Horse Racing Betting Guide
When betting on horse races, you’ll want to understand the different types of bets and key betting terms. This will help you choose the horse racing betting guide to bet on.
Past performance is important to consider. It is also important to know what surface type the track has, as horses perform differently on each one.
Straight bets
The most basic type of wager in horse racing is a Win, Place, or Show bet. This requires a $2 base bet and pays out only if the horse finishes first, second, or third. It is possible to bet more than one horse on a straight bet, however, the payouts are much lower. You can also bet a trifecta, which involves picking the horses to finish in first, second, and third, but it costs more because there are more winning combinations.
You can find the odds of any bet on the race by looking at the tote board or TV monitors. The odds can shift as bets come in, so it is important to keep track of them. It is also important to manage your bankroll. Begin with smaller bets and work your way up to larger ones. Also, get familiar with reading the race day program. This will help you make more informed bets.
Exotic bets
Exotic bets in horse racing involve wagering on more than one horse. They are more difficult to win than single bets and require more skill and research. They also have a higher house edge than straight bets. This is due to the nature of pari-mutuel betting, in which winnings are collected from a pool and the odds are not final until all bets are placed.
Examples of exotic horse betting are the quinella, exacta, and superfecta. They require the bettor to pick two horses in a race and they win if those horses finish first or second in any order. The more horses are included in the bet, the higher the payout.
The daily double is another popular exotic bet, in which the bettor must select the winner of two consecutive races. The hi-5 is a more complex bet that requires the bettor to predict the correct order of the first five horses in the race.
Angles
Having a few proven profitable angles in your arsenal can make the difference between a win and a miss. Using these angles can give you an edge over bettors who rely on betting tips, touts and house numbers rather than performing basic handicapping.
One useful angle is to look for a horse that has won in its last race at a particular track. This can signal a fresh horse that is ready to win again. Another angle to consider is a horse’s past performance on the surface type. Some horses perform best on dirt, while others do better on artificial tracks.
Using these angles can help you identify the winning longshots in the race. They can also help you find horses that are underrated by the public. This can produce a significant profit. You can also use these angles with other factors, such as jockey/trainer combinations or class droppers. These angles are not foolproof, but they can work in the right conditions.
Betting options
Horse racing betting is a form of pari-mutuel wagering where bettors bet against other people, not the house. The odds are constantly changing based on the amount of money placed on each horse. The morning line is published in the race program and on videoboards, and provides a good initial estimate of what the final win odds will be.
The most popular bet type is the Win, which requires the bettor to select the winner of each race. There are also Place bets, which require the bettor to select the first or second place finisher. These bets offer lower odds and payouts than Win bets, but they are an excellent way for newcomers to get started in the game.
Another way to increase your chances of winning is to lay the favorite. This bet opposes the favored horse in a race and can pay out large sums of money. To make this bet, read the race day program to learn more about a horse’s past performance and its competition. Also, study the track’s surface and conditions. Different tracks have different surface types, and horses perform differently on them.