Dead heat rules: how ties split payouts, with worked examples

Key facts

The TAB's sports rules: divide the original payout by the number tied, then multiply by the number of places they fill.
$10 at $4.40 in a two-way dead heat for first returns $22.00. At $1.80 it returns $9.00, less than your stake.
On the tote, the TAB splits the win pool between dead heaters and says the win dividend cannot be less than your bet.
A golfer tied with three others for 9th in a top 10 market fills 2 of the 4 tied spots: $10 at $3.00 returns $15.00.
In a multi, only the leg that dead heats is cut: a $1.80, $2.10, $3.50 multi with the $3.50 leg halved pays $66.15 on $10 instead of $132.30.

The dead heat formula

A dead heat is a tie: two or more runners, players or teams finish level for a place you have bet on. When the bookmaker did not offer the tie as its own outcome, your payout is split. The TAB's Victorian sports rules (rule 12.5) set out the method in two steps:

Divide the face value of the ticket (the original payout, including your stake) by the number of competitors involved in the tie.
Multiply the result by the number of official placings those tied competitors fill.

Written as one line: dead heat return = full return / number tied x places they fill. The TAB's NSW rules use the same method (clause 6.1.8). For a quick answer, our dead heat calculator runs this formula for any price and any tie.

Dead heat betting on a win

The common case is two runners locked together on the line for first. Two competitors share one place, so the multiplier is 1/2.

Your bet	Full return	Two-way dead heat	Three-way dead heat
$10 at $4.40	$44.00	$22.00	$14.67
$10 at $2.00	$20.00	$10.00	$6.67
$10 at $1.80	$18.00	$9.00	$6.00

In our calculation, a two-way dead heat returns more than your stake only when the price is above $2.00. At $2.00 you break even, and at $1.80 a "winning" bet hands back $9.00 from a $10 stake. On-course bookmaker rules say the same thing in their own words: the Thoroughbred Racing NT Rules of Betting (BR13) pay "one half of the face value of the ticket" in a dead heat for first, and add that, except in a dead heat, stewards' orders should not leave a backer with less than the stake (BR12(8)).

Fixed odds vs tote in a dead heat

Racing has two systems, and they treat dead heats differently.

	Fixed odds	Tote
How the split works	Your return is divided by the number tied	The win pool is divided into equal parts, one per backed dead heater
Who decides the dividend	The formula on your fixed price	The money in the pool on each runner
Can you get back less than your stake?	Yes, at prices under $2.00	The TAB says win dividends "cannot be less than a customer's bet"

The TAB's dead heat help page and its Victorian Totalisator Betting Rules (rule 12.1) describe the tote method: the pool is split into as many equal parts as there are backed dead heaters, and each part is shared among the punters on that runner. The minimum dividend promise is a real advantage of the tote on a short-priced runner that dead heats. For more on choosing between the two, see tote vs fixed odds.

Place and each way dead heats

Place bets can dead heat too, most often for the last paying place. The TAB's place rule (rule 12.6) takes the place part of your ticket, multiplies it by the number of places still available and divides by the number of runners tied for them.

Worked example: $10 each way, win price $9.00, place price $2.60, in a race paying three places. Your horse dead heats with one other for third.

Part of the bet	Result	Return
$10 win	Did not win	$0
$10 place	Tied for third: 1 place left, 2 runners	$26.00 / 2 x 1 = $13.00
Total		$13.00 from $20 staked

On the tote, the TAB pays four place dividends when there is a dead heat for third: one each for first and second, and one for each of the third place dead heaters, with the third place pool split between them. A dead heat for first or second pays three place dividends. Our each way calculator shows the normal place return before any dead heat cut.

Dead heats in golf and other top-finish markets

Golf produces plenty of ties, because several players can share a position on the leaderboard. Under the TAB's Victorian rules (rule 11.1.4.3), play-off holes decide the winner, but tied places after the set number of holes are settled with the dead heat formula.

Market	Finish	Places left / players tied	$ bet and price	Return
Top 10	Tied 9th with 3 others	2 / 4	$10 at $3.00	$30 x 2/4 = $15.00
Top 5	Tied 5th with 2 others	1 / 3	$20 at $4.50	$90 x 1/3 = $30.00

In the top 10 example, positions 9 and 10 are shared by four players, so each counts as half a place. A top 5 bet tied with two others for 5th counts as a third. Our golf betting guide covers the other tournament markets.

Pundit tip: in a top 10 or top 20 market, a tie on the last paying position is always possible because players can share a place. Price the bet knowing that some "wins" may be paid at a fraction.

Dead heats in multis and doubles

A dead heat in one leg of a multi does not kill the multi. Under the TAB's rule 7.3, the dead heat leg's price is revised with the rule 12.5 method, and the payout is the product of the revised prices times your stake.

Worked example: a $10 three-leg multi at $1.80, $2.10 and $3.50. Full odds 13.23, full return $132.30. If the $3.50 leg dead heats two ways, that leg counts as $1.75, the combined odds fall to 6.615 and the multi returns $66.15. In our calculation, halving one leg halves the whole multi. The multi bet calculator shows the full return before any dead heat.

On-course doubles in the NT follow the same logic in fractions (BR16): one leg wins outright and the other dead heats for first, paid one half of the face value; both legs dead heat, one quarter; one leg in a triple dead heat, one third.

Ties in sport

In a two-way sports market, a draw is a dead heat between two teams. The rules for draws, three-way markets and extra time are covered in our head to head betting guide. Every fixed odds split follows the same formula, so once you know the number tied and the places they fill, you can work out any dead heat in your head. The other main bet types are in bet types explained.

Frequently asked questions

How do dead heat rules work?

When competitors tie and a tie was not offered as a separate bet, the payout is divided by the number of competitors tied, then multiplied by the number of places they fill. A two-way tie for first fills one place, so you get half the normal return.

Do I lose money on a dead heat?

It depends on the price. Half of the full return is more than your stake only when the price is above $2.00. At $2.00 you get your stake back, and at any shorter price you get back less than you bet.

How are tote dividends paid in a dead heat?

The TAB splits the win pool between the dead heaters and pays a dividend on each. It says the win dividends cannot be less than a customer's bet. A dead heat for third in a race paying three places means four place dividends are paid.

What happens to a multi if one leg dead heats?

Under the TAB's Victorian rules, the dead heat leg's price is revised by the dead heat formula and the multi pays the product of the revised prices times your stake. The other legs are not affected.

How do dead heat rules work in golf?

Under the TAB's Victorian rules, play-off holes count for the winner, but ties for places after the set number of holes are split using the dead heat formula. Four players tied for 9th in a top 10 market share 2 places, so each pays half.