How To Bet Trifectas And Superfectas
So if you bet $2 on War of Will, and he pays 20-to-one odds, you’ll get about $42 back ($40 plus your original $2 investment). Generally, better horses pay less. So if you bet $2 on Omaha Beach, who at the time of publication was the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby, you’d only get $10 back if he wins. For novice gamblers, betting on horses can be a bit intimidating. Below is everything beginners need to know before betting on horses. Exactas, Trifectas, and Superfectas. This is the same handicapper who has called the winner of the Preakness Stakes a whopping nine times in the past 15 years!Anyone who has followed him is WAY UP. While a slew of horses could hit the board in the 2020 Preakness Stakes, Demling is highly confident in a small group, isolating them for his exactas, trifectas and superfectas! This wager combines your selections to finish first and second in every possible combination. Example: If you be a 'Trifecta box 3-4-5,' you win if those three horses finish in any order first, second and third. This bet can be used with Exactas, Trifectas and Superfectas; it can be wagered in $1 increments and at lower increments at some tracks.
Nothing says 'summer' better than a trip to the racetrack and several ice-cold drinks while basking in the sun and skimming through the daily racing program. Unfortunately, only a small amount of the betting public actually knows how to dissect the program properly, which gives them a bit of an edge when it comes to placing their wagers. Most amateurs or leisure bettors stick to the simple bets like win, place or show despite the potential of a massive payout when playing the exotics. For those of you who don't know what an 'exotic' is, it's simply a fancy word for playing the Daily Double, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta.
The main purpose of this article is to help you hone your skills and make good decisions when putting together an inexpensive (or expensive) exacta, trifecta or superfecta. To start, we will look at what each of those bets are and how they are put together.
Exacta Betting
When you step up to the betting window to place an 'exacta' bet, you are wagering on the horses who you believe will finish first and second. If you are very confident in a horse's abilities and believe that horse will win the race, you will likely play a straight exacta with the No. 3 horse to finish first and whichever horse or horses you like to come in second. By keying a specific horse for first, you will be able to tally up the cost of this bet by counting how many horses you have for second place.
For example, a $1 exacta key that looks like this: 3 with 1,2,4,5,6 - will cost you $5 because there are five possible outcomes you can win with. If you bet a $2 exacta on that ticket, then the cost doubles to $10, but you are then eligible to win the entire payout if your ticket is a winner.
There is an option available where you can 'box' the horses you like. An exacta box means that if the horses you select come in the top two in any order, you will win your bet.
For example: a $1 exacta box that looks like this: 3, 4 - will cost you $2 because there are two ways you can win your bet. The more horses you add, the higher the ticket cost will be.
One rule of thumb I always stick with when betting exactas is to try and beat the favorite. Because the pari-mutuels are a pool of money split amongst however many winners there are, having the favorite for first will almost guarantee a low payout because of the many duplicate tickets that are sure to be out there. If you can try to beat the favorite, the number of winning tickets will decrease, and depending on the odds the payout should be solid.
Trifecta Betting
The exact definition of a trifecta bet is 'a bet in which the person betting forecasts the first three finishers in a specific race in the correct order'. This means that you will not only be picking the winner of the race but the second- and third-place finishers as well. A trifecta bet is one of the harder bets to win at the races, but the potential payout is sometimes worth the risk - especially when the race is comprised of several long shot horses and a favorite of 5/2 odds or better. The only downside with being an avid trifecta bettor is that not every race offers up trifecta betting. This usually happens when the field is comprised of five or less horses, in which case the track could stand to lose money should it allow trifecta wagering.
The cost of a trifecta bet differs from track to track, with the minimum stake usually set at $.50. The most popular trifecta wager is the $1 wager due to the high cost of a complex trifecta ticket.
For example, the simplest trifecta bet would use three horses -- one for first, one for second and one for third - and it would cost you a grand total of $1 since there is only one possible winning combination on your ticket. It would also look like this: 3 with 4 with 9 or 3/4/9. The more horses you add to your ticket (in any position), the more possible winning combinations you will have thus the higher cost of the wager.
In terms of strategy, the best strategy to use (in my opinion) when thinking about placing a trifecta bet is to have an idea of how the race is going to play out and how the surface (dirt or turf) is going to affect the race. For example, if the surface is playing favorable to speed-style horses, it may be hard to include a closing-style horse for first or second. Another strategy I tend to use is one where I try to beat the favorite, thus increasing the chance for a bigger payout. When you see a favorite with odds of 8/5, 3/2 or 1/9, you know the majority of the betting public feel that they have their money on the best horse. Most squares tend to play the favorite 'on top' (to come in first place in the trifecta) with a slew of horses for second and third. Because of this, the amount of winning tickets that include the favorite for first will typically yield a very poor return on your investment. If you look to beat the favorite and a long shot comes in first and/or second, the chances that people have that exact trifecta combination reduces drastically, thus increasing your payout and profit.
Superfecta Betting
If the goal of the 'exacta' bet is to predict the top two horses and the goal of the 'trifecta' bet is to predict the top three, then the 'superfecta' bet is obviously the bet that predicts the top four horses.
Much like the trifecta, the superfecta is an extremely difficult bet to win, and the more horses you include the higher the cost of the ticket. It's should come as no surprise then, when I tell you that superfecta payouts are often in four- to five-figure range. Depending on the odds, I've seen superfectas pay upwards of $100,000 before. The strategy for superfecta betting is very similar to that of the trifecta, so instead of me rewriting the same stuff, just read above.
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We want your visit with us to be not only enjoyable, but also rewarding. When betting the horses, you are playing against other bettors, not the house. This is called “pari-mutuel wagering”. The track handles the bets and redistributes the money to the winners.
The Meadows Racetrack & Casino provides both teller-staffed windows and self-service wagering machines. Whichever you choose, the way to bet is the same.
Place your bet by:
- Stating the track name
- Race number
- The dollar amount
- The type of bet
- The horses’ program number or numbers
For example: The Meadows, Race 3, $5 to Win on Number 4.
Winning tickets may be cashed at any window the day of the race or up to March 31 of the following year.
You can also wager with vouchers. Vouchers are just like cash but are easier and more convenient to use. They can be used for wagering at any live teller or self wagering machine. They can be exchanged for cash at any teller window.
WIN
The horse must finish first to collect.
How To Bet Trifectas And Superfectas
PLACE
The horse must finish either first or second to collect. Generally the payoff is less than a win payoff.
SHOW
The horse must finish either first, second or third to collect. Generally the payoff is less than for Win or Place.
DAILY DOUBLE
You must pick the winners of two consecutive races to collect. Most tracks have this bet on the first two races of the card. Some tracks also have this bet on the last two races of the card.
EXACTA
You win by picking the first two horses to cross the finish line in exact order.
TRIFECTA
You win by selecting the first three horses to cross the finish line in exact order. This payoff is generally higher than an Exacta, but is a tougher bet to win.
SUPERFECTA
You win by selecting the first four horses to cross the finis line in exact order.
PICK 3 / PICK 4 / PICK 5 / PICK 6
Must pick winners of the number of consecutive races stated in the bet's name. For example a Pick 3 is for three consecutive races, a Pick 4 is for four consecutive races, etc.
You can increase your chances of winning by using boxes and wheels. Here is how they work:
BOX
This wager combines your selections to finish first and second in every possible combination. Example: If you be a 'Trifecta box 3-4-5,' you win if those three horses finish in any order first, second and third. This bet can be used with Exactas, Trifectas and Superfectas; it can be wagered in $1 increments and at lower increments at some tracks.
How To Bet Trifectas And Superfectas
WHEEL
Combines one horse with all the others in a race. Example: If you wager an 'Exacta wheel 5-All,' you win if the five finishes first no matter whom finishes seconds. This bet can be used with all bets except Win, Place and Show and can be wagered in $1 increments.
PART-WHEEL
Lets you pick only the combinations you want. This is often used by very experienced bettors. Example: If you bet a 'Trifecta part wheel - 3 with 1, 2, and 4, with 1, 2, and 4,' you win if the 3 wins and 1, 2 or 4 finish second and third. This bet can be used with all bets except Win, Place and Show, an can be wagered in $1 increments.
Please consult the front of the live program, a teller or a self-bet machine for cost of box wagers as each additional horse adds to the cost.