How to Maximize Your Winning Chances in Horse Race Betting
Horse racing is still one of the most fun and entertaining events many, especially bettors, can enjoy today. Every horse race season, numerous events are prepared. Thus, bettors are trying to explore and find effective ways to maximize their winnings in every bet made.
Although the process can be a bit intimidating for many, it is with utmost importance to know that the advancement in horse race betting has opened opportunities and advantages for bettors to achieve higher winning chances. Before going all-out in betting, you must first be equipped with the necessary knowledge and strategy to maximize your winning chances.
Do Your Research
One way to maximize your winning chances in horse race betting is by keenly researching your top picks. Participating in handicapping TVG horse betting can mean identifying and considering many factors, including the stats, history, and performance of the participating horses. That way, you will be able to know how they perform on the track, be it related to varying track surfaces, positions, or distance.
It is important you consider every bit that contributes to a horse’s performance to achieve higher chances of a winning bet. Some of the factors you can look at that may provide you with adequate and helpful information about the horse include the following:
- Past Performance. The past performance (pp) provides public information about the horse’s total number of starts, finishes, win percentage, and money earned throughout their racing experience.
- Workout Stat. Before the actual race, horses undergo training and workouts that are officially timed by a training site’s official clockers. Workout stats, commonly provided by bookmakers or other publications, allow you to know a horse’s speed and performance at a certain distance.
- Jockey. A horse’s performance is also influenced by its jockey. This is because jockeys control the horse’s starting performance, help set the pace, and efficiently conserve the horse’s energy throughout the race.
- Trainer. Trainers are responsible for ensuring horses’ health and overall condition. Moreover, they also ensure that the horse is fit enough and is equipped with the necessary racing skills for improved performance on the track.
Know the Odds
There is always a favorite and a longshot (underdog) in horse race betting. The favorites have the most money wagered, while the longshots have the least wagered on them. Regarding the odds, the favorite has lower odds, and the longshot has higher odds. Although the favorite gives you a higher chance of winning the bet, winning a long shot can provide higher payouts.
Knowing and understanding the odds provides an overview of how much you’ll have to wager and how much you can bring home with successful bets. Simply put, odds are the expected return in every successful bet. Horse racing programs commonly provide the odds through a “morning line.” Morning lines are printed or posted online by bookmakers before the betting begins so that bettors can easily look at or reconsider their initial bets.
Understand the Different Betting Types
Choosing a pick isn’t the only crucial process in horse race betting because understanding the available betting options is also a vital step in maximizing winning chances. Having enough knowledge about the common to complex betting types allows you to identify which can provide you with better payouts and higher chances.
Simple betting types you can consider include the following:
- Win Bet. In a win bet, your chosen horse must finish first place.
- Place Bet. Your pick must win first or second place in the race to win the bet.
- Show Bet. Your horse must successfully finish the race in first to third place.
If you are in for a more challenging betting option, there exist exotic bets. Compared to win, place, and show bets, exotic bets allow you to choose multiple horses to finish a place in exact orders. Exotic bets you can try are the following:
- Exacta. In an exacta, you will have to pick two horses to win first and second place in exact order.
- Quinella. Quinella bet allows you to choose two horses to finish first or second place.
- Trifecta. Trifecta is even more challenging as you will choose three horses to finish first, second, and third place in exact order.
- Superfecta. Similarly, with the trifecta, superfecta requires you to choose four horses that will finish in the top four places, all in exact order.
Aside from the overwhelming and more challenging exotic bet types, other betting options are available if you enjoy more than one race per day. Daily Double and Pick 3, Pick 4, and so on allow you to pick winning horses in two or more races.
Conclusion
Given all the available horse racing events every year, betting can surely make the experience more fun and exciting for many. Although choosing a winning pick can be challenging, doing it with adequate experience and knowledge can make the process much easier. Exploring and trying in varying ways promotes and allows you to achieve better chances of achieving winning bets.