Definition
Min-cash means finishing just inside the paid places in a guaranteed prize pool tournament. In DFS and contest betting, it is the smallest payout tier a lineup can reach after beating the unpaid entries. It does not mean the lineup had a strong finish; it only means it crossed the payout line.
There is no betting formula for min-cash itself. The basic profit calculation is:
profit = payout - entry fee
Worked Example
A DFS GPP has a $10 entry fee and pays the top 20% of lineups. The lowest paid tier returns $15.
If your lineup finishes in the final paid spot, you min-cash:
$15 payout - $10 entry fee = $5 profit
If the same contest pays $8 at the lowest tier, the result is still a min-cash, but it is a loss:
$8 payout - $10 entry fee = -$2 profit
Why It Matters
Min-cash results help a bettor judge contest structure and lineup style. A lineup that min-cashes often but rarely reaches top-heavy payout tiers can still lose money in GPPs with large first-place prizes and small lower-tier payouts.