How to bet on the horses
You may have only placed the odd bet once or twice a year on major races such as the Grand National. You may have played it safe by only betting each-way because you weren’t confident enough to pick an outright winner. Or when you did pick a winner, it was the No. of your birthday. Well, if any of those “strategies” sound like you, this section will help you understand the various types of races and bets.
Win or Each-Way
The type of bet that more experienced punters are attracted to is the “win” bet. While there’s something to be said for each-way betting, most professional gamblers believe that betting on the winner is the best way to profit.
Each-way betting is ideal for punters who feel confident that a horse will perform well but unsure whether they have the ability to win the race. They profit if the horse finishes in second or third place in a race featuring at least eight runners. If it’s a handicap race with at least 16 runners, fourth place also pays. There are certain races where even fifth place pays out.
Multiple bets
There have been numerous stories about gamblers winning big from a small stake by linking numerous winners. This type of bet, also known as an accumulator, can be a basic double to a maximum of seven or eight horses. Of course, the downside with this type of bet is that you lose your stake with just a single loser.
There are a number of special bets that enable you to link horses in not just accumulators but also doubles and trebles. The Patent bet links three horses in three single races, two doubles, and a treble. The Yankee bet totals 11 bets with four horses in doubles, trebles, and a four-horse accumulator. The Canadian bet is five bets and the Heinz is six, with 26 and 57 combinations, respectively.