Hedging is placing a second bet against your original bet so that, whatever happens, you lock in a known outcome instead of an all-or-nothing result.

It is most useful with parlays, futures and live bets, where the original price has moved sharply in your favour and the opposite side now offers a good price.

To guarantee equal profit on both outcomes, divide your target payout by the decimal odds of the hedge: a $500 payout hedged at 2.00 needs a $250 stake.

Hedging is not free money: it reduces your maximum profit, costs extra vig, and should be a deliberate decision, not an anxious reaction to every winning bet.