If you are betting on horse racing, you should know how to place a Trifecta. This wage is hard to get right, but has big profit potential. Trifecta Betting is popular because even a small wager can have a big payoff due to the difficulty of correctly selecting the top 3 finishers. It’s one of the best ways to win big without putting a lot of money at risk.

1. Trifecta Box Betting
2. How To Bet A Trifecta In Horse Racing

What Is A Trifecta Bet?

A common way to make a trifecta bet in horse racing is to “box” three horses. For this, betting in $1 increments would be a $6 investment. There are some horse racing tracks that offer 50-cent trifecta betting. The 50-cent trifecta box increment became available for the first time at the 2010 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs.

What Is a Horse Racing Trifecta? A horse racing trifecta is an exotic wager on which horses will finish in the first three positions in a race. To win a trifecta, you have to pick the right three horses and also their exact finishing positions. To understand how the trifecta box bet works, imagine an eight-horse race. The bettor decides horses 4, 5, and 6 look the best, but can’t quite tell which will win, place, or show. In this case, the trifecta box bet offers an answer.

A Trifecta Bet is when the bettor selects the first, second, and third places finishers in exact order. If they finish in the correct order you win, and you can win big! If those exact horses don’t finish the race in that exact order, the bet is lost.

Different Types of Trifecta Bets

There are four different types of Trifecta Bets you can place, a straight, key, box, or wheel. Even the most seasoned bettors don’t always understand how each work. Let us break each one down:

Straight Trifecta Horse Racing Betting

This is the simplest type of Trifecta Bet. It’s a single wager where you pick exactly three horses and decide the exact order you think they will finish in. That’s it. The horses MUST finish for you to win. This is not a very forgiving bet, but when you risk high, you can win big.

Trifecta Box Horse Racing Betting

A Trifecta box can also be known as a reverse triactor or a combination tricast. In this bet, you choose the top three horses, but they can finish in any order. This makes it easier to win, but it comes at a cost. It’s a multiple wager, which means you’re clearly much more likely to get a win here but you have to pay for each combination of your chosen horses. A Trifecta box on three selections costs $12 instead of $2 for the straight Trifecta. A Trifecta box can cover more than three horses. But the increase in possible combinations increases the cost. With four horses, for example, there are 24 possible combinations. The cost to cover them all is $48.

Trifecta Key Box Horse Racing Betting

This bet is a good one when you have confidence in one of your picks, but you’re unsure about the others. So you choose one “key” selection and other “non-key” selections. The Trifecta Key box keeps the total cost lower, while allowing you to bet on your key players. For example, you can bet on the first and third place finishers and choose one or more other horses to fill in the second place spot.

Trifecta Wheel Horse Racing Betting

A Trifecta wheel is where you pick one horse to finish in a specific position, and back all possible combinations with the rest of the field. You pay for each possible combination, which depends on how many horses are taking part in the race. As long as your winner wins, you win; but you’re relying on one horse to win the race. You can opt for a part wheel Trifecta, which means you pick one horse to finish first, and then pick a select number of horses that will finish second and third. Here, you’re only covering less possible combinations, so you’ve reduced your overall chances of winning but you’re being much more efficient with your money.

What is the Minimum Stake on a Trifecta Bet?

The minimum betting amount for a Trifecta Bet both online and at the track is $0.50 or $1. These bets are very popular, because they are a low cost bet. Of course, the larger the field, the larger the payout.

How To Calculate the Payout for An Exacta Bet

Trifectas are a form of pari-mutuel wagering which means that payouts are calculated based on the share of a betting pool. A new pool is created for each race. The bigger the pool, the bigger the payout if you win. Here’s a basic example of how this works.

• 10,000 $1 Trifecta tickets are sold for a race
• The betting pool is $10,000 (10,000 x $1)
• There are 100 tickets with the correct finishing order of the first three horses.
• Each ticket receives a payout of $100 ($10,000 / 100)

In a real betting situation, you also have to factor in that not all bets are $1 and the track will take their cut before the prize pool is calculated, so there are additional payouts to consider. However, don’t let that worry you. Trifecta Bets can still give huge returns.

Trifecta Bet Calculator

Each type of Trifecta Bet is calculated a bit differently, which is why it’s important to know how much money you’re putting in based on the risks involved. Let’s look at how to calculate the costs of a Trifecta Bet.

Trifecta Box Betting

$1 Trifecta Key Costs: To figure the cost of a Trifecta Key, use this simple equation: $ x Number of horses x number of horses minus one.

• For example, a $1 Trifecta Key 1 with 2,3,4,5 would be 1 x 4 x 3 = 12 possible combinations costing you $12.
• $1 with 2,3,4: $6

Trifecta Part Wheel Costs: Multiply the number of horses used on top or the win position of the exacta with the number of horses used in the second position (less one if the same number is used on top in the exacta).

• # of horses in the first position x # of horses in the second position minus 1 x # of horses in the third position minus 2.
• For example, a $1 Trifecta Part Wheel 1 with 2,3,4 with 2,3,4,5 = 1 x 3 x 3 = $9 (9 possible combinations)

Trifecta Box Costs: To figure the cost here simply multiply the number of horses used by the number of horses used less one.

• $1 Trifecta Box with three horses: $6 (6 possible combinations)
• $1 Trifecta Box with four horses: $24 (24 possible combinations)
• $1 Trifecta Box with five horses: $60 (60 possible combinations)

The more horses you add to an Exacta Bet, the more likely you are to lose money in the end. If you bet on 8 horses, you have more chances of winning, but you would be lucky to make $30, resulting in a loss of nearly $650. For this reason, Exacta Box horse racing betting is generally best left to experienced handicappers, or those who employ the services of a veteran handicapper.

Of course, the track will take out its portion before the prize pool is calculated so the payout wouldn’t be exactly $120. But still, a $100 return on a $2 bet is amazing odds.

Whether it’s a huge race or an unexpected win, an Exacta payout usually gives a decent return, which is why it’s one of the most popular bets.

And They’re Off!

You can place Trifecta Bets at any racetrack or off-track betting bureau. At the track, you simply complete a betting slip or you can just request your selection verbally at the counter. If you’re not sure what to do, just ask a member of staff for some assistance. If you’re still a little unsure about how to place your bets or where to put your money, don’t worry. You’re not the first person to need a bit of help, which is why AmWager is here.

Horse betting can be an intimidating endeavor until you get used to the wagers, lingo, and payouts. AmWager has an easy to use online betting platform anyone can use to place their bets. Check it out and try your hand with the horses, it might be the one step to your next lucky break.

Horse racing offers a plethora of different bets from which to choose, ranging from your simple win wager to the white whale of racing, the Pick 6. The foundation of the betting menu is Win, Place, and Show (also known as WPS), which are straightforward and have been around for more than a century, but in recent years more complicated bets, known as “exotics,” have come to dominate the wagering landscape. There are two main types of exotic bets: vertical and horizontal. Vertical refers to bets that are placed on a single race (e.g. Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta), while horizontal are those in which you’re betting consecutive races (e.g. Daily Double, Pick 3, Pick 4). The following is a list and explanation of all the different kinds of bets you might expect to find at the track.

Win:

This one is pretty much self-explanatory. A win bet means you are betting on a horse to win the race. It is possible to bet multiple horses to win (though of course only one can actually win, unless there’s a dead-heat) and there is typically a $2 minimum bet. This is the bread and butter of any serious or casual bettor.

Place:

In order to cash a place bet, your horse must finish in either first or second. The payout will be the same regardless of where they finish (so long as it’s in the top two), and like a win bet there is typically a $2 minimum.

Show:

A show bet pays dividends if the horse you wager on finishes in one of the top three positions. Same as a place bet, whether the horse finishes in first, second, or third makes no impact on the payout. If your horse is anywhere in the top three, you win.

Across the Board

This is the term given to betting Win, Place, and Show on a single horse. You’re essentially placing three separate bets, so a $2 across the board bet will cost $6 total, but it is a more concise way of inputting the bet.

Exacta:

The simplest of the vertical exotics, an exacta requires the bettor to select which horses will finish first AND second in a given race in the correct order. For instance, if I believe Horse A will finish first and Horse B will finish second, I would bet an exacta with A in the first slot and B in the second. If Horse A wins the race and Horse B finishes second, you win, however if Horse B comes in first and Horse A in second, you lose because the order matters. To avoid this problem, many bettors choose to “box” two or more horses in an exacta, which allows you to win if the horses you select finish in any order in the top two. Boxing horses just means you are playing every possible exacta combination of the horses you choose, so a $2 exacta box of Horses A and B would cost $4 total, because you are actually placing two separate bets: a $2 exacta with A in first and B in second, and a $2 exacta with B in first and A in second. It is also possible to get creative and use multiple horses in each slot. Perhaps you think Horse A will win but that any of Horses B, C, and D could come in second. In that case you would want to place a $2 exacta with Horse A in the first slot and Horses B, C, and D in the second slot, which would cost a total of $6, as you are actually placing three separate bets.

Trifecta:

A trifecta is the same as an exacta, except now you must correctly predict the first three finishers in order in a given race. Boxing is also common practice for trifectas, but accounting for the extra spot adds a layer of complexity that often requires bettors to use multiple horses in each slot. Trying to hit a trifecta “cold,” or in other words using just three horses in the exact order you think they’ll finish, should only be attempted if you’re feeling lucky (or confident).

How To Bet A Trifecta In Horse Racing

Superfecta:

A superfecta is the same as an exacta or trifecta except that it requires the bettor to correctly predict the first four finishers in order in a given race. Given the abundance of possible combinations, many tracks offer a base wager of just 10 cents for the superfecta.

HI-5:

A Hi-5 demands the bettor correctly predict the first five finishers of a given race in order. It is the most complex bet of the vertical exotics and not for the faint of heart.

Daily Double:

The daily double is the simplest form of the horizontal exotic wagers. Rather than betting a single race, the daily double requires the bettor to select the winner of two consecutive races. The bet must be placed prior to the start of the first race, or “leg,” of the wager, and multiple horses can be used in each race. For instance, if you like two horses (A and B) in Race 1 and just one horse in Race 2 (Horse C), you would place a $2 daily double using A and B in the first leg and C in the second leg. This would cost a total of $4, as you are actually placing two separate wagers (A/C and B/C). Formerly a rare offering at racetracks, daily doubles can now be placed on nearly every race, except the last race on a card.

Pick-3:

The pick 3 is similar to the daily double, except that you must pick the winner of three consecutive races. Like the double, the bet must be placed prior to the start of the first race of the sequence and multiple horses can be utilized in each leg. Many tracks offer “rolling” pick 3’s, which means that the wager is offered starting in every race except the last two on the card.

Pick-4:

Following the same pattern as the double and pick 3, in the pick 4 a bettor must select the winner of four consecutive races. These bets are often offered twice a day at a track, once earlier on the card and once later.

Pick-5:

The pick 5 requires bettors to correctly predict the winner of five consecutive races. It is one of the most popular bets in racing due to its nearly universal low takeout (the track’s cut of the pool) and affordable base (just 50 cents). It also provides bettors the opportunity to wager a small amount for a potentially large payout.

Pick-6:

The most complex of the horizontal exotics, the pick 6 requires bettors to pick the winner of six consecutive races. The bet is the most elusive of all wagers not just because it’s extremely difficult to pick the winner of six races in a row, but also because in many jurisdictions the base bet is $2, making it very expensive to use multiple horses in each leg. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of “jackpot” pick 6’s. These wagers provide a lower base (usually 20 cents), but differ from regular pick 6 wagers in that the entire pool is only paid out if there is a single winner, otherwise it “carries over” into the next day. This means that if you and another person were to both correctly pick all six winners, neither of you would win (though there is typically a consolation payout).There is also a Rainbow-6 Bet that is a special version of the Pick-6.