all in Tips

Hitting an exotic sequence wager such as a Pick 3 takes a strong mix of solid handicapping and wise betting strategy.

Simply picking the winners of three straight races isn’t enough to guarantee a healthy profit. It’s how you construct your ticket that will determine whether you actually walk away with some cash and how large of a profit you rake in.

Betting an exacta can present a challenge on several levels.

There is, of course, the primary need to analyze past performances and decide which horses are going to finish first and second.

Yet because of the inherently lower payoffs as opposed to what you’ll find in a Pick 3 or Pick 4, you’ll need to structure your wagers effectively in order to turn your selections into a profitable wager.

In the course of the last 45 years, the biggest advancement in handicapping has probably been the emergence of speed figures.

What is commonplace now was in its infancy back then when speed variants ruled the land.

The variants were simplistic. They were averages based on how many lengths above or below the track record the races on that day were.

Speed figures took that process to a new and infinitely more helpful level.

These days there’s no shortage of ways to wager on a horse race. One that should never be overlooked is perhaps the oldest.

While the payoff on a win bet might be dwarfed by a trifecta or superfecta, its simplicity and effectiveness can help ensure turning a profit on your wagers.

Of course, putting it into play is not as easy as it might seem. If you simply bet $2 to win on all nine of your selections on a card, turning a profit on a regular basis could become challenging. What’s needed is some sound judgment so that you can take advantage of the best opportunities.

It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

So is wagering value.

As much as ascertaining value is a key element in handicapping a race, it’s as subjective as any other part of trying to pick a winner.

What could be an overlay to one bettor just might be seen as an underlay by another.

There might not be a clear-cut answer, yet that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. Value is too important to be pushed into the background during a day at the races.

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