Learning how to bet the horse races can be a profitable experience, but if you really want to supercharge the wagering and take it to the next level you will have to move beyond win, place, and show betting and master the exotic bets known as the exacta, trifecta, and superfecta. These bets are the bread and butter of the professional horseplayer.
These bets are called exotics, or gimmicks, because they differ from straight bets in a significant way. Straight bets all involve one horse. You select a single horse in a race and bet that horse to win, place, or show. Exotic bets involve two, three, or even four horses. The payoff on these bets is much higher because they are harder to win, but the risk/reward ratio is amazing!
Exacta betting
An exacta bet is a bet on any two horses in a single race to finish first and second. A straight, or ice cold, exacta means that you selected one horse to finish first and one horse to finish second. An exacta box means that you selected two or more horses to finish first and second in no particular order. The profit on a straight exacta is going to be higher because the cost of your ticket is lower. Here’s an example:
Exacta with horse 4 to finish first and horse 5 to finish second = $2 minimum bet.
Exacta box with horse 4 and horse 5 to finish first and second in any order = $4 minimum bet.
The reason the exacta box costs more is because it is actually two tickets. You have one ticket on the outcome of 4-5 and another on the outcome of 5-4. To simplify the bet, the racetrack puts these two bets on a single ticket and calls it a box.
The upside of betting an exacta box is that you only have to pick the two horses you think will finish first and second. It doesn’t matter which one is first and which one is second as long as they are the first two horses to cross the finish line. The downside of betting an exacta box is that even when you win you will still have one losing ticket, and that reduces your profit.
As a general rule, you should stick to straight exactas. Using a box usually means that you do not have a solid opinion on which horse will win, and if you don’t have a strong opinion you probably should not be betting. Occasionally, an exacta box is useful. If you like two longshots in the race, box them up and pray for the best! If you hit it, your payoff will be massive. More on How To Bet The Exacta her.
Trifecta betting
Trifecta betting is precisely the same as exacta betting but to win the trifecta bet you must select the first three finishers in the race. Once again, you can bet the trifecta straight or you can box the winning horses to finish in no particular order. Using a box is more popular with a trifecta bet because this bet is harder to hit than an exacta.
There is a better way to play the trifecta, however, and that is by using what is called a wheel or part-wheel. In a wheel you select the horse you think will finish first and then “wheel” or box two horses in the second and third spots. As long as your horse wins the race it doesn’t matter in what order your other two horses cross the finish line as long as they finish in second and third. The ticket will look like this:
7 with 3/5 with 3/5 = $4 minimum bet.
Once again, you actually have two tickets in this wheel. One ticket is for 7, 3, 5 to cross the finish line in that order. The other is for 7, 5, 3 to finish first, second, and third.
EZ Horse Betting Pro Play
Many racetracks and online betting parlors offer a $1 minimum bet on the trifecta. Here’s a way to bet the trifecta using four horses for $18. First, select the horse you think will win. Next, select three horses you think could finish first, second, or third. You will now construct three wheel tickets using your “key” horse (the one you chose to win) with the other three horses. Your tickets will look like this:
5 with 1, 2, 3 with 1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3 with 5 with 1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3, with 1, 2, 3, with 5
Horse number 5 is your key horse. As long as your key horse finishes first, second, or third with two of the other horses completing the trifecta, you win. This bet is a great one because sometimes your key horse will run third and two of your higher odds horses will run first and second. When that happens, get ready to get paid!
Superfecta betting
You probably already know what this. A superfecta means picking the first FOUR finishers of a race in correct order. While this bet is very hard to win consistently, the payoffs can be huge. In addition, many tracks are now offering superfecta tickets for as low as ten cents! This is one of the only bets on the racetrack where you can win thousands of dollars for a single dime.
Most players use a wheel or a box when betting the superfecta. It is just very difficult to hit a straight superfecta bet.
Calculating the Cost of your Pick 3, Pick 4, or Pick 6 Tickets
- Race 1: You select horses 2 and 3 as potential winners.
- Race 2: You select horses 1 and 4 as potential winners.
- Race 3: You select horse 5 as the winner.
- Race 4: You select all horses in the race as potential winners.
In leg 1 you have chosen two horses. In leg 2 you have chosen two horses. In leg 3 you have chosen one horse. In the final leg you have chosen all the horses in the race and there are six of them. So, your multiplication looks like this:
- 2 X 2 X 1 X 6 = 24
Now, multiply 24 by the base cost of one ticket. Many multi-race wagers are offered for a $1 minimum bet so we will use that for our example:
- 24 X $1 = $24
The cost of your Pick 4 ticket is $24
Here we list some of the different type of bets for Horse Racing, click on the links below to learn more.
- Win, Place & Show Betting
- The Pick 6
- The Rainbow or Fortune Six
- Automatic Bet at Racetrack
- Quinella Betting Popular In Australian Racing
- Flexi Bet
- Each Way Bet
- Pick Your Own Field Betting
- Best Of The Best Betting
- What is In-Play Horse Betting?
- The Show Parlay – Have Fun Betting Horses With Friends
- Across The Board Horse Betting
- What Is An Exacta Box Bet?
- How To Bet The Exacta
Andrew
Wow you guys need some help calculating payout the example at the end the horse cannot repeat in multiple positions it cannot come in 4-3-2-3 you have to remove so it comes to 1x2x2x1 or $4 for a $1 if you don’t believe me try it on a tote and please take a basic probability course or actually go to the track.
ezhorsebetting
Andrew,
Thanks for your comment and your keen eye. You are indeed correct that the example we originally provided does not work with the Superfecta. Our example was intended to demonstrate how the cost of a Pick 3, Pick 4, or Pick 6 could be calculated. We have corrected the example and certainly appreciate you pointing it out.
As for taking a probability course or going to the track, calculating the cost of a ticket has nothing to do with probability. The horses you choose to include in a ticket do not have their chances of winning improved one way or another. We recommend what is known as a wheel for the Superfecta because it allows you to cover more possibilities for a smaller cost rather than using all the horses in all the legs, which would be known as a box. In our view, boxing typically means you don’t have a strong opinion on a race. If you don’t have a strong opinion, you probably shouldn’t be betting the race.
The developers of EZ Horse Betting are actively involved in horseracing on many levels…owners, trainers, former jockeys and jockey agents. We have spent plenty of time at the track and now we are offering our perspectives to those that have an interest in betting horses online.
Again, thanks for your comment! We appreciate the time you took to visit our website.
Thys Mokhoantle
The way you explain Superfactor makes it difficult to understand. OR,
Maybe I confused myself by expecting to work the same as QUARTET Floting Banker. I understand all the others because they work the same but this one, I am really lost. I don’t think I will be able to bet on it.
Regards
Thulo
admin
hanks for reading, Thulo. We are happy to try and clarify this subject for you. A superfecta wager is a multi-horse bet which requires the bettor to choose the first four finishers of a horse race in exact order. You must pick the four horses that will finish 1-2-3-4, and you must also pick them in the correct order. In other words, the horse that you choose to finish first cannot finish in third place. The bettor can choose to play multiple tickets in this wager, sometimes known as boxing. Winning a superfecta bet is a lot like winning the lottery. In a race with 8 horses there are an extreme number of possible winning combinations. The Quartet is indeed a version of this wager found in Europe and other areas. The floating banker that you mention would be referred to as a key in the US. It involves choosing one horse to win and then playing three horses in all the remaining positions. We hope this answers your question and good luck at the track!
Brian
If I do a superfecta box can I still hit the trifecta or exacta if only 2-3 of my horses come in?
admin
Thanks for your question, Brian, and for being an EZ Horse Betting reader. The superfecta, trifecta, and exacta are all separate bets. When you bet the superfecta you are betting the superfecta only. This means you will need all four horses to finish in exact order to win. If only two or three of your horses come in on the superfecta ticket, you will still lose unless you have made separate trifecta and exacta wagers. Your question addresses a valid point that many bettors embrace. If you are confident in the selections you have made for the superfecta ticket, bet them all the way down the line. In other words, use your selections to also make exacta and trifecta tickets. If you are right on the superfecta you will also be right on the other tickets. That could mean a big payday for you. Good luck at the track!