Before Nevada legalized casinos in the 30s, betting on horse racing was pretty much the only way anyone could gamble in the US. Honestly, it’s a bit funny that gambling (lotteries in particular) essentially built the country from the grounds up when resources were lacking, and yet people repeatedly tried to ban it, leading to the demise in popularity of casinos and most other forms of gambling, especially when compared to Europe. Not horse racing, though! Admittedly, it suffered a blow in the early 20th century when betting with money was outlawed, but that drought only lasted for a couple of years before it picked itself right up and continued strong to this day, thanks to events like the Triple Crown. And how could it not? It’s the West’s favorite gambling pastime!
Why Bet on Horses?
If you’re here out of curiosity, or because you’d like to do some research, a big question might be on your mind – why bother betting at all? Is that really the optimal way to spend money when it comes to betting? In what ways is spending a day betting on horses better than spending the evening in a casino? Of course, at the end of the day it depends on your priorities – some people enjoy the thrill of having chips in your hand, or seeing cards fly on the table. However, I’d personally take a horse race over that any day. First and foremost, the horse race is a spectacle. You’re watching five to ten incredibly powerful animals at the peak of their ability, and if you love horses – and even if you don’t – that’s most certainly a sight to behold.
I think that one of the best reasons to visit your local race track is because it’s so affordable. Horse racing has gained this reputation of being a sport for the elite, something that only moustached British gentlemen can enjoy, but that honestly couldn’t be further from the truth. In the States, bets are as low as $2 per race, and in the UK, similarly, they’re just £2 per race. Those $2 can take you pretty far if you just barely know what you’re doing. For example, you could use them to place a “Show” bet on a horse, guaranteeing you a payout if the horse comes 3rd or better (which, in a 5-horse race, it’s very likely to). Most horse tracks, unlike most casinos, let you bring your own food and drink and don’t require any sort of formal wear at all, meaning that you can have a really fun, exciting afternoon with some friends for just a couple of bucks.
What Bet Should You Place?
There are something like ten different types of races, all with strange, complicated and completely alien names. If you’re a beginner, chances are you’ll have absolutely no idea what bet to place, or even what they mean! And nobody wants to waste the bookmaker’s time asking newbie questions and embarrassing themselves. I get it, that’s why I’m here, to answer the newbie questions in the privacy of your own home! To be perfectly honest, you can completely disregard the overwhelming majority of betting options, since they’re either way too dangerous with an extremely small chance of winning or too safe, to the point where you’re very likely to win, but the rewards just aren’t worth it. A good example of the first category is the “Exacta” bet, which rewards you for guessing which horse will come first and which horse will come second, in that exact order. That’s insane! I’m half-convinced this bet was conceived as a ploy by a shadowy government organization to hunt time travelers and psychics!
On the other hand, there’s stuff like “Across The Board”, which essentially places three bets – a “Win” (for when your horse wins the race), a “Place” (for when he places first OR second) and a “Show” (for when he places first OR second OR third), all at the same time. So if your horse wins you get three rewards, if he places second you get two and if he places third – just one. The problem is that, since you’re essentially placing three bets, you’re paying three times as much and the rewards just aren’t all that worth it in the end. That leaves us with the question of that’s the best bet to place? Everyone has their preference, but I personally like to bet on “Place”, giving myself a bit of wiggle room in case my preferred horse loses steam a bit at the end. If you’re not feeling confident, feel free to do a “Show” bet just to get a bit of a safety cushion, but be advised that winning “Show” bets pay a lot less than winning “Place” bets.
What Is This Website About?
Hopefully, by now you’ve either learned a few new things or, if you’re a pro, at least confirmed that I know the basics. For better or for worse, I can’t really fit everything on the title page, so on the downside, you may need to click once or twice to see the relevant info, but on the upside, at least the relevant info in question is going to be really cool! We’ll take an in-depth look at how to choose your horse so that you don’t need to just pick based on how much you like the name, we’ll discuss which bets are worth it and which aren’t, we’ll examine the history and pop culture relevance of the sport, just all this kind of really cool stuff which will, hopefully, be both interesting and useful!