What Is a Trifecta in Horse Racing: Bets in Horse Racing Explained

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Horse race betting is one of the oldest forms of modern gambling, and it has been around even in ancient civilizations. In a way, it helped the gambling industry grow into a giant it is today. Punters don’t need to be physically present to place bets or play casino games. Nowadays, you can even gamble online without verifying your account. So, if you are reluctant to put any sensitive information online you can pick easy verification casinos that don’t collect KYC data when you sign up. Given the fact that even big companies have experienced cyber attacks and data theft, this is a far safer option.

 

Another reason why the iGaming industry has managed to thrive is thanks to innovation. There are lots of new casino games that you can play and win real money. If you are looking for a new gambling site then you should check out SkyCrown Casino and read the in-depth review. It launched in 2022 and it is packed with new games and promos. If you are looking to place wagers on horse races and want to learn about high payout wagers then stick around. We will explore the “Trifecta” bet in detail, talk about its pros and cons, and give some other betting tips.

Trifecta Bet

Trifecta is a type of bet where a punter needs to select 3 competitors that will finish in the top 3 spots. Not only that, but they also need to guess the correct order in which these horses will finish. In other words, even if you guess correctly but don’t get the order right, you won’t win anything. This is why trifecta is considered an exotic bet, it’s difficult to win, but the potential payouts can be huge.

 

To give you an example, you can place £2 on a trifecta bet, and if you win the payout will be £600 or even more. There were even instances where punters won over 120,000 GBP during the Kentucky Derby. Of course, this is highly unlikely and it only happens if the true underdog comes on top. However, winning a few thousand pounds is very possible, even with a negligible bet amount. Still, if you want to make money on horse racing, the trifecta bet might not be the best option. Luckily, there are other types of trifecta, and you are more likely to win if you make those wagers.

Trifecta Variations

The type of bet we mentioned, where you need to pick 3 horses and guess the exact order, is called straight trifecta. But there are other types out there.

 

• Boxed Trifecta – In this instance, you don’t need to guess the exact order, but that’s only because you are wagering on all possible combinations of straight trifecta. In other words, this option is more expensive, because you are technically making 6 bets.

 

• Trifecta Key – This wager requires you to guess who will finish first, while the order of two other horses doesn’t matter. Once again, your wager needs to be higher to cover these possible outcomes.

 

• Trifecta Boxed Key – This is a combination of the Boxed and Key wager. You pick 3 horses and mix all the possible Trifecta Key combinations.

 

• Trifecta Wheel – Here you only need to guess who will come first. Any horse can finish in 2nd and 3rd spots. To place a trifecta wheel wager you need to pick a number of a horse let’s say 7 and pick option 7-All-All. This will automatically generate a bet with all the possible combinations where horse number 7 comes in first.

 

The Most Common Types of Bet on Horse Races

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Both methodical and casual punters are more likely to place bets with higher odds of winning. Those who play to win tend to avoid certain risky wagers and straight trifecta is considered to be very risky. Now we will go over some of the most commonly placed horse racing wagers.

 

• Win/Straight – Here you pick the outright winner of the race.

 

• Place – The horse you back can finish in either the first or second spot

 

• Show –  In this instance, you pick a horse and if it finishes in the first, second, or third spot you win.

 

Conclusion

Hopefully, now you have a full understanding of how trifecta bet works. As you can see certain variations of this wager increase your odds of winning but are more expensive because you are technically backing multiple combinations. The main reason why punters love this type of wager is low stakes with massive payout potential. As a result, both boxed and straight trifecta are very tempting. That being said, players are advised not to bet large sums of money on these options. Win, place and show are far more consistent, and those who wager higher sums usually opt for one of these 3 options.