Risk-free bet calculator (second chance bets)
A risk-free bet, also sold as a second chance bet, first bet safety net or no-sweat bet, is a normal cash bet that is refunded as a bonus bet if it loses. You are paid normally when it wins and handed a bonus bet when it loses, so the hedge has to balance cash on one side against a bonus bet on the other.
This calculator sizes the hedge so both outcomes end on the same profit, counting the refund at the rate you expect to convert it rather than at face value.
Listed payout is $130 + $70 freebet value (70% conversion)
Free, no account needed. Everything is worked out in your browser and nothing you type is saved.
How to use the risk-free bet calculator
- 1Enter the odds for your risk-free bet and the price on the other side at the hedge book.
- 2Enter the risk-free stake. The hedge stake fills in; type a hedge stake instead if that book’s balance is the limit.
- 3Set Refund % (100 for a full refund, lower for a partial one) and the rate you expect to convert the bonus bet at. 70% is a sensible planning figure.
- 4Total Profit is what you end up with either way once the refund is converted, and Conversion % is that profit as a share of the risk-free stake.
Worked example: $100 risk-free at +250
You bet $100 risk-free at +250 and hedge the other side at -300. A loss comes back as a $100 bonus bet, which you expect to convert at 70%.
- Risk-free payout if it wins
- $350.00
- Hedge stake at -300
- $210.00
- Hedge payout if it wins
- $280.00
- $100 bonus bet refund at 70%
- $70.00
- Profit either way
- $40.00
- Conversion rate
- 40%
You stake $310.00 in cash across both books. If the risk-free bet wins it pays $350.00, $40.00 ahead. If the hedge wins it pays $280.00, $30.00 short, and converting the $100 bonus bet at 70% brings back $70.00, so you are $40.00 ahead again.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good conversion on a risk-free bet?
Lower than on a free bet, because the refund only arrives if the first bet loses. With a full refund and a 70% bonus bet conversion, 30% or more of the stake is a good result; the example above gets 40%.
Should I place the risk-free bet on a favorite or an underdog?
Usually an underdog. With a perfectly priced hedge the profit works out to the converted refund times the chance the risk-free bet loses, so the more likely it is to lose, the more of the refund you capture. The hedge book’s margin takes a cut, which is why real numbers come in lower.
Why does it ask for a conversion rate?
The refund is a bonus bet, not cash. Counting it at face value would make the hedge too small and leave you worse off if the hedge side wins. Enter the rate you normally convert bonus bets at; the free bet calculator shows what a specific bonus bet will convert at.
What if only part of the stake is refunded?
Set Refund % to match. A 50% refund on a $100 bet is a $50 bonus bet, and the calculator values it at your conversion rate before sizing the hedge.
Is a no-sweat bet the same thing?
For the math, yes. No-sweat bet, second chance bet, first bet safety net and bet reset are all names for a losing bet refunded as a bonus bet. Check the maximum refund and whether it pays as one bonus bet or several.
Free now, free for good
Every BreadSync calculator is free to use without an account, and that is not changing. They work on the odds you type in.
BreadSync Pro has a risk-free view that pairs your book with the best hedge across 130+ sportsbooks and sizes it for you.
Related calculators
- Free Bet CalculatorTurn a bonus bet into cash with the exact hedge stake, guaranteed profit and conversion rate.
- Arbitrage CalculatorCheck whether two or three prices are an arb and split your stake so every outcome pays the same.
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- Expected Value CalculatorCompare the odds you can bet with fair no-vig odds to see what a bet is worth on average.
21+. Worked examples are illustrative and use made-up prices; real odds change constantly. Calculator results are estimates for information only, not betting advice or a guarantee of profit. BreadSync is not a sportsbook and does not accept wagers. If gambling stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER.