Horse racing and betting are intrinsically linked. With a big summer of racing coming up, you may be thinking about placing your first bet. We help you navigate the course in the article below.
Few sports are as thrilling to wager on as horse racing. It is an event where favorites can quickly fall back, and outsiders take the post for surprise wins. Betting has always been a big part of the track, and now you can do it from your mobile device. As the big race approaches, we break down how to understand these bets.
The Standard Bet
A standard bet in horse racing is just a wager placed on a horse to win. There is nothing wrong with this at all, and most bets placed are on outright winners. Don’t feel like you have to get into complex multiple bets and systems.
When betting like this, odds are usually given as a fraction, such as 4/1. The first amount is how much you will win if the second amount is wagered. So with the above example, from a bet of £1 you will win £4, plus the return of your stake, giving you £5 in total. When you want to put more on a winner, you just multiply the figures accordingly.
Most of the top sportsbooks found online will also have free bet offers. These will allow you to bet on events, but the bookmaker will pay for your stake. They are a great way to try out betting for the first time or to attempt some of the more complex bets. Bet Way is one company that has a great selection, particularly for big events like Cheltenham.
Each Way
The each-way bet is for those who want a little less level of risk. It is also a good option if you fancy a horse to do well, but don’t think it will win outright. The term each way refers to the fact that it is actually two bets. You place one bet for the choice to come first, the other for it to get a place. Thus, £4 each way means you have to pay £8 in total, being 4×2.
If your each-way bet comes first, you get paid out twice. One is for the win, and the other is for the place bet. If it places but not in first, you lose the first bet but will get money back for the place, plus your stake.
How many places are paid out depends on the size of the field. Usually, you are betting for a horse to come first, second, or third. This will increase if there are a lot of runners. In a big race, like the Grand National, it is not uncommon for bookmakers to offer places up to fifth and beyond to get punters betting. However, in races with four runners or fewer bookmakers may not take each-way bets at all.
Accumulators
Accumulators are often known as accas, and they are extremely popular in all types of betting. They allow you to place one amount on a series of other bets. If they all come in, you will the combined total of their odds. However, if one selection falls short, then you don’t win the accumulator.
For an accumulator, you need to combine four bets into one big total.
The joy in this is that you can place a relatively small wager, but watch its total grow extremely large. The more bets get added, the bigger the chance of loss becomes. This makes it a case of balancing risk and reward. There are often operators who will provide you with free bets for signing up, and using them on an account is a good way to test the waters as you won’t be risking your capital.
Imagine you are watching a day’s racing at Cheltenham. You see four horses running in different races and decide to place an accumulator on them. You can take a relatively low amount, and these odds will total up. They all win, and you get a large sum in your account. However, if just one horse loses, so does your bet.
If an accumulator sounds like too much risk for you, then try a double or treble. These are bet on two races or three respectively. Just like an accumulator, the odds will stack one on top of another.
A Forecast
A forecast is a bet that is quite unique to horse racing. For this, you have to predict the order of the winning horses in a race, usually first and second. A reverse forecast follows the same pattern, but you don’t have to guess the order in which the winning two pass the post.
There are plenty of different bets you can try out. If you are new to horse racing, start with a few win-only bets. Advance to each way, and then you can try the more complex ones. Most important is studying the form of the horses and jockeys. By combining this knowledge with different types of bets, you may be able to increase your chance of a win. Use free bets offered by bookmakers to get started, and gamble responsibly.
Angela Spearman is a journalist at EzineMark who enjoys writing about the latest trending technology and business news.
