Monday 8 August 2011

Understanding Horse Betting & Horse Betting Odds


Understanding Horse Betting Odds

Author:

Shane Marshall

If you have passion for horseracing then you must have wanted to take part in horse racing betting. However, before you go for race horse betting, it is important that you know and understand horse betting odds. Understanding the basics of horse betting odds will make horse bets simpler. You must know how much is being bet on each horse during the race, thereby making it easier for you to understand the trends and opportunities of horse racing betting.

In the betting world, odds are the way of expressing the chances of a horse winning a race. Unless you know to read the horse betting odds right, you will not be able to make informed horse bets. For this reason, it is important that you acquaint yourself with the concept of the odds that are displayed during all races. If you are betting online, you will find the odds listed along with each of the racehorses. You should use these odds to decide which horse to bet on.

More about horse betting odds

As said earlier, you must know how to read the odds. Horse betting odds are presented in two different ways at the track. This depends on where you look. The first way is as simple odds – 6/1, meaning that, you can make a profit of $6 for every dollar bet. Keep in mind that the minimum bet at any track is two dollars; this will help you earn the profit at least twice the listed odds, the horse betting odds in this case are rounded down, and your actual profit will be higher than the posted odds. You will also get back your initial wager in this kind of odd, along with the winnings of the bet.

Payout odd is another form of horse betting odds, which are listed on the big tote board in the middle of the track and in other places, depending upon the track. In case of payout odds, it is important to remember that the listed prices are not profit. There will be change in the prices for the last time on the tote board soon after the race begins to reflect the last second bets. The final price will be the payout that you will be guaranteed in case your horse wins the race. When you first start with payout odds in horse race betting, it will be little difficult to understand but as soon as you gather the experience it will become easier to anticipate the approximate payouts before the race.

Horse racing odds are determined by a pari-mutuel system. In simpler words, it means the odds of the horse bets are determined by the bettors. The odds are generally set by amount of money that the bettors bet on each horse. The more money you bet on a horse in race horse betting, the lower will be odds. Horse racing betting can be lot more fun and exciting if you identify the horse betting odds better.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/equestrian-articles/understanding-horse-betting-odds-1957749.html

About the Author

Content writer with an interest in online sports betting.

Friday 22 July 2011

Betting On Horse Racing: General Terminology

Betting On Horse Racing: General Terminology

Author:

Karen Cummings

Horse racing is a major industry, and spawns billions of dollars of investments each year. No matter who you are though, horse racing is a lot more fun if you can pick a winner. Here are a few basics on finding that elusive animal.

Favourites - these are the horses that most people think will win and start at the lowest odds. While sometimes they represent value, many times they won\'t. No matter what you think of the return, it is a simple fact that favourites win a third of all races. If you are going to bet on them, or against them, you have to know this. Like all statistics, this relates to an overall picture of horse racing for an extended period and not the next three races.

Tracks - different racetracks suit different horses with different styles of racing. Often this will be termed bias and you will often hear comments like 'there was a real leader\'s bias today.' This means that the winners all were near the lead on the home turn. Overall in Australia especially, most races will be won by horses in the first six on the home turn, so a so-called leader\'s bias may not be anything out of the ordinary. Do your homework and find out what horses should be near the lead as this will often improve their chances of winning.

Speed Maps - these are projections of where each horse is likely to be in the running of a race. They are obtainable from some internet sites, and also you can buy from some tipsters.

Tipsters - they are people who make their living out of telling you what horse will win. Some have a great strike rate, while others don\'t. They often measure their success by different methods, so be careful when backing someone else\'s judgment rather than your own.

Barriers - the starting gates for a race. The barrier each runner has is written in brackets after a horse\'s name in Australian form guides. In the US, the barrier is shown by the saddlecloth that the horse carries. Barriers can be very important in determining where a horse is positioned throughout the race. Some tracks, and even starting points on a track, can affect the chances of a horse starting especially from wide barriers.

Tracks - you have heard the old saying of 'Horses for courses.' It really was written about horse racing and some horses perform better on some tracks than others. Many form guides will have the number of starts for a horse at the track they are running on today.

Form Guides - these inform you the prior or past results of the runner. Most will have at least the past three starts. Better guides will give a lot of information about a horse\'s form including how far they were beaten and the time that the winner ran.

Times - times can be your greatest friend or your worst enemy. They depend on a number of factors like how the race is run, and how far away from the winner a horse finished. A general rule of thumb is that 1 second equals six lengths.

Weight - a horse being handicapped is by the amount of lead weight that they will carry in an event. If they jockey is lighter than the handicap, lead weights are added to the saddle bags. Jockeys are weighed prior to the start of the race and then weighed again after the race to ensure the correct weight was carried by the runner. This is known as weighing in or out.

Stewards - these are the policemen of horse racing. They look at the race from a range of vantage points around the racecourse. Their job is to make sure that the jockeys obey the rules of racing, and to ensure that every horse has a fair chance of winning.

Protests - when an incident occurs in a race that is suspected to be illegal in terms of the rules of racing, either the connections of the horse, or the stewards, are able to lodge a protest. Like a small court case, the parties give evidence before the chief steward and review the footage of the race. The steward then gives his decision, and has the power to change finishing positions, or even disqualify horses from a race.

Weight For Age - this is the top form of racing when all horses are handicapped by way of a long standing allocation of weight for the age that a horse is. Older horses carry more weight than younger horses, and male horses carry more than female horses.

There is always something new to learn about horse racing, but this might give you a start along the way to being successful in betting.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/betting-on-horse-racing-general-terminology-3908370.html

About the Author
To read more about Australian Horse Racing, Jockeys Premiership, Horse Racing Tips, Bookmakers, Racecourses and more, go to Pro Group Racing and receive your free E-Book on How to Win at Horse Racing. ==> http://www.progroupracing.com.au/group_races/CoxPlate/cox_plate.htm

Thursday 21 July 2011

Free Horse Racing Naps Starts Today

Hi Peeps,

Just getting this blog together and will be with you shortly - and yes, you guessed it.  I will be giving you free horse racing naps!