Going to the horse races for an afternoon can be a fun adventure. You and your family can admire the Sport of Kings at the cost of a small entry fee per person. And, if you’re daring enough, you can place a wager on any horse you like. It’s easy to wager on horse racing once you understand how to place a bet.

If you’ve never been to the horse races, I highly recommend it. It’s a very enjoyable experience for the entire family. You get to see the horses close-up, and you can stand close to the finish line and watch the horses thunder down the stretch on their way to the wire. For those interested in wagering, the process to actually place a wager is pretty simple once you know the basics. The simplest wagers to make are WIN, PLACE, and SHOW.

In order to return a payoff with a WIN ticket, your horse (your selection) must win the race, and the race must be declared ‘official’. Once the race has become official, you can cash your ticket at the mutuel window or through the automated betting machines. Most professional gamblers focus on WIN tickets as their primary form of wagering. The reason why they prefer this type of wager is because it produces a high percentage chance of success with a fairly high rate of return. In a race containing 10 horses, you can pick any horse you like and, theoretically, you’ll have a 10% chance of success.

In order to cash a PLACE wager, your horse must finish FIRST or SECOND in the race. You’ll receive a payoff regardless if your horse wins the race or finishes in second place. However, because the wager pays on both first and second, it’s important to note there is a payout for two horses: the winner of the race, and the second place horse. Since there are two payoffs, the PLACE wager usually pays much less than the WIN wager. On a positive note, since the wager pays on the first and second position, you’ll have a much better chance at cashing your ticket. In a race with ten horses, if you make a PLACE bet on a single horse, you’ll have a 20% chance of cashing your ticket.

If you want the safest wager possible, then you probably want to make a SHOW wager. With this type of wager, your horse can finish FIRST, SECOND, or THIRD. Thus, in a race with ten horses, you’ll have a 30% chance of cashing your ticket. While this may sound like the ideal wager, the payoffs are often dismal because this type of wager pays on the top three horses in a race, and that means there will be three payouts which translates into a very small return for your investment. SHOW wagers, while they seem safe enough, are usually bad bets from an investment and return perspective. Most professional gamblers will avoid them and stick with either a straight WIN bet or a PLACE wager.

When making your wager at the betting window, you will need to state five things: (1) The name of the race track you are wagering on, (2) The race number, (3) The amount of your wager, (4) The type of wager you are making, and (5) The horse you are wagering on. For example, if you were betting on a horse at Golden Gate Fields, you might say the following to teller at the betting window: “I want to make a wager at Golden Gate Fields, Race #4, $25 to WIN on horse #8”. Always state the track first, the race number, the amount and type of your wager, and then the horse number. Also, you should check your ticket before you walk away from the window to make sure the teller entered the information correctly.

I encourage everyone to visit their local race track and watch the races. It’s an experience you’ll never forget!

Chris Ortiz, also known as Christian Blake, is a professional handicapper located in the state of Nevada. He is the author of several horse racing books. You can read more about his insights into the game of horse racing at his website: http://www.howtowinathorseracing.net.

Chris Ortiz, also known as Christian Blake, is a professional handicapper located in the state of Nevada. He is the author of several horse racing books. You can read more about his insights into the game of horse racing at his website: http://www.howtowinathorseracing.net

Author Bio: Chris Ortiz, also known as Christian Blake, is a professional handicapper located in the state of Nevada. He is the author of several horse racing books. You can read more about his insights into the game of horse racing at his website: http://www.howtowinathorseracing.net.

Category: Recreation
Keywords: horse racing, horse race betting, horse race wagers