Horse Racing Bets Types

If you’re a first time bettor at the race tracks, the terms and types of bets can really get confusing. Once you’ve taken the time to observe the horses and read up on the race track program and other helpful aids and have already chosen your horse, it’s now time to place your wager. But putting your bet is not that simple on the race track. You have to know the type of bet you are going to place. This piece is an introduction to the most common bets that you can make on the race track. Most race tracks accept a minimum wager of $2.

A bet for win means that your horse must finish first for you to collect. A place bet allows you to win when your horse finishes first or second while a show bet means that your horse must finish first, second or third place. When you bet across the board, you are essentially making the three types of bets mentioned above equally: win, place and show. Thus, in the event that your horse wins, you collect on all three wagers (win, place, show). If your horse comes in second place, you only collect on the place and show bet. Finally, if your horse finishes third, you only collect on the show bet.

For multiple bets, you can do the Quinella, Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Daily Double and Pick 3. In a Quinella, the horses that you bet on must finish first and second in either order while in an Exacta bet, they must finish in first and second in the exact order. A Trifecta bet allows you to collect a wager if your horses finish first, second and third in the exact order while in a Superfecta, you can collect if your horses finish first, second, third and fourth also in the exact order. In a Daily Double bet, the horses you bet on must finish first in each of the two races that make up the Daily Double so you can collect. A Pick 3 works the same way as a Daily Double but as the name suggests, applies to three consecutive races.

There are other bets that you can place and as you become more sophisticated and knowledgeable on the track, you can definitely try them out. But if you’re still learning the ropes, then those mentioned above should suffice. Now that you are familiar with the common types of bets, it’s time for you to place them and cheer your horse home!