Betting on horse races is an age old practice.  It dates back to roughly the time when the nomads of Central Asia began domesticating wild horses, somewhere around 4000 B.C.  Betting on the horse races probably started around the same time, but we know it was really big in the Roman Empire; in fact, the Roman people were obsessed with betting on the ponies!  Even the Greeks have records of mounted and chariot races in the Olympics dating further back than 600 B.C.  In all those years, from then till now, people have continued to bet on horse races.  Everyone has to start at the beginning; fortunately it isn’t all that hard to do, as long as you know some of the basics.

Speak the Lingo

If it seems like betting on horse races has its own unique language, it is because it does.  You don’t have to know all of the terms, you will pick them up as you progress, but a cursory understanding is necessary if you want to be successful and not simply lose money because you misunderstood.  What you need to be concerned with the most is going to be the basic betting lingo.

• To Win—This is a bet where-in you choose which horse will finish the race in first place.  It pays out very high compared to the other basic bets and can be very difficult to determine properly.
• To Place—This bet is one in which you choose a horse that will finish the race in either first or second place.  This is good for a strong horse that you fear might be having an off day or if there is a strong competitor.  It pays decent on the odds, but not as high as betting on a winner.
• To Show—This type of bet is where you choose a horse that will finish the race in one of the top three positions.  It doesn’t pay out as high as the other two, but it does pay out.
• Across the Board—This is where you are placing a Win, Place, and Show on the same horse

Betting Strategically

Some people will bet on a horse because it feels right, or because the horse is their ‘lucky’ number but most of the people that are serious about horse racing do research on the horses being raced and make strategic bets.  Many people will hedge their bet by placing multiple bets.  One of these bets is called Betting Both Ways.  This is when you would place a bet to win and then place a bet to show for the same horse.  Don’t confuse this with Across the Board betting.  This is a hedge for a strong horse that might not win, but you are sure will show.  If your pony wins, then you will get to collect on two bets, but if it only shows, you might have saved your initial bet amount on the payout.

Research Your Bet

It will pay you to start doing more research on horses and horse racing.  The first time you go to the track, don’t bet anything.  Watch and learn.  Go down to the paddock and get a close look at the horses, keep track of which horses are racing and how they looked in the paddock.  After a while you will start to notice what a good relaxed and healthy horse looks like.  This can come in really handy when you start putting money on the line.

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