Horses are majestic creatures, and their beauty is a huge part of what makes watching them race around a track so exciting. Their speed and power are satisfying sights whether you’re cheering for your favorite horse from the stands or on your couch.

There are three primary betting systems used in horse racing. The method used will vary around the world and by track. Fixed odds betting is one of the most common systems across different sports. When you place a bet using fixed odds, you stake a wager with a bookmaker, who has established odds for that bet. Each horse is handpicked by our expert handicapper. Make your bets worth more with free horse picks. Whether you are placing the first bet or an expert, you will benefit from our predictions. Learn More About Wagering We also offer a wagering guide to help you play with our daily horse racing picks. Use it in the best manner possible and make.

But what if you could get your heart racing a little more? Have you ever considered horse racing betting to up the excitement?

Learning how to bet on horse racing can take you from the sidelines and put you in the saddle. With numerous types of horse bets to choose from, you can take charge and make your favorite sport that much more fun to watch. Continue reading to learn about the most popular horse betting terms and more.

The Horse Racing Betting Basics

First things first — you need to understand horse racing odds. These are listed as fractions that show you how much you need to spend to make a profit.

For example, if Horse 1 has 20/1 odds, you’ll win $21 if you bet $1 (a $20 profit plus the recoup of your bet). On the other hand, if Horse 2 has 6/5 odds, you’ll only get $6 in profit if you bet $5, as they have a better chance of winning.

You’ll also need a few key pieces of information when placing a bet, especially since there can be a lot of races going on at once. Always have the racetrack, race number, and horse’s number written down, as well as how much you want to bet and what type of bet it is.

Different Types of Horse Bets

Basic Bets

There are a few different types of horse bets, but the main three are win, place, and show:

Good Horse Betting Tips Betting

• In a win bet, you pick the winning horse. Because it’s harder to get right, this will net you the most profit.
• In a place bet, the horse needs to finish in either first or second (it doesn’t matter which). The earning potential here is still good, but not as high as a winning bet.
• Finally, a show bet is when the horse finishes in first, second, or third (again, placement doesn’t matter). This will net you the least money, but it’s a more secure option.

Uk Betting Tips

Can’t decide which bet you want to take? You can also go across the board, which is when you place three equal win, place, and show bets. If your horse wins first, you’ll win all the bets. If they get second, you’ll win the show and place bets. And if they get third, you’ll win the show bet.

Advanced Bets

There are also more combination horse bets you can place. One is an exact bet, which requires you to pick the first and second place horses in the correct order.

To make things harder, try the trifecta bet, which is when you pick the exact order of the top three horses. If you’re feeling super confident, go for the superfecta, which is the top four horses in the exact order of finish.

The payout for all of these bets is based on a pari-mutuel system, where all the money for a certain type of bet is collected into a pool and then split among the winners.

Multi-Race Bets

If you’re really feeling lucky, you can turn it up a notch with multi-race bets. These require you to pick the winner in numerous consecutive races, typically ranging from two to six in a row. That doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to one pick for each race; feel free to choose multiple horses to be the winner (this will just increase the cost of your bet).

Keep in mind that if even one horse loses, you’ll lose your bet. These are very hard bets to win, but that’s what makes them so much fun.

How to Bet on Horse Racing in Vegas

Now that you understand how to bet on horse racing, it’s time to place your bets. Circa Sports is the ultimate sportsbook in Las Vegas for horse racing sports betting. Stop by the Golden Gate,the D, or soon at Circa Resort in Downtown Las Vegas to place your bets in person. Can’t make it into the sportsbook? Download the Circa Sports app on iOS or Android to have your bookie right in your pocket and bet wherever you are in Vegas.

Whether in person or on the app, join Circa Sports for your premier place to bet on horse racing in Vegas.

Horse betting tips, tricks and secrets…
Keep in mind these helpful, common sense, “rules of thumb” for betting on horse races. When you are betting on horse races, you are looking to put yourself in the best position for winning, right? You bet you are… and the tips, tricks, facts and stats noted in the following list can help improve your odds. Here they are in no particular order… do not overlook or ignore them.

Get all the free picks and tips you can from experienced handicappers. Compare them. Take an average of the comparisons to determine what horses are mentioned most, and also most favorably in handicappers picks. Here on HorsePlayUSA, we offer the most comprehensive list of free picks resources you will find anywhere online. You can find the links for these free picks running down the right side of most pages of the site.

Many racetracks have a television simulcast commentator who handicaps before and between the races… like Gulfstream Park for example. Watch and listen… this is not fluff… see if you can pick up any good betting tips.

Choose your track or tracks, and if possible, try to watch the races everyday. If you can not watch live races very frequently, use the Video Replay feature that many tracks make available (see Watch & Wager) to watch the races of the horses you are following in replays. There may be nothing more helpful and effective than getting to really know the horses and jockeys.

Always watch live “day of the race” video of the horses when it is available… such as in the paddock area, walking to the track or warming up on the track and entering the starting gate. Try to learn and spot horses who look and act ready to run… this is a learning process, but it can be huge in getting the hang of picking winners. There is a lot to learn about a race that is not in the PP or program. If you are wagering without watching your picks, you are a making a very crucial mistake in your approach to horse betting. Very few people in the world are good enough handicappers to consistently pick winners just from the PP… chances are you are not one of them.

The top ten riders in the track’s jockey standings win about 90 percent of the races run during the meet. Be mindful of winning jockeys who have a race day where they do not have as many rides or mounts as usual or normal… chances are they will win the one or two rides that they do have.

Favorite horses win about 33 percent of the time, although at low payoffs.

The morning line (ML) is NOT which horse and jockey the racetrack oddsmaker likes in the race. It is his or her prediction of how the public will bet the race. A very reasonable method of betting overlays is to put a couple of bucks on horses going off at odds two to three times higher than the morning line.

An excellent strategy is to work your bets this way… unless it seems completely insane… ignore the “popular” favorite to win. Instead, take a horse with higher odds who could reasonably win outright. But, bet that horse to “show” (finish third)… or even “place” (finish second). Many “show” horses often pay out more to finish third than favorites who win or finish first on your basic, simple $2 to $6 bet. You can often double or triple your return. Is there anything wrong with putting down $2 and coming away with $6.80? Do it all day if you can… it is better than the stock market.

Some high rollers who you may be betting against are doing it via an off-site ADW — Advanced Deposit Wagering platform — this is a legal way to gamble online in nearly all states. Here at HorsePlayUSA, you can connect with and use two such ADWs. One is onshore and it is the #1 ADW in the country. It is TVG. The other ADW is offshore and it is called 5Dimes. Both offer excellent rewards, promotions and bonuses for using their betting platforms. When comparing the two… understand that they each have their advantages and pros and cons. Due to the fact TVG is located in the USA, it is regulated and licensed through domestic laws. 5Dimes is located offshore in the legal gambling haven of Costa Rica and is not subject to most of those regulations. You should compare the two and decide which of their respective advantages are most to your liking and preferences. If you can not open an account at TVG for any reason, your very best bet is 5Dimes.

Consider working out of “two pockets”. Any good bettor sometimes bets big… and sometimes bets small. To keep yourself going, financially sustain yourself, and to keep from being bored between races you’re very excited about… have a smaller pocket to work with… you’ll be $2 here, $2 there, and then when that big race comes up, you’ll be able to turn to your other pocket, and bet $20. Quite honestly, betting using any strategy can be risky. It’s always important to know when to stop. Having two separate pockets can help make your betting less risky.

Bet and learn with friends. There are a number of ways you can make betting the horses a group activity, or something you do with just one friend. It can make betting on the horses even more fun. If you are with a group, get everyone to chip in, say, $5. Then, each person picks 1 horse to show on a certain race. Place the first bet, and then if you win, place the next bet including the winnings. If you hit a streak, that $5 can add up very quickly. Make sure the winnings (and the losses) get split evenly. Have everyone agree to a basic set of guidelines before participating in any betting. Some people may argue that they won while others lost… establish a few “rules” so everyone is on the same page.

Refine and sharpen your handicapping skills. Handicapping is the process of determining which horse has the best chance to win a race. It is more a test of your creative intelligence, and less of your systematic computational math skills. To do this, you will need a Past Performances Program (PPP) or (PP)… and also known as “the racing form“. You can buy them online at Equibase, Brisnet or Daily Racing Form (DRF). The PP is full of stats and figures and will be explained throughout. DO NOT try to digest or understand the PP all at once or even quickly. Take your time. For most people it will come with repetitive and regular use. Once you know how to decode the racing form, you will have a pretty good idea of which horses will (or at least should) do well.

Best Free Tips Football Betting

Look at the distance or length of race you are betting. Distance is a very big factor when it comes to betting horses. If you are looking at a horse that is spent at around 6 furlongs, and you are at Belmont Park where its Triple Crown leg stakes race is a very long 12 furlongs, betting that horse is NOT a good idea. Analyze how your horse has run in other races of similar length.

Best Horse Betting Tips

Track your own records. Keep track of your own betting performance. Where do you seem to be making assumptions that aren’t correct? What details, stats and numbers are you missing that result in your betting on the wrong horse? What are you strong points? Knowing how you bet can help you overcome any personal weaknesses, too. Keep a pen or pencil, notebook or paper with you for use as a type of scorecard just like players at the track do. Make simple notes that makes sense to you that will help you keep track of how your assessing races. Keep track of the results in addition to how you bet to jog your memory later. Establish what types of bets produce the highest returns for you and make them the focus of your future and ongoing wagering. Determine what types of races you have the most success with and those which you can not successfully evaluate. If you conclude that you seldom pick winners on turf, avoid betting on grass races until you improve your handicapping.

If you want to enjoy a better chance of winning more than you lose, stay away from exotic wagering. Stick with basic win, place and show bets. If winning the basic bets are elusive, then you have little chance of picking the order of how horses will finish a race, or picking back-to-back winners to collect money.
If you are serious about learning more about horse racing, handicapping, the business and the game… but are not a book worm, then a very excellent option is to watch and review How-To Videos. In fact, even if you are a book worm and have the time and do not mind reading, videos are superb instructional materials. We spend a great deal of time gathering the best videos on the key facets of the sport which you will find listed and described under the How-To Videos tab near the top of each page.

Best Online Horse Betting Sites