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Betting Types

When it comes to horse betting, there are various types of bets you can place. Here are some common types:



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Win Bet

The first bet that most people make in horse racing in the win bet. This is as simple as it gets as you are putting money on a horse to win a race.

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Place Bet

This wager is one in which you make looking for your horse to finish first or second in the race.

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Show Bet

The show wager is the third major bet in horse racing and in this bet you cash your bet if your horse finishes first, second or third in the race

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Exacta Bet

The first of the exotic wagers is the exacta. This bet is where you are picking the first two horses in a race and to cash your ticket they have to finish in exactly that order. Let’s say you like the No. 2 horse in a race to win and the No. 7 to finish second. You put in an exacta wager of 2-7. The only way this wager wins is if the two horses finish with the No. 2 winning and the No. 7 finishing second.

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Quinella Bet

If you like two horses but are unsure which one is going to finish first and which one will finish second then you can play the quinella. With this bet you simply need your two horses to finish first and second in any order to cash your ticket.

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Trifecta Bet

The trifecta is where you are betting on the first three horses in a race to finish in an exact order. In that previous example you would need the No. 2 to finish first, the No. 7 to finish second and then whatever horse you chose to finish in third place. Because it is tough to predict the exact order of a trifecta the best option is to box horses and we’ll look at that option coming up.

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Superfecta Bet

The superfecta wager is where you are trying to predict the exact order of the top four horses in a race. You need the horses you choose to finish in the exact order of finish in the top four spots to cash your ticket. There are some racebooks that offer this wager with the $1 superfecta, but there are also some tracks that offer the ten cent superfecta wager. Again, the best option when playing the superfecta is to box horses.

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Daily Double

The Daily Double is where you are picking the winners in two consecutive races. This wager used to be for the first two races on a horse racing card, but today it is oftentimes available on a number of races.

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Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 6

The pick three is just another step past the Daily Double, as you are trying to predict the winners of three straight races. Racetracks will offer Pick 3’s throughout the day starting with the first race and continuing throughout the card. The Pick 4 is where you are trying to pick the winners of four straight races. The Pick 4 is normally offered for the last four races at a racetrack. You have to pick the winners of six straight races and normally those are the last six races on the card at a racetrack. Not all racetracks offer the Pick 6, so you need to check out which tracks offer this wager.