Reading the odds
Backd shows chances as percentages, because 58% is easier to picture than 8/11. If you think in betting odds, switch. It's the same price written a different way.
The five formats
| Format | How to read it |
|---|---|
| Percentage | The chance it happens, as the crowd sees it. 58% means the market thinks it's a 58% chance. |
| Decimal | What $1 returns in total if it wins, including the $1. 1.72 means $10 returns $17.24. |
| Fractional | Profit to stake. 8/11 means win 8 for every 11 put on. |
| American | Negative is how much you put on to win 100. Positive is what 100 wins. |
| Price | The cost of one share, in cents. A share pays $1 if it happens. This is what Polymarket shows. |
Prices are shares
Under the hood you're buying shares. Yes at 58¢ means each share costs $0.58 and pays $1.00 if Yes happens. $10 buys 17.24 shares, so a right call returns $17.24. The No side costs 42¢ and pays $1.00 if No happens. Yes plus No always adds to $1.
Switching
Use the odds control in the sidebar, the footer or Settings. It's remembered on that device. Switch between Dark and Light in the sidebar, under the odds format, or in Settings under Appearance. Records and slips stay in percentages, so a call “backd at 38%” reads the same to everyone.