hedge calculator.
Your futures ticket is live and the other side is priced. This tells you the exact stake that locks the same profit whichever way it lands.
How the hedge stake is calculated
Hedging is buying certainty: you give up part of the maximum win to eliminate the loss. The math is simple — stake enough on the other side that both outcomes return the same total.
When hedging is worth it
Whether you should hedge is a different question than how. Every hedge is itself a bet placed at the book's price, which usually carries hold; the guaranteed number is almost always less than the EV of letting it ride. Hedge when the certain money genuinely changes something, not because the sweat is uncomfortable.
Common questions
How do you calculate a hedge bet?
Divide your original bet's total payout by the decimal odds of the hedge side. A $100 ticket at +300 pays $400; against -140 (decimal 1.714) the hedge stake is $400 ÷ 1.714 = $233, locking about $67 either way.
Is hedging a bet ever the wrong move?
Often. The hedge is placed at a price that includes the book's hold, so the locked profit is usually below the bet's expected value. It's insurance — worth paying for when the money matters, not by default.