| Other than getting a good tip on a horse from | | | | you can tell what you are getting and what the bet |
| someone in the know, there are some bets that | | | | pays. That means you can make a fair judgment as |
| traditionally offer a better chance of winning and | | | | to the actual value of the bet. Even a person with |
| making money betting on the horse races, especially if | | | | rudimentary horseplaying skills will sometimes see the |
| you are a beginner or have limited experience | | | | odds and think to him or herself, "That horse would be |
| handicapping horse races. Upon entering any race | | | | bet down more than that, that's a good deal!" |
| track the horse player is presented with a multitude of | | | | When that occurs, it is a golden opportunity to make a |
| opportunities for wagering on almost any race. There | | | | profit. Put enough of those situations together and you |
| are the traditional flat bets like win, place, and show. | | | | will be a winning horseplayer, no matter how much |
| Then there are exotic bets such as the daily double, | | | | experience you've had. Another reason that the |
| exacta, quinella, trifecta, superfecta, pick three, pick | | | | exotics aren't as good as the flat bets, is that the |
| four, pick six, place pick nine, and others. | | | | takeout, or "vig," as it is sometimes called, is higher on |
| It is nice to have so many choices but that can be a | | | | the exotics in most situations. That means that the |
| trap for the beginner. Seeing a large payoff on an | | | | track takes more money out of the pool before the |
| exotic bet, such as the superfecta in the Kentucky | | | | winners of the bet are paid, so you are paying more |
| Derby that paid over half a million dollars, can | | | | for the privilege of making the bet. Over time a higher |
| encourage a bettor to wager on the exotic wagers | | | | vig, even just a few percentage points higher, can |
| and to forsake the less exciting flat bets. | | | | really add up and eat into your winnings. |
| But there are several pitfalls inherent in the exotics, | | | | If you find the flat bets too boring and really feel you |
| especially if you have limited knowledge of betting and | | | | must play the exotics, I advise you to find a horse that |
| making money from your bets. if you are just gambling | | | | seems to be going off at good odds, compared to its |
| for fun, then by all means, swing for the fences, as | | | | form, and wheel it in one of the exotic pools. if it truly is |
| they say, and go for the big exotic, but just realize that | | | | an overlay, the exotics may pay well and you will not |
| hitting the truly big payoff is almost as difficult as hitting | | | | lose because you failed to figure out which horses to |
| the lottery. But if you would like the nice warm feeling | | | | use to complete the bet. So the win bet is by far the |
| of leaving the race track with more money than you | | | | best bet for a beginner or novice, followed by the |
| entered with, the flat bets are a much better deal. | | | | wheel bet in the exotics. |
| One of the reasons that flat bets are good bets is that | | | | |