A Quick Guide to Dutch Betting

One of the most notable features of the world of betting is the wide array of weird and wonderful terminology used. From betting “Ante Post” to placing a “Yankee” and a whole lot more in between, the language of gambling can prove a little intimidating to the uninitiated. But never fear, things really are not anything like so complicated as they might at first appear.

Here we turn our attention to a term which, despite having been bandied around gambling circles for over 100 years now, still raises the occasional quizzical look. So, what exactly is Dutch Betting or Dutching? Where does the term come from? And how does it all work?

Origins

As far as beginnings go, things don’t get too much more dubious than being the brainchild of a notorious mobster!

Of German or “Deutsch” heritage, Arthur Simon Flegenheimer earnt the name of Dutchy Schulz as he gravitated through the mafia ranks in the early 1900’s. Boasting a spell as Al Capone’s accountant on what was a no doubt grimy CV, Schulz was heavily involved in the gambling-based numbers racket of the era, in addition to seemingly enjoying a punt at the racetrack. And it was at the track that the ill-fated Dutchy Schulz designed this betting system which continues to carry his name, long after he was gunned down in a New York restaurant.

What Is It?

Dutching is simply the term used to describe the act of backing more than one selection in an individual event, with the aim of guaranteeing the same level of profit no matter which selection wins. Amongst the most common examples are backing multiple runners in a horse race or two or more correct scores in a football match.

Types of Dutching

Whilst the premise of Dutch Betting is always the same i.e., attempting to achieve a profit through the backing of multiple selections, there are three separate ways of approaching the task; those of the Simple Dutch Bet, Set Amount Dutch Bet and Set Profit Dutch Bet.

Simple Dutch Bet

With simple Dutch betting, equal stakes are placed should the odds on each selection be the same and adjusted when the odds differ. Let’s take a look at a couple of examples.

Equal Stake Example

• Stake £10 on Horse A @ 4/1 to return £50
• Stake £10 on Horse B @ 4/1 to return £50
• Total Stake = £20
• A win for either Horse A or Horse B will result in a profit of £30: £50 return - £20 total stakes.

Adjusted Stake Example

• Stake £10 on Horse A @ 4/1 to return £50
• Stake £5 on Horse B @ 9/1 to return £50
• Total Stake = £15
• A win for either Horse A or Horse B will result in a profit of £35: £50 return - £15 total stakes.

Set Amount Dutch Bet

This form of Dutch betting refers to the situation where a bettor has a set amount they wish to stake, and splits this total stake in a manner which ensures the same potential profit for each selection. Let us again take a look at a couple of examples, but this time for both two, and three selection bets.

Set Amount Two Selection Example

• Bettor has a total of £20 they wish to stake.
• Stake £11.43 on Horse A @ 5/1 to return £68.58
• Stake £8.57 on Horse B @ 7/1 to return £68.56
• Total Stake = £20
• A win for Horse A will result in a profit of £48.58 (£68.58 - £20). A win for Horse B will result in a profit of £48.56 (£68.56 - £20)

Set Amount Three Selection Example

• Bettor has a total of £20 they wish to stake.
• Stake £12.17 on Horse A @ 6/4 to return £30.43
• Stake £5.07 on Horse B @ 5/1 to return £30.42
• Stake £2.76 on Horse B @ 10/1 to return £30.36
• Total Stake = £20
• A win for Horse A will result in a profit of £10.43 (£30.43 - £20). A win for Horse B will result in a profit of £10.42 (£30.42 - £20), and for Horse C the profit would be £10.36 (£30.36 - £20)

Set Profit Dutch Bet

And as you may well have deduced, the final type of Dutch bet aims to achieve a specific profit for each selection, with the total stake increased as required.

Set Profit Two Selection Example

• Profit Target set at £30
• Stake £20 on Horse A @ 2/1 to return £60
• Stake £10 on Horse B @ 5/1 to return £60
• Total Stake = £30
• A win for either Horse A or Horse B will result in a profit of £30: £60 return - £30 total stakes.

Set Amount Three Selection Example

• Profit target set at £60
• Stake £30 on Horse A @ 3/1 to return £120
• Stake £20 on Horse B @ 5/1 to return £120
• Stake £10 on Horse B @ 11/1 to return £120
• Total Stake = £60
• A win for either Horse A, B or C will result in a profit of £60: £120 return - £60 total stakes.

Summary: Not A Road to Riches, But A Useful Tool

Dutch betting comes with its own pros and cons and will appeal to certain bettors more than others. On the plus side, having more than one runner in a given race undoubtedly does increase your chances of a return, but on the downside, losses can be more costly when they do occur, particularly if employing the set profit staking system. Some may perceive the calculation of stakes as a potential obstacle, but with a number of Dutch Betting Calculators freely available online, this is easily overcome.

As with any pure betting system, whether or not Dutching proves profitable in the long run will largely depend upon the quality of the selections contained with the bet. Nevertheless, for those occasions when you simply cannot decide between two, three or more horses or football teams, it is a useful tool to have in your betting armoury.

You might also be interested in:

An Online Betting Guide For Beginner Punters

An Easy Guide to a Patent Bet

An Easy Guide to a Yankee Bet

All Other Betting Guides