Horse racing has been present in the gambling world for a long time. It’s fun and exciting and gets a lot of people on edge. Most importantly, you can win a lot. Horse race betting allows its bettor to participate in its races that take place annually. If you plan to participate online, there are a few things you need to know.
Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes
If you’re new to horse racing, there is a crown that only a few horses can achieve. It’s called the Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing. It’s a series of races that is open for three-year-old thoroughbred horses. The series consists of three major championships: Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. So far, there are only 13 horses that were officially claimed as Triple Crown holders, from 1919’s Sir Barton’s achievements to 2018’s Justify.
Betting Terms
Another important thing that you shouldn’t disregard are horse racing terms. You might have a challenging experience in horse gambling if you can’t understand what they’re trying to say. You might get lost in their conversation and miss the opportunity to win. To list a few, here are the most common terms you might encounter.
- All Out. It describes the race where the horse is giving all his best.
- Colt. A colt is a male horse not older than four years of age.
- Exotic Wager. This term is used to describe multiple bets. It’s about betting on multiple horses in a single race or multiple races with one horse each for a one betting ticket.
- Handicap. Runners will be assigned weights they will need to carry as they run. The weight depends on their skills and past achievements.
- Maiden. This refers to a horse that hasn’t won any race yet.
Betting Types
Horse racing is one of the best sports to wager on because it provides different betting types that you can choose from. Several options allow you to decide properly with your strategies on how to win your bets and earn effectively.
Win, Place, Show
These bets are the most straightforward type of bets you may encounter once you try horse racing. Win bets refer to the wagers you will place on a horse that you think will finish the race first. Next, wagering on place bets requires you to put money on a single horse.
However, you have better chances of winning because you can win your bet if your horse finishes first or second. Similarly, show bets require a single horse that can finish first, second, or third.
Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta
On the other hand, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta are examples of exotic bets. For exacta, you will need to select the race’s top two finishers. Then, you must also predict their places correctly. So, if either of the horses did not make it, or if you fail to guess the final two finishers, you lose your debt. Trifecta and superfecta work the same way, but the former requires you to guess three horses, while the latter will need four horses.
Pick 2, 3, 4
Pick 2 is also another type of exotic betting. Unlike trifecta, this bet involves multiple races to your ticket. In this case, betting on Pick 2 will need you to pick the first finishers of two separate races. It is also the same with Pick 3, but with three races, and with Pick 4, but with four. Keep in mind that you must predict all the finishers of your bet to receive your payout. If not, you can lose your money.
Online Sportsbook
Another thing when betting online, bets will be presented on various gambling sites. This gambling is called the sportsbook. It works similarly with a bookmaker or a bookie who accepts bets in on-site betting. Some sportsbooks accept bets for popular sports by professionals or colleges. They are also the ones who will present available betting types. Again, having several betting types allows you to strategize your wins better.
Horse Racing Odds
Another winning element you must also focus on is the horse racing odds. The odds represent the horse’s probability of winning the race presented by your sportsbook. It is crucial in trying to win because it gives you an idea of how the horse will perform. So, you can slowly eliminate your choices and focus on your favorites.
Aside from that, odds also determine how much money you can earn on a single win. Higher odds entail higher risk, thus possibly higher payout. Once you get the concept of odds, you can take this to your advantage and better hone your winning technique.
Final Thoughts
Horse racing offers the opportunity to all people. It has a lot of horse races in a year, and you can decide on which event to participate in. Since a horse participating in a competitive race usually does not stop at one occasion, you can look into one of the horse’s races before placing any bets. Applying that knowledge and all the above things, you can slowly formulate your strategy to win future horse racing bets.
