Betting Math

De-Vig

The process of removing the bookmaker's margin from odds to estimate the true probability of each outcome.

Also known as: de-vigging, removing vig, fair odds

Definition

De-vigging (or de-juicing) is the mathematical process of removing the bookmaker's margin from odds to estimate true, fair probabilities. Since bookmaker odds include vig, they overstate the probability of all outcomes.

There are multiple de-vig methods, each with different assumptions: - Multiplicative: scales all probabilities proportionally - Additive: subtracts equal margin from each side - Power: uses exponential scaling (favors longshots less) - Shin: models the impact of insider trading - Logarithmic: entropy-based approach

The choice of method matters most in lopsided markets. For -110/-110, all methods give approximately 50/50.

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