Betting on horse racing is a great way to spend yek bet an afternoon with your friends and family. In fact at many tracks you can even bring your children and let them join in on the fun. Betting on horse races can win you a lot of but if you’re not careful you can also lose money. Before you head off to the race track you should take a moment to familiarize yourself with the basic betting conditions of horse racing. In general the minimum to place a bet is either 1 or 2 dollars, depending on the type of bet you place.
There are many different types of bets a gambler can place. The most straight forward bet is a “win” bet where you simply try to determine which horse will win the race. Since some horses are more likely to win then other horses, the race track will institute an odds system. If you bet on a heavily favored horse and win you may not win a lot of money. If you bet on a long-shot horse and s/he wins you could end up making several times your bet. For most win bets there is a two dollar minimum.
A “place” bet is similar to a win best except your chosen horse must instead place in the top two spots. A “show” bet is similar to the aforementioned bets, except now your horse only has to finish in the top three. As you are more likely to successfully successfully pick a winning horse your earnings will be lower. Like a win bet most race tracks place a two dollar minimum on the wager.
If you are feeling lucky you can place bets on multiple horses. There are numerous ways to do this. For example you could bet on the exact order of the top two finishers. This is called an exacta. You can also bet on the two horses that will finish in the top two places but not the order, which is called an “exacta box.”
If you want to place bets on three horses you can bet on a trifecta or trifecta box. You can also place a bet for a “trifecta key” in which you bet on the winner of the race and also the two horses the second and third spots, but without regards to the order. If you want to bet on four horses you can bet on a superfecta, superfecta box, or superfecta key. Key and box bets will generally have a 1 dollar minimum.
It’s easy to see that there are numerous options for the intrepid sports gambler. Beginners may want to try betting on only one horse. Betting on multiple horses reduces the likelihood that you will place a winner wager but it also increases the pay-out should you win. Advanced gamblers may enjoy the challenge and potential pay-outs offered by the more complex betting methods.
In order to increase your chances of winning it is important to research the horses you are betting on. What is there history? Are their any known injuries or other factors that might slow the horse down? What is the competition field like? Does a horse do particularly well or bad when put in a certain lane? Is there a different jockey today? Does the horse appear to be sick? All race horses are very fast and very talented so even minor things, like a cold, can have a huge impact on the outcome of the race. By being diligent and doing research you can increase your chances of winning.
