27.07.2017 - In times gone by betting on horse races was considered a rite of passage for men everywhere. However, times have changes and while horse racing is still ‘The Sport of Kings’ the days of going to the track are long gone by. Just because times change doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t know how to bet on horses and, more importantly, how to win money the first time you bet on horses. With that in mind, please read on and learn how to act like a pro when you really have no idea what you are doing.
You Don’t Have to Go to the Track, But You Should
These days, you can lay money down on just about every horse race in the world from almost anywhere. However, nothing beats the feeling of watching a race from the grandstand. That being said, you need to keep in mind that going to the track is more for the experience than anything else.
This doesn’t mean that you won’t lay down a wager, or two, or three. But the ‘odds’ are that you are going to the track to enjoy some downtime with your mates. A perfect example of this are the Wednesday night races at the Happy Valley Track in Hong Kong. Just a short subway ride from the banks of Central, race night is more of a social event than anything else.
Getting Started
The simplest bet is the $2 wager and you can put this down on the favorite – also known as the chalk. While the payout for the favorite is not great, the odds are usually better than the other horses in the race. However, you need to know the odds are still against you if you are betting on the favorite. In fact, they are almost 2:1 against you. So, while this bet is rather simple, this might not be the best way to go.
Another option is what is called a ‘pari-mutuel’. This means that bets of a certain type are put into a pool. If you happen to be betting online on a big race, the pool is likely to be massive. The winnings for the bets are paid out of that pool.
One plus with this type of betting is that you are not directly competing against the house, but keep in mind you are probably not the only person with your bet. As such, your winnings might not be as big are you would have liked.
They are what are called ‘straight’ bets. These can be for the win, place, or show horses – first, second, and third respectively. Here’s what you need to keep in mind, while picking the winning horse can be extremely difficult, picking the place or show horse can be very good way to make money the first time you bet on horses.
Just keep in mind that as a beginner, you want to focus on making smaller bets instead of going all in. This make sense as you are just starting out and you want to make sure that you don’t get ahead of your skis.
Becoming a Baller
Let’s assume that you have a few bets under your belt and you are not a total newbie when it comes to betting on horse races. In that case, you might want to step up your game a bit. This could either be at the track or online.
The first thing to do is to measure up the bookmakers and have a good idea for which ones would be the best fit for you. As such, you will probably want to check out a guide like TopBettingSite.co.uk to see which bookmakers have the best deals. And why not as this what the pros do.
The next step in your transformation into an experienced bettor is increasing the amounts of your bets and then upping the action with exacta and trifecta bets. Though when you get to these levels you will want to rely on some expert advice to make the right picks.
This can include following professional handicappers online or learning how to handicap by yourself. Either way, the goal is to make money from the first time you bet on horses and in many cases keeping it simple is the best way to go.
