Free tool
Back/lay hedge calculator.
You backed it, the price moved, and now you want the same result whatever happens. This gives you the exact lay stake — and tells you plainly whether you're locking in a profit or a loss.
This locks in the past, it doesn't predict the future. The calculator shows the arithmetic of a hedge at the odds you enter. If the price moved against you, the green number is a locked-in loss — and that is often still the right trade. Nothing here improves your chance of the price moving your way.
The worked example
You back £10 at 3.0. The price shortens to 2.5. Lay stake = £10 × 3.0 ÷ 2.5 = £12, with liability of £12 × 1.5 = £18. If the selection wins: +£20 from the back, −£18 from the lay = +£2. If it loses: −£10 from the back, +£12 from the lay = +£2. The same £2 either way — paying £1.90 after 5% commission. If the price had drifted to 3.5 instead, the identical method locks in a loss of £1.43. The maths doesn't care which; that's rather the point.
Straight answers
How do you calculate a lay stake to green up?
Lay stake = (back stake × back odds) ÷ current lay odds. Backing £10 at 3.0 and laying at 2.5 means laying £12 (£10 × 3.0 ÷ 2.5), which locks in £2 before commission whichever way the market settles.
What does greening up mean on a betting exchange?
Greening up (hedging) means placing an opposite bet at the current odds so your profit or loss is the same on every outcome. The name comes from exchange screens showing an equal green figure against every runner.
Does greening up guarantee a profit?
No. It locks in whatever the odds movement has given you — which is a profit only if the price has moved in your favour since you backed. If the price has moved against you, the same calculation locks in a loss. Hedging removes variance, not risk already taken.
How does commission affect a hedged profit?
Exchanges charge commission on your net winnings in a market. A locked-in £2 profit at 2% commission pays £1.96. At 5% it pays £1.90. Enter your exchange's rate — it varies by exchange and market.
Knowing the lay stake is arithmetic. Knowing when to green up — and when to hold — is the skill.
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