Dead-heat guide
Dead heats explained
Understand retained winning stake, exact tied-position fractions, and how dead heats interact with each-way parts, Rule 4 and partial outcomes.
What a dead heat means
A dead heat occurs when selections finish tied for fewer available winning or paid positions. SlipLogic does not infer a dead heat. Enter the number tied and the paid places available from the settled ticket.
The retained-stake rule
Dead-heat settlement reduces the portion of stake that wins. The retained portion is then settled at the full applicable odds.
In ordinary terms, the retained fraction is paid places available ÷ number tied. Two tied for one place retains 1/2; three tied for two places retains 2/3. These counts are supplied settlement facts, not bookmaker eligibility inferred by SlipLogic.
Why the full stake is not automatically preserved
A dead heat is not “full stake plus reduced profit”. Only the retained fraction of stake is treated as winning at the full applicable odds.
Straight dead-heat example
This engine-settled Single uses Aster, a £10.00 stake, 5.00 decimal odds, and 2 tied for 1 paid place.
| Settlement | Stake settled as winning | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Without dead heat | £10.00 | £50.00 |
| With dead heat | £5.00 | £25.00 |
The exact retained fraction is 1/2. The engine settles £5.00 at 5.00, returning £25.00 and producing +15.00 profit.
Three tied for two places
At £9.00 and 4.00 odds, the exact 2/3 fraction retains £6.00. The engine returns £24.00, for +15.00 profit. Paid places need not be one, but SlipLogic does not infer how many places apply.
Losing and void results
A dead-heat adjustment is invalid for a losing result because there is no winning stake to retain. A void selection returns its stake under the neutral void rule and is not dead-heat settled.
- Lose
- Adjustment rejectedEngine validation: DEAD_HEAT_FOR_NON_WINNING_STRAIGHT_OUTCOME. No stale or fabricated return is displayed.
- Void
- Adjustment rejectedEngine validation: DEAD_HEAT_FOR_NON_WINNING_STRAIGHT_OUTCOME. No stale or fabricated return is displayed.
Each-way dead heats
Each-way bets have separate win and place monetary parts. A dead heat may affect the win part, place part, or both independently when supplied.
| Monetary part | Dead heat | Retained stake | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win part | 2 tied for 1 | £5.00 | £25.00 |
| Place part | None supplied | £10.00 | £20.00 |
The total outlay is £20.00, return £45.00, and profit +25.00. The win dead heat does not automatically reduce the place part. A place dead heat can apply independently, but SlipLogic does not infer place qualification. Read how each-way bets are calculated.
Rule 4 and dead-heat order
For £10.00 at 5.00, with a 20% Rule 4 and a two-way dead heat, the engine first produces the Rule 4 multiplier 4.20. The retained stake is £5.00; final return is £21.00, with +11.00 profit.
- Step 1: 1Original price
- Step 2: 2Rule 4-adjusted winning price
- Step 3: 3Dead-heat retained stake
- Step 4: 4Partial-share weighting where applicable
- Step 5: 5Final multiplier and return
Read Rule 4 explained for the profit deduction stage.
Partial-outcome interaction
For £10.00 at 3.00, a 20% Rule 4, a two-way dead heat, and 1/2 Win + 1/2 Void, the engine produces:
- Step 1: 2.60Rule 4-adjusted winning multiplier
- Step 2: 1/2Winning-component retained fraction
- Step 3: 1Void multiplier
- Step 4: 1.15Effective final multiplier
- Step 5: £11.50Return; +1.50 profit
Rule 4 and dead heat affect only the winning share. The void share remains at multiplier 1; exact partial weighting follows the winning adjustments. A dead heat is invalid when the normalized partial outcome contains no positive Win share.
Incorrect shortcut: return the full stake and divide only profit
Bookmaker rules SlipLogic does not infer
SlipLogic does not infer official finishing positions, extra-place promotions, bookmaker concessions, competition-specific tie-breaking rules, or whether a place dead heat should also affect a win part.
What the engine explains
- The exact retained winning-stake fraction.
- The applicable full odds.
- Part-specific adjustments.
- The ordered settlement stages and final return.
Common mistakes
- Reducing only profit while returning the whole stake.
- Dividing decimal odds instead of applying retained stake at full odds.
- Entering tied selections but not paid places.
- Applying a win dead heat automatically to the place part.
- Applying dead heat to a losing or void result.
- Applying dead heat before Rule 4.
- Applying dead heat beyond the winning share of a partial outcome.
Dead-heat FAQ
How is a dead-heat fraction calculated?
Divide the supplied paid places available by the supplied number tied, keeping the result as an exact fraction.
What does two tied for one place mean?
One place divided between two tied selections retains one half of the winning stake at the full applicable odds.
Is the full winning stake returned in a dead heat?
No. Only the retained fraction is settled as winning at the applicable odds.
Can each-way win and place parts have different dead heats?
Yes. Win and place are separate monetary parts and accept independent supplied adjustments.
Does Rule 4 apply before or after dead heat?
The neutral engine applies Rule 4 to winning profit odds before applying dead-heat retained stake.
Inspect a supplied dead-heat settlement
Enter the tied selections and paid places, then inspect the retained stake and ordered line explanation.