Question by bestanswersinchicago: How do I bet on horses at the OTB?
They just opened an otb room at this huge sportsbar near my home. I like to go in and bet on horses because you can place bets for so cheap a buck or two. I always feel lost though, there’s a million races starting and I don’t know how to bet. Could you tell me briefly about box trifecta, blah blah blah?
Best answer:
Answer by croatan211
Okay I’m going to give this a shot.
First learn to read a racing form. Understand every entry.
Next, when you go to the OTB and you’re still learning only bet one track. I repeat only bet one track at a time. You will then bet about once every 20 minutes.
Try betting on tracks with allowance races or at a minimum, high dollar claiming races. Do not bet tracks like Evangeline Downs in Louisiana. I live twenty minutes from there and I refuse to bet there.
You have probably noticed that trifectas, exactas, pick 6’s, pick 3’s pay more. That is because there are fewer winners.
Always box trifectas. Always box exactas. There is nothing more annoying than to have an exacta ticket one way.
A one dollar trifecta box will cost you six bucks. That means that the three horses you have picked will pay off if all three horses finish in any order in the top three slots.
You bet like this; 1 dollar, trifecta box, x-x-x (each x being a horses number or post position).(6 dollar bet).
or: 5 dollar,exacta box, x-x (betting two horses both to finish in the top two slots).(ten dollar bet)
Always write your bets down before approaching the window. It is considered bad form to stand there looking at your program trying to come up with something.
You can find many resources on the net about how to bet or alternately find some horse gambler at the OTB that will give you some tips. They usually love to talk.
Finally I hope I don’t have to remind you about the evils of gambling.
Good luck.
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