Playing To Win

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.

I like more than one horse

If you like two or three horses equally well, betting them in the exacta can be a good strategy. If you pick only one horse to win, you will lose if one of your other horses wins. You could also bet two horses to win, but that ensures that one ticket will lose. With an exacta box you are risking more because you need to finish 1st and 2nd, but the payoff will be greater if you are right.

Win more for less

The exacta is essentially a Win bet, plus correctly selecting the second horse. If you think you have the winner identified, you are risking what you could win, but by limiting the horses that can run 2nd you are risking more to win more.

Advanced Strategies

I think I know who will run 2nd

If you like a horse but think he will run second (maybe it's not your day!), you can always bet him in second place in the exacta. If the #4 is the favorite that looks

The favorite is low-priced

If the favorite is obvious and it won't pay much to bet him to win, many players will use this as an opportunity to hit the exacta if they think they have a horse that will finish 2nd. In this case, if you expect the favorite to win, you would not box the exacta. You would only bet the combination one-way or 'straight'. (For example, $20 exacta 2-5; Total cost = $20.)

Exacta as a place bet

Some players do not like to bet to place, and will use the exacta as a place bet. The strategy usually starts with a horse that you bet to win. However, instead of betting win and place, you bet a few exactas with the horses that you think can beat you. For example, if you bet $20 to win on #3, and a $10 exacta 4-3, you are really making a back-up bet in case the #4 beats #3. This essentially removes the #4 as a horse to beat. As long as #3 beats everyone else in the race, you collect. If he beats the #4, you win, and if the race finishes 4-3, you hit the exacta.

Exacta Topics

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

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