Kelly Criterion Calculator

Enter the odds and your estimated win probability. The calculator returns the bankroll fraction Kelly recommends — full, half, and quarter — and the stake in money if you add your bankroll.

Your edge
Full Kelly
Half Kelly
Quarter Kelly
Kelly is zero or negative: at these odds your estimated probability gives you no edge. The mathematically correct stake is nothing.

The formula

f = (bp − q) / b, where b = decimal odds − 1, p = your win probability, q = 1 − p.

Example: odds 2.50 (b = 1.5), you estimate 45% (p = 0.45, q = 0.55). f = (1.5 × 0.45 − 0.55) / 1.5 = 0.125/1.5 ≈ 8.3% of bankroll. The bookmaker's implied probability is 40%; your 45% estimate is the edge being sized.

Why almost nobody should bet full Kelly

That last point is where tracking comes in: your real, logged hit rate in a market is the only probability estimate you own. Our bankroll management guide compares Kelly with flat and percentage staking — for most bettors, flat staking is the honest starting point until the data says otherwise.

FAQ

What does a negative result mean?

Your estimate says the bet loses money long-term. Stake: zero. No staking plan rescues a bet without an edge.

Should I use half or quarter Kelly?

If your probability estimates come from a tested model, half Kelly is a common professional choice. If they're informed judgment, quarter Kelly — or flat stakes — respects how uncertain those estimates really are.

Does Kelly work for accumulators?

The formula applies to any bet with known odds and an estimated probability, but estimation error compounds across acca legs, so fractional Kelly matters even more there.

Size bets from your real numbers

Zort tracks every bet you place — scanned straight from the slip — so your win rates by sport, market, and odds band are measured, not guessed. That's the p in your Kelly formula.

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More calculators: Odds converter · Accumulator returns · Betting ROI