Horse Racing Betting
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Called 'punters', horse race betting fans can bet on all manner of horse races such as flat races; national hunt races, which are contested over a series of jumps; and harness races, where horses either trot or pace (depending on the type of harness race) tethered to a buggy with a jockey aboard. However, regular or flat race betting remains the most popular form of horse racing betting, and is split into two categories - the highly popular thoroughbred racing and the less popular standardbred racing. As its name suggests, thoroughbred horse racing involves specially bred horses, many of which are worth millions of dollars depending on their particular bloodlines. Thoroughbreds came about in England in the 17th and 18th century, when local mares were bred with three top quality stallions of Oriental descent - the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian, and the Byerly Turk. The result is that to this day, every single thoroughbred in the world can have its lineage traced back to these original three stallions. Betting on Horse RacingThe objective of horse racing betting is a simple one - wager on which horse or horses in a given race will cross the line first or within the first few places. Horse race betting has always traditionally been conducted at bookmakers or sportsbooks, which employ oddsmakers who determine the chances of a given horse by allotting it odds. These days however, you can place all your horse racing bets at online sportsbooks, which means you can wager from the comfort, security and privacy of your own home or office, and even while on the move, thanks to a new generation of mobile betting facilities available for smart phone users. Horse Race Betting OddsA horse that is favored in a race will always be assigned 'shorter odds' such as 2/1 or even 1/2. In the case of 2/1 odds, for every dollar you bet you'll earn two dollars back if your horse wins. In the case of overwhelming 1/2 odds, for every two dollars you bet, you'll only earn one dollar back. A horse that is not favored, however, will be assigned 'longer odds' such as 10/1. This means that you'll earn $10 off a $1 bet. While this sounds like a far more enticing bet, be aware that the chances of a 10/1 horse beating a 2/1 favorite are unlikely, which is why the oddsmakers award it longer odds. An extremely long bet such as one with 30/1 odds is described as a 'long shot bet'. However, if a long shot wins, you can enjoy vast winnings. So the trick with horse race betting is to back horses with the best odds that have the most realistic chance of beating the race favorites. Types of Horse Racing BetsThere are many types of horse race bets you can choose from at both land and online sportsbooks. Here are the most common, with a short explanation of each: Single Bet - This the most popular horse racing bet, where you must pick a single horse to win a given race as per its assigned odds. Place Bet - Your horse must finish first or second. Show Bet - Your horse must finish first, second or third. Combination Bet - You must pick two to four horses to win in a particular order. Pick 3 Bet - You must pick the winners of three races in a row. Pick 6 Bet - You must pick the winners of six races in a row. Pick 6 bets are pooled into a jackpot and can reach dizzying heights. If a Pick 6 is not won, its jackpot is carried over to the Pick 6 pool of the next racing session. Quiniela Bet - You must pick two horses to finish first and second, but in no particular order. Exacta Bet - You must pick two horses and the exact order they'll cross the line in first and second. Trifecta Bet - You must pick three horses and the exact order they'll cross the line in first, second and third. Superfecta Bet - You must pick four horses and the exact order they'll cross the line in first, second, third and fourth. Daily Double Bet - You must pick the winners of the first and second races on a particular race day. Jackpot Bet - You must pick six winners in six races to win a share of the jackpot. Accumulator Bet - With this bet you can make multiple bets on multiple races, where the winnings of your first bet are applied (accumulated) to your second bet and so on, just as long as all of your bets win. This particular bet can pay out extremely well. Future Bet - This bet allows you to wager a long time before a given race and benefit from the potentially longer odds at the time you placed the bet. This is opposed to having to pay potentially shorter - and thus less lucrative - odds on the same horse much closer to the race. Exotic Bets - These are pretty much any other 'special bets' that bookmakers may choose to offer, and as such are likely to differ from sportsbook to sportsbook. |
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