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Betting basics · 12 of 36
Vig
In one line: The margin a book builds into its prices. It is why the two sides of a market add up to more than 100%.
Worked example
Both sides of a market are at -110. Each side implies 110 divided by 210, or 52.38%. Together they add to 104.76%. The 4.76 points above 100% is the hold, the margin the book builds in.
Illustrative prices, not a live quote.
What it is
Vig, short for vigorish and also called juice, is the margin a book builds into its prices. Each side is priced a little worse than a fair bet, so the two sides together add up to more than 100%.
You pay the vig as part of the price. The ticket shows no separate fee for it.
How to read it
Add the implied chances of both sides. The amount above 100% is the hold, which Antic calls market hold. Two sides at -110 each imply 52.38%, which adds to 104.76%, so the hold is 4.76%.
A lower hold means less margin is built into that market. A low hold does not make either side a good price.
How it shows in Antic
Calculators has a Market Hold tool. Enter two sides, and it shows the hold and the break-even chance for each side.
The No-Vig Fair Odds calculator also shows the hold. Edge's Low Hold list sorts markets from the lowest hold up, and each Low Hold card shows its hold.
Common mistakes
Thinking the vig is a separate fee. It sits inside the price, so you never see it as a line on the ticket.
Assuming a low hold makes a good bet. Hold describes the whole market, and one side can still be priced poorly.