Playing To Win

205 - The Exacta

The exacta has overtaken the win bet as the most popular bet in racing. The exacta is a tougher bet than win, but it is still easy to play and easy to understand and it can pay very well.

Description:	Your horses must finish 1st and 2nd in exact order.
Winning payoff:	$15 - $150+
Popularity:	The most popular wager. About 30% of all wagers are exactas.
Frequency:	Every race
Minimum:	$1
How to say the bet:	"Arlington Park, Race 3, $2 exacta 5-8"

Why bet an Exacta? As the Exacta is the most popular bet in racing, there are many good reasons and strategies for playing the exacta.

Typical Exacta strategies:

A fun, easy bet with good chances

The exacta is fun! If you bet an exacta box, such as a $1 exacta box with three horses, you have many chances for only $6! With three horses in a box, you have some margin of error to be wrong with one horse. And best of all, the $2 exacta usually pays around $50 or $100 so you are giving yourself a chance to win big. If you include some long shots in your wager, you could be in line for even greater payoffs.

I don't know who will win

If you don't have any good feelings on who will win, an exacta box of three or four horses can inexpensively give you a chance to win with several different combinations.

Exacta Topics

• Exactas Intro
• Typical Strategies
• Exacta Box & Wheel
• Exacta Payoffs

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