If you want to dabble in horse racing betting at your local horse racing track, you will discover that there are a variety of betting methods available to you. Whether betting at your local horse racing track or online, for the newcomer there are a few things that one should know.
The whole point to the game is to beat the odds, which are set by someone called an Oddsmaker. To place a bet you would do so with a Sports Book, either at the racetrack or via a betting website found on the Internet. The key here is to remember that the Oddsmaker is the one setting the available odds and the Sports Book is the means via which you place your bet.
There are a few ways to bet, the most common being the straight or single bet. As the name implies, the only way to win with this betting option is if your horse crosses the finish line first. Place is another option meaning that you can still collect winnings if the horse you pick comes in first or second place.
Show is a bet placed to include the odds of your chosen horse finishing in either first, second or third place. As we look at further options the betting becomes far more interesting and intricate. The Combination Bet gives you the option of picking up to four horses to win, but the order has to be specified.
Pick 3 is an option that allows the person betting to predict the winner of 3 races in a row. Pick 6 is a similar concept, allowing the person betting to pick the winners of six consecutive races. Depending on the racetrack, some will provide you the option to choose between three consecutive sets of six races each during the day.
The Quiniela or the Reverse Forecast is a UK concept offering the option to choose the winning or second place horses in two consecutive races in any order. Alternatively, the Perfecta, Exacta or Straight Forecast is the option chosen to select two horses that must cross the finish line in the exact order as the placed bet.
The Treble Forecast, better known as the Trifecta, gives a person the option to select three horses to cross the finish line in a set order. Superfecta betting means that you can choose four horses to finish the race in a set order on the day. The Daily Double option means that your first and second race. To bet on the Daily Double means that you select the first and second race winners on the day before the first race is run. As you can see, horse race betting is no simple matter!. If you want to bet on a chance with the Jackpot, you would pick six winning horses and then you would share in a portion of the racetrack's daily jackpot prize.
Your Parlay or Accumulator bet means that you make simultaneous bets on two or more races on the day. This is different to the Future Bet, which is made on upcoming races. Future betting is made on upcoming races that have not yet been run.Prizes are different, depending on the racetrack.
Horse racing betting is by any standards a complex and exciting pastime that requires a combination of luck, skill and a knowledge of the sport. It will take a kiss from Lady Luck and a bit of skill and background knowledge of the sport to attain successful results, but I guarantee that is a fun way to pass an afternoon at the racetrack.