The world of horse racing is a magical one—parties, fashion, and plenty of money. But it’s not all fun and games. The financial side can be quite the opposite. While the sport itself is all about passion, loyalty, and glory, the financial side is all about money and losing it all the same.
If you’re thinking of playing the ponies or investing in the racing game, here’s some important information you need to know.
The Math Behind Racing
No matter what method you choose to play, the basics of racing apply. Just like in any other sport, you need to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and then work to improve on the former and minimize the latter. With that in mind, here’s some general horse racing math that you need to know.
- The shorter the odds, the more favorable the betting. Shortening the odds means increasing the potential for a win. So if you’re looking for a chance at financial gain, you might consider betting on the longer odds.
- Even stakes means that everyone who enters the wagering has an equal chance of winning. This means lower odds for the same chance of winning. For example, a $5 entry fee in a no-brainer race yields $15 in winnings.
- The more bets placed on a particular horse in a race, the more the horse’s odds will decrease. The theory is that other people are recognizing the strength of this or that horse.
- Bets placed early in a race tend to settle before the later stages. So if you’re looking to get in early on some betting action, you might consider racing closer to the start than the end.
- Racing isn’t quite as profitable for the favorite (generally considered to be the horse with the best chance of winning). But if you’re looking to make some fast cash, you might want to place a wager on the favorite.
- In a barrier race, all the horses must pass a barrier to enter the track. This means that all the horses on the track are racing for the same prize. With that in mind, if you’re looking to place a bet and don’t want to risk losing, you might want to choose a barrier race.
- Mostly True means that most of the time, the prediction will come true. This is often referred to as the long shot winning. It’s not always the case, but in general, the longer the odds, the more likely this is to happen. This is opposite of the mostly false or false, which indicates that the prediction will not come true.
- In the case of a dead heat, there is no winner. This means that two horses had exactly the same number of votes and neither was able to claim the prize. In this instance, the betting is essentially a 50/50 shot.
When To Guesstimate And When To Bet
One of the most important things to consider when betting is how good of an estimate do you have of the horse’s actual performance. If you have no idea how an individual horse will perform, it’s difficult to place a bet on it. Guesstimating is always a smart move when you’re not sure of an individual horse’s output.
There are times when you can be fairly certain of a horse’s expected performance. For example, if you’ve done your research and know for a fact that a horse will win a certain race by a certain amount of points, you can place a bet on that outcome with some degree of confidence. But even in these cases, it’s best to be cautious and avoid betting on races where you have no idea of how the final outcome will play out. Especially if you’re planning on placing a large wager, you might want to avoid these situations. Instead, look for races where you have a good idea of what to expect.
Racing is a sport where anything can happen, which makes it hard to know when to estimate and when to bet. With that in mind, here are some general tips for finding the right racing bet:
Know When To Guesstimate
If you’re new to betting, it’s hard to know when to estimate and when to bet. But in the world of horse racing, there are times when you can be fairly certain of a horse’s outcomes. For example, at certain tracks, it’s common for a horse to finish first, second, or third. So if you know that a select few races at a particular track will follow this pattern, it’s usually a good idea to guesstimate the winner. This way, you won’t be completely taken by surprise when the horse you’ve chosen finishes in the top spot.
There are times when you can’t guesstimate the winner of a horse race. Maybe the track is new and untested, or maybe the horse is a complete unknown outside of the racing world. In these cases, it might be a good idea to avoid betting altogether and save your money for races where you have a better idea of how the outcome will play out. These are the types of races where you might want to bet anyway, but you should prepare yourself for the fact that you might lose money. In some instances, this can be a lot of money. In other instances, it can be just a little bit of money. So it’s important to weigh the pros and the cons before making a decision.
Know When To Bet
Another important thing to consider when betting is when to bet. You can’t always guess when the right time to place a bet on a horse is, but you can usually tell when it’s the right time to get out of it. So if you’re thinking about placing a bet, it’s important to take some time and analyze your reasons. Sometimes the smart money can be a little bit elusive, but it’s usually there if you know where to look.
If the above tips and advice have helped you in your quest to make some extra cash, then great. But if you’ve lost money already, then it’s time to reevaluate your betting strategy. Maybe follow some of the tips and advice discussed above, but don’t be afraid to change things up when necessary. The more you learn and the more you know, the better you’ll be able to choose winning horses and avoid losing. Good luck out there.