Horse racing remains one of the most popular sports throughout the USA and one that attracts a legion of loyal fans. It is also a sport with a long history in North America and one that people get as much fun from betting on as they do from watching the action unfold.
Betting on US horse racing really does add an extra element of fun to proceedings, but you must know what you are doing first. If you have never placed bets on horse racing before, finding out more before you get started is a must. It goes without saying for example that picking a trustworthy, easy to use and secure place to make bets online is crucial. Luckily, sites such as TwinSpires and TVG make this pretty straightforward to do.
But what else do US bettors new to horse racing need to know?
Race cards are key to understand
As a newbie to betting on horse racing, it really is essential to find out how race cards work. These are found at most online sportsbooks as well as at other horse racing websites online. Race cards list the horses running in a particular race and other key information you need to know.
The best advice for any beginner is to spend time getting familiar with race cards and learning how to read them. By doing this, you will understand them better and know how to navigate around them. It is also key to focus in on the really important details shown on cards. This includes which jockey is riding each horse, how long the race is, form details, the class of the race, the form of the yard and what condition the ground is in. In addition, keeping up with the latest horse racing news is a way to glean all the information you need to make sensible wagers.
Understand the different bets you can make
Although finding the right horse to bet on is the most important thing for horse race bettors, it is not the only thing to consider. The kind of wager you make also deserves careful thought.
But what are the various bets you can make? The simplest and most popular is the ‘Win’ bet. This is where you back a horse to come first in the race and beat all the other runners. If this happens, you win your bet.
Of the other more exotic wagers you could try, ‘Place’ is one you will hear mentioned a lot. This bet has you wagering that your horse will finish in either first or second place in the race. As noted above, this can be a good bet if you think your horse will do well but you aren’t totally sure of a win. ‘Show’ bets are also worth knowing about and allow you to win if your horse comes first, second or third.
Parlays are something you often see used in horse race betting and this allows you to bundle individual bets up into one large one. While the payout can be huge, you do need every bet to win in order to succeed. While there are other more specific bets out there, such as Exactas, the above are the ones for beginners to focus on.
Make sure you know how odds work
If you are new to betting on horse racing, then you must also learn how odds work and why they are important. If you know what probability is though, it should not be too hard.
In simple terms, odds given by bookies show how probable an event is to happen in their opinion. This can be a good way of seeing how likely your horse is to finish first or finish in the ‘Show’ places for example. Long odds (such as 100/1) suggest this is not probable, while shorter ones (2/1) suggest it might be.
Odds also tell you how much any bet will return if should you win. This is key to know so you can target value in your wagers. To work this out, multiply your stake by the fraction shown. A $10 stake at 2/1 odds for example would return $30 — $20 plus your $10 original bet. Although most US sports use American moneyline odds in betting, horse racing in the USA usually sticks to fractional odds.
Horse race betting for beginners
There is no doubt that betting on horse racing adds extra excitement to it. As a beginner to this activity though, it is key to know what you are doing before you dive in. By taking your time to bet on horses in a responsible, informed way, you are giving yourself the best chance of enjoying it to the fullest.
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