dutching

1. 1
   noununcountable

   The practice of placing bets across multiple possible outcomes (the Dutch book technique) so that a return is secured whichever outcome occurs.

   Like a shopkeeper who stocks every popular brand, so a sale is guaranteed however a customer chooses.

   Professional bettors rely on dutching to lock in returns no matter which contender prevails.

   Through dutching, the syndicate covered every runner in the race and still turned a profit.

   Note

   The arithmetic is proportional. The total stake is split among the selections so that the net payout is equal whichever one wins. That only pays when the implied probabilities of the backed outcomes add up to less than one. It is a mass noun: bettors go in for dutching, not a dutching. The name comes from the Dutch book.

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle of dutch.

   By dutching across all the favorites, the gambler minimized his exposure.

   The syndicate is dutching the championship futures to lock in a margin.

   Note

   The -ing form of a kitchen verb: to dutch cocoa beans or powder is to treat them with an alkali solution, which darkens the color and softens the bitterness. The verb is sometimes capitalized, so Dutching appears as well. One spelling serves as both participle (the plant is dutching the powder) and gerund (dutching makes it milder). Keep it apart from the betting technique, a separate noun.

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